Basic German skills simplify administration, housing and workplace communication. Compare online courses for before arrival with in-person schools and public integration programmes.
Start learning German before travelling to Germany. Flexible scheduling, English-language platforms.
Live online German classes with flexible scheduling
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One-to-one online lessons with tutors across German, English and many other languages.
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App-based German learning for beginners
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Official German language institute
from €675/course
Structured in-person learning after arrival. Intensive courses accelerate progress.
International language school, intensive courses
from €210/week
Flexible intensive German courses across Germany
from €250/month
Government-supported language learning options for eligible residents.
Government-supported German language programme
Free
The three routes suit different problems. Apps are cheap, flexible and good for vocabulary and grammar drills, but they will not get you speaking confidently on their own. Group classes give you structure, a fixed schedule and other learners to practise with, which is what most people need to actually progress. A private tutor is the most expensive per hour and the fastest way to fix speaking specifically.
A common and sensible combination is an app for daily practice, a group course for structure, and occasional tutor sessions before something that matters, such as a job interview or an appointment you want to handle in German.
The state-subsidised Integrationskurs is by far the cheapest structured option, and for some residence permits it is an entitlement rather than a favour. It runs 600 hours of language plus 100 hours on German life and law, ending at B1.
Eligibility depends on your permit type, so check with your local BAMF office rather than assuming. Waiting lists are long in the larger cities, so enquire early even if you are not ready to start.
For permanent residency you generally need B1. For citizenship, B1 as well, though some routes ask for more. Most English-language jobs need nothing formal, but B2 opens up considerably more of the market and is roughly where you stop translating in your head.
A1 and A2 are enough for daily life admin: appointments, shops, understanding official letters well enough to know whether they matter. That alone removes a lot of friction in your first year.
The single most useful thing you can do before moving is learn the alphabet and numbers properly. It sounds trivial, but almost every early interaction involves someone spelling a street name or reading out an appointment time, and not following it is where a lot of early frustration comes from.
Beyond that, the vocabulary worth front-loading is bureaucratic rather than conversational. Anmeldung, Termin, Bescheinigung, Kündigung and Nachweis will appear in your post far sooner than anything you learn from a travel phrasebook. Recognising the words on an official letter, even without understanding the whole thing, tells you whether it needs action this week.
Most apps and courses teach restaurant and small-talk German first, which is reasonable for tourists and slightly backwards for someone moving. If your course lets you choose a focus, pick the practical one.
Your learning path depends on your timeline and goals: