Learning German will help you find your way around Germany and make it easier for you to enter the German labour market. Here you will find comprehensive information on courses and other language learning programmes designed to help you learn German quickly and effectively, whether you are a beginner or want to improve your skills.
In the vhs learning portal you will find online German courses at various levels from A1 to B2. These courses are suitable for self-study. Learners are supported by online tutors who correct tasks, give feedback, provide personalised advice and motivation. The learning portal requires no prior knowledge. It is optimised for use on smartphones and can also be used via an app if there is temporarily no internet connection. The German Adult Education Association (Deutscher Volkshochschul-Verband e.V.) has also had the start and registration page and other content translated into Ukrainian.
The online German course ‘Nicos Weg’ is an interactive way to learn German for everyday life. The mobile course is suitable for tablets and smartphones and is available in many source languages.
The Goethe Institute's ‘Deutschtrainer’ is available as an app. There are also other free training offers, for example language exercises on specific topics such as ‘Living and Everyday Life’ and ‘Work and Career’, offers for children and young people, a video learning series on YouTube, podcasts and the online community ‘Deutsch für dich’ for learning German together: Goethe Institut: Training offers for learning German
You can find more digital language courses for learning German with Ukrainian or Russian as the source language on the Deutsche Welle (DW) website. In addition to basic courses, you can also listen to slowly spoken news in German.
The language learning app Babbel also offers free online courses for Ukrainian refugees. You can find more information about Babbel's services here.
The PIKTUU platform offers free communication aids for understanding through pictograms and images.
The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) offers an overview of free online German learning programmes on its website.
If you have a residence permit in accordance with Section 24 of the Residence Act, you can be admitted to an integration course by either the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) or the basic income support provider. In addition, you can also be obligated to attend an integration course by the basic income support provider or the foreigners authority. There are various suitable programmes.
If you have already completed an integration course or you already speak German well (level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages), you can attend an occupational language course (BSK) via the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). The occupational language courses make you linguistically fit for the job. If you are unemployed or looking for work, you can get advice from your local employment agency or job centre. If you already have a job, you can contact the BAMF directly. There, a suitable course will be found together and you will be issued with an attendance qualification. There are a variety of occupational language courses, for example for apprentices or people in recognised healthcare professions or the job-related language courses (Job-BSK), where you learn communication skills for your job.
If you have a residence permit in accordance with § 24 of the Residence Act, you can also attend an initial orientation course or a so-called ‘MiA course’ (‘Migrantinnen einfach stark im Alltag’, a course specifically for women).
You can find various free learning materials online to help you learn German.
For example, the following sites offer learning materials that have been specifically developed for people whose first language is Ukrainian:
Projekt Schule und digitale Bildung
On the website of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) you will moreover find digital learning material and tools for German in work and vocational training.
Starting work does not necessarily depend on your language skills.
However, it is important that you have a basic knowledge of German in order to be able to communicate with your employer and colleagues. For many occupations and fields of activity, it is also important that your German language skills are sufficient. In so-called regulated occupations (information in German and English), a certain level of German language skills may be mandatory in order to obtain a licence to practise the occupation.
It therefore always makes sense to attend a German course. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) offers so-called occupational language courses (BSK) and job-related occupational language courses (Job-BSK) specifically for the respective workplace. You can find more information here.
There are nationwide subsidised courses that teach German language skills for the world of work. These courses are called occupational language courses. They make you linguistically fit for the job.
The occupational language courses with a certificate examination usually comprise 400 to 500 teaching units of 45 minutes each. A course runs for approx. 5 months if you attend it daily.
The prerequisite for attendance is that you have previously attended the integration course or can provide proof of good German language skills (level B1). The occupational language courses with certificate examination are organised for different levels (A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2).
The courses tend to have around 15 participants. Smaller groups are also possible in rural areas.
The teacher regularly records the participants' learning progress in writing and evaluates it together with them at the end of the course. Each course concludes with a certificate examination ‘Deutsch-Test für den Beruf’. The certificate you receive is very helpful for your future career.
There are also job-specific courses:
- Courses for people who are in the process of being recognised for the academic medical professions and healthcare professions
- Courses with subject-specific content in various specialisations in the fields of industrial engineering and retail
- Nationwide pilot projects such as occupational language courses specifically for apprentices or employees in early years education
- Job-related occupational language courses (Job-BSK), which are flexibly tailored to the specific workplace.
The Job-Turbo initiative, initiated by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS), aims at the early and ideally permanent integration of refugees in the labour market following the acquisition of basic language skills. The objective is to actively support placement in jobs immediately after successful completion of the integration course in order to greatly accelerate integration processes and enable refugees to be able to support themselves more quickly and shape their professional future.
More information on Job-Turbo is available here and here.
As part of the Job-Turbo initiative, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) introduced the new job-related occupational language course, the so-called Job-Berufssprachkurs (Job-BSK), in late January 2024.
This is a language course that is flexible, short and specific to the job. You can attend the course if you have at least achieved language level A2 and are either already working or have a job offer. The Job-BSK is suitable for people in unskilled jobs as well as for (prospective) skilled workers.
The scope of a course is 100 to 150 teaching units (one unit lasts 45 minutes), which can also be completed part-time or in virtual form. The courses can take place directly in the workplace and the language requirements are closely coordinated with the employer.
You can find more information on the Job-BSK and how to apply for it here.
To attend an occupational language course, such as a job-related occupational language course, you need an attendance qualification, which is issued either by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) or by the employment agencies or job centres.
As soon as you have received the attendance qualification, you can register for a suitable course directly with the course providers on site.
To be eligible to attend one of the various occupational language courses, you must meet the following requirements:
Language requirements and previous knowledge:
- Either: you speak German at level A1 or A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and have attended an integration course and taken the ‘Deutschtest für Zuwanderer’ and failed.
- Or: you can prove that you already speak German at level B1, B2 or C1.
- Your language skills will be verified in an assessment test. This is not necessary if you have a certificate of your German language skills that is no more than six months old.
Work situation:
- If you are registered as a job seeker, unemployed or looking for vocational training and receive basic benefits for job seekers under Book Two of the German Social Code (Bürgergeld), your job centre will help you register for and find a suitable professional language course.
- If you already have a job, are in vocational training or the recognition process and do not receive any benefits under Book Two or Three of the German Social Code, you can apply directly to the BAMF for an attendance qualification.
You must meet the following requirements to attend the job-related occupational language course:
- You speak German at least at level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for languages and
- You have a job or at least a job offer or are attending a pre-employment programme.
You can find an occupational language course or job-related occupational language course near you on ‘KURSNET’, a service by the Federal Employment Agency (BA). If you have found a suitable course, the course provider (language school) can also help you apply for the attendance qualification.
The relevant application forms are available on the BAMF website.
You can either attend an occupational language course with a certificate examination or one of the job-specific courses. A practical overview of all occupational language courses is available on the BAMF website as a graphic course overview and in tabular form.
Occupational language courses with certificate examination
The occupational language courses with a certificate examination forms the basic course structure. They are offered for different language levels (A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2).
In the occupational language courses with a certificate examination, the focus is on achieving German language skills for the workplace in general. The content and didactic requirements for teaching these courses are described in the respective BAMF course concepts. The participants' language skills are acquired in the context of general content from the world of work. The courses are aimed at a group size of at least 15 participants. Smaller groups are also possible in rural areas.
The teacher regularly records the participants' learning progress in writing and evaluates it together with them at the end of the course. Each course concludes with a certificate examination ‘Deutsch-Test für den Beruf’. The certificate you receive is very helpful for your future career.
You can read more detailed information about the content of the occupational language courses here (in German).
Job-specific courses
In addition, various special courses are offered:
- Courses for people who are in the process of being recognised for the academic medical professions and healthcare professions
- Courses with subject-specific content in various specialisations in the fields of industrial engineering and retail
- Nationwide pilot projects such as occupational language courses specifically for apprentices or employees in early years education
- Job-related occupational language courses (Job-BSK), which are flexibly tailored to the specific workplace.
Job-related occupational language courses (Job-BSK)
With the Job-BSK you can specifically train language that is tailored to your everyday working life. This is intended to make it easier for you to start your career even if you have limited knowledge of German.
The Job-BSK are short, can be designed flexibly and can be tailored to the needs of you and your employer.
The Job-BSK are suitable for people in unskilled jobs as well as for (prospective) skilled workers.
Important information regarding content and structure of the Job-BSK:
- The attendance requirement is to have at least level A2.
- The short course of 100 to 150 teaching units is available as both part-time and full-time learning.
- Both face-to-face teaching at your own workplace or at a course provider, as well as lessons in a virtual classroom or in hybrid form are possible.
- Attendants practise situation-related communication in the workplace, e.g. on topics such as order confirmation and safety instructions.
- Individual language coaching is possible.
- At the end, attendants receive an attendance certificate.
Detailed information on the content and structure of the Job-BSK is available here.
If you are in receipt of basic benefits for job seekers (Book Two of the German Social Code, SGB II), your job centre will help you apply for an occupational language course and find the course that best suits you. The advisors also know which language schools offer courses.
If you have a job, are in vocational training or in the recognition process and do not receive any benefits under Book Two or Three of the German Social Code, you must submit an application directly to the BAMF for an attendance qualification.
You can find an occupational language course near you here. Once you have found a course, the course provider can also help you apply for an attendance qualification.
Below you will find the relevant application form:
You can find your contact persons at the BAMF here.
Just like with a normal occupational language course, you can register for a job-related occupational language course directly with the course provider on site or with the help of your employer.
You can find contacts from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) here.
List of documents for registering for an integration or occupational language course
- Passport or Ukrainian ID card
- Residence permit or certificate of registration (Anlaufbescheinigung), fictional certificate, registration certificate
- Application for eligibility
Attendance of the occupational language course (BSK) and job-related occupational language course (Job-BSK) is funded by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) and is usually free of charge. With a taxable annual income of over €20,000, employees pay a cost contribution of €2.56 per teaching unit (50 per cent of the cost reimbursement rate). The cost contribution can also be paid by the employer.
If you successfully complete an occupational language course with a certificate examination, you can apply for a refund of 50 per cent of the cost contribution. The application for reimbursement of the cost contribution can be found here.
If you incur costs for travelling to the course, you can apply for a contribution towards the cost of travel under certain conditions.
You can find the application for travel allowance here.
The required teaching and learning materials are provided to attendants free of charge.
If your child/children do not yet attend school or a kindergarten/daycare centre, you can apply for private childcare for the duration of your attendance of an occupational language course under certain conditions.
You can find the application and the necessary requirements here.