MIGRATION & CERTIFICATES
Integration courses in Germany for Ukrainians: the BAMF entitlement, the 700 hours, and the DTZ exam that ends them
The integration course for Ukrainians in 2026: the BAMF authorization, the 700-hour structure, the fee and waiver, the DTZ + LiD exams, what they unlock.
VON GERMANIUM
Editorial desk — sourced to germany4ukraine.de (RU), BAMF's integration-course pages (RU edition) and the portal's published fee schedule
The integration course (Integrationskurs) is Germany's own language-onboarding program — and for Ukrainians it is both the cheapest structured German route available (often free, see the waiver) and the one whose final exams produce the exact certificates the later roads demand: the DTZ (Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer, certifying to B1) and the orientation course's 'Leben in Deutschland' exam — the same LiD the citizenship application requires. One program, and its outputs sit on the permanence paperwork.
Who gets in, and what the entry document is
The course runs under BAMF (the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees), and entry is by authorization — the Berechtigungsschein — not by open enrolment. For Ukrainians the frame is documented on germany4ukraine.de's own pages: holders of temporary protection can be admitted to the courses, with the authorization issued via the Ausländerbehörde or the Jobcenter depending on who carries your case (benefit recipients typically route through the Jobcenter). Some places also admit voluntary participants outside the entitlement frame — the rules for the voluntary track changed in 2026, so the current text at BAMF governs who qualifies. The practical first step is the same for everyone: ask the case-carrying office for the authorization, then choose a licensed course provider near you.
The structure: 700 hours and two exams
| Part | Volume | What it ends in |
|---|---|---|
| Language course | 600 hours (basic + advanced course) | The DTZ — Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer, certifying to B1 |
| Orientation course | 100 hours — German law, society, history | The 'Leben in Deutschland' exam |
| Costs | €2.29/hour in the standard frame (the pre-August-2022 rate was €2.20) | Waiver available: participants on benefits (Bürgergeld/social assistance) can apply for the Kostenbeitragserlass — the fee exemption — via BAMF |
The DTZ and the LiD: the certificates that keep working
The DTZ certifies B1 — the level that anchors the citizenship road, accelerates the settlement clocks (33→24 months with B1 on the skilled-worker road), and is the working standard employers in the recognition-heavy trades expect. The LiD certificate — 33 questions from the 310 catalogue, 17 correct — is the second paper of the citizenship application. Passing both inside the integration course means the permanence paperwork's language layer is already done before the residence years even start counting. That is the program's real value: not the German alone, but the certificates timed exactly where the road needs them. For candidates who want to enter the exams already sharp — or retake practice until the format holds no surprises — the DTZ kit offers timed papers calibrated to the official grid, and the B1 kits cover the Goethe/telc/ÖSD certificates the same roads accept.
Положен ли украинцам бесплатный интеграционный курс?
The course is entitlement-based with an authorization (Berechtigungsschein) issued via the Ausländerbehörde or Jobcenter, and participants on benefits can have the fee fully waived (Kostenbeitragserlass) — applied for with BAMF at registration. Without the waiver the standard fee is €2.29/hour across 700 hours. The germany4ukraine pages document the Ukrainian frame.
Какой сертификат даёт интеграционный курс?
Two: the DTZ (Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer), certifying German to B1 — the level the citizenship road requires and the settlement clocks reward — and the orientation course's 'Leben in Deutschland' exam, the same LiD paper the citizenship application later asks for. Both are permanent certificates once passed.
Сколько часов длится интеграционный курс и как он устроен?
700 hours total: 600 of language (basic + advanced, ending in the DTZ) and 100 of orientation (law, society, history — ending in the LiD). Full-time tracks compress the same volume into under a year; part-time evening tracks stretch it. The provider placement happens after the authorization and a placement assessment.
DTZ — это то же самое, что B1 от Goethe?
It certifies the same CEFR level (B1) and satisfies the same roads — citizenship, settlement acceleration, employer expectations — but it is a different exam: the DTZ is the integration-course final, taken at your course provider, while Goethe/telc/ÖSD B1 are standalone exams at their centres. If you are already in the course, the DTZ is the built-in path; the standalone certificates are for those not in the program.
Что делать, если на курс места нет?
Authorization does not guarantee an instant place — providers fill by region. Practical moves: register with several licensed providers at once, ask the Jobcenter about supported alternatives (occupational language courses, Berufsbezogene Sprachförderung), and start structured self-study meanwhile — the 77-day plan and the practice kits keep the level moving while the course place opens.