An Ausbildung is Germany's paid vocational training, and the visa for it usually needs proof of German. For most training that means B1, for some training A2, and for healthcare programmes often B2. This guide explains which level fits your case and which exams count.
Vocational training usually asks for B1 German; healthcare programmes expect B2, and the exact level is set by the school or employer.
Source: anerkennung-in-deutschland.de ·
In an Ausbildung you learn a trade or profession in two places at once: at a vocational school (Berufsschule) and at a company or care facility that pays you. Classes, instructions at work and the final exam are all in German. That is why the residence permit for training, issued under section 16a of the Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz, AufenthG), normally asks you to prove your German before you travel.
For qualified training the law asks for "sufficient" German (ausreichende Deutschkenntnisse). The same Act defines this term as level B1.
The legal level is a minimum. The training company or school sets the exact level in its offer, and healthcare programmes usually expect B2.
You show your level with a standard exam certificate. A letter saying that you attended a course is not the same thing.
First find out what type of training your contract or school place is. A qualified training (qualifizierte Berufsausbildung) ends with a state-recognised vocational qualification. Training that does not end with such a qualification has a lower language rule. If you are not sure which one you have, the contract or the school's confirmation letter names the training.
| Your situation | German level | Exams you can take |
|---|---|---|
| Qualified vocational training (the usual Ausbildung) | B1 | Goethe-Zertifikat B1, telc Deutsch B1 |
| Training that does not lead to a qualification | A2 | Goethe-Zertifikat A2, telc Deutsch A2 |
| Healthcare training, for example nursing | usually B2 | Goethe-Zertifikat B2, telc Deutsch B2 |
| Age of your certificate | not older than 1 year | from an ALTE member, such as Goethe or telc |
There is one exception in the law. The proof can be dropped if the school or training provider has already tested your German itself, or if a German course that prepares you for the training is planned. Do not count on this: ask your training company in writing before you decide not to take an exam.
The embassy wants a certificate from a provider that belongs to ALTE, the Association of Language Testers in Europe, and the certificate should not be older than one year when you apply. The Goethe-Institut and telc both meet this rule, and both run exams in many countries. The difference is in how the exam is built:
Exam fees are set locally by each Goethe-Institut, partner centre or telc centre and differ from country to country, so check the price list where you plan to sit the exam. Because of the one-year rule, book the exam when your visa appointment is in sight, not years ahead.
Knowing the format before exam day saves points. These are the four modules of the Goethe-Zertifikat B1:
5 parts, 30 items, 65 minutes.
4 parts, 30 items, 40 minutes including 5 minutes to transfer your answers.
3 tasks in 60 minutes: two e-mails and a short opinion post for a discussion.
3 parts with a partner, 15 minutes, plus 15 minutes to prepare.
Training for a job that does not lead to a qualification? The A2 exam is shorter: at Goethe, reading and listening each have 4 parts, 20 items and 30 minutes, writing is a text message and an e-mail in 30 minutes, and you need 60 out of 100 points overall. The A2 exam is not modular, so you take all parts together.
Nursing training (Pflegeausbildung) is an Ausbildung route that many people from abroad choose. Here the bar is usually higher: schools and hospitals expect B2, because you talk with patients from your first weeks on the ward. The training takes three years and is paid.
In the public sector (TVAöD-Pflege), trainees earn roughly €1,340 – €1,490 gross a month in year 1, about €1,400 – €1,550 in year 2 and about €1,500 – €1,650 in year 3, plus a one-off €400 for passing the final exam. Private and church schools may pay slightly differently. When you finish, the B2 you already hold is the level a registered nurse needs for the licence.
Read the offer closely: it tells you the German level the company or school wants. For in-company training, the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) usually also has to approve the permit.
B1 for qualified training, A2 for other training, and whatever higher level your offer names. Keep the one-year limit in mind.
Book an appointment at the German embassy or consulate and bring your training contract or school confirmation and the original certificate.
Looking further ahead: after 3 years of working as a skilled worker, you can apply for a settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis). German citizenship (Einbürgerung) needs 5 years of legal residence, B1 German and the citizenship test (Einbürgerungstest), and you must be able to support yourself. That period is the same whatever German level you hold.
For qualified vocational training you normally need B1. For training that does not lead to a vocational qualification, A2 is enough. Your training company or school can ask for a higher level, and healthcare programmes such as nursing usually expect B2.
A certificate from a member of ALTE, the Association of Language Testers in Europe. Goethe-Zertifikat and telc Deutsch both qualify. Bring an exam certificate, not a course attendance letter.
Not older than one year when you apply. Plan your exam date around your visa appointment so the certificate is still valid.
Both are accepted. Goethe B1 is modular: you pass each module with 60 out of 100 points and can repeat a single module. telc B1 is one exam with a written part and an oral part, and you need 60 % in each part.
Usually yes. Healthcare programmes expect B2 even though the visa rule for qualified training is B1, because you work with patients from the start. Check the level named in your offer.
Fees are set locally by each exam centre and differ from country to country, so check the price list of your nearest Goethe-Institut or telc centre.
Only in narrow cases. The law allows the proof to be dropped if the school or training provider has already tested your German, or if a German course that prepares you for the training is planned. Ask your training company to confirm this before you rely on it.
The usual level for an Ausbildung
Format and scoring of telc Deutsch B1
For training without a vocational qualification
Work permits and the road to permanent residence
How German points count for the job-search card