If you trained as a teacher abroad and want to teach in a German school, your degree is only half of the file. You also have to prove a very high level of German. Most federal states ask for C2; Bavaria and Saxony accept C1. This guide shows which certificates count and how to plan for them.
Teachers seeking recognition in Germany generally need C2 German — Goethe C2, telc C2, telc C1 Hochschule or DSD II. Bavaria and Saxony accept C1, so the level depends on the state where you want to teach.
Source: lehrkraefteakademie.hessen.de ·
Germany has no single national rule for teachers. Schools are run by the federal states (Länder), and each state recognises foreign teaching qualifications on its own. Recognition is called Anerkennung in German. Alongside the check of your degree, the state asks for a language certificate (Sprachnachweis Deutsch) that proves your German is at the level the state requires.
In most states the language proof for teachers is set at C2, the highest level of the European framework.
Bavaria (Bayern) and Saxony (Sachsen) accept C1. If you already know you will teach in one of these two states, C1 is your target.
The authority wants a certificate from a recognised language exam, so plan for an exam date, not just a course.
The table sums up the rule. Lists change and each state publishes its own, so always check with the authority of the state where you want to teach before you book an exam.
| Where | Level | Certificates named |
|---|---|---|
| Most states | C2 | Goethe-Zertifikat C2, telc Deutsch C2, telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule, DSD II (Deutsches Sprachdiplom, level II) |
| Bavaria and Saxony | C1 | Ask the state authority for its current list |
| Hesse (example list) | C2 route | DSH-2, DSH-3, TestDaF with at least 4 in all four parts, telc C1 Hochschule, telc C2, DSD II, Goethe-Zertifikat C2 |
Note that telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule appears on the C2 list even though its name says C1. It is a telc exam that German universities also recognise, and the teacher lists name it alongside C2. If you are not yet sure which state you will work in, a certificate from the C2 list keeps every door open.
The Hessian Teachers' Academy (Hessische Lehrkräfteakademie) publishes its rules openly, so it is a useful example of what a state checks. The points below apply to Hesse only; other states can handle them differently.
Besides Goethe C2, telc C2, telc C1 Hochschule and DSD II, Hesse also accepts the university entrance exams DSH-2 and DSH-3, and TestDaF with at least 4 in all four parts.
If you hold a German university entrance qualification (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung), such as the Abitur, Hesse does not ask for a separate certificate.
Teachers trained inside or outside the EU who have no German Abitur, and teacher-education students at Hessian universities whose first language is not German, can instead sit a German exam run by the Academy. It has an oral part and a written text.
The Goethe-Zertifikat C2 (Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom) is on every list above and is offered in many countries. It is modular: reading, listening, writing and speaking are four separate modules, each scored out of 100 points. You pass a module with 60 points, and you can book and repeat a single module on its own. Exam fees are set locally by each Goethe-Institut or partner centre, so check the price list in your country; single modules cost less than the full exam.
4 parts, 30 items, 80 minutes. The first part, a comment piece with multiple-choice questions, carries the most points.
3 parts, 30 items, about 35 minutes plus 3 minutes to transfer answers. Only the last part, an expert interview, is played twice.
2 parts, 80 minutes: rewriting 10 passages of a short text with given words (20 points), then an essay of about 350 words on one topic you choose (80 points).
2 parts, about 15 minutes with 15 minutes to prepare: a short talk with questions, then a discussion with the examiner.
The state sets both the level (C2 or C1) and the list of certificates, so this decision comes first.
Check which certificates it names, whether it runs its own exam like Hesse, and whether you qualify for an exemption.
If you are still undecided about the state, aim for a certificate from the C2 list, such as Goethe C2 or telc C2.
Send it together with your teaching degree and the other documents the state authority lists.
Plan your German early. C2 is the top of the scale, and the step up from C1 takes real time, so start preparing while you collect your other documents.
In most federal states you need C2 German for recognition as a teacher. Bavaria and Saxony accept C1. The level therefore depends on the state where you want to teach, so check with that state before you book an exam.
The certificates generally named are the Goethe-Zertifikat C2, telc Deutsch C2, telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule and the Deutsches Sprachdiplom level II (DSD II). Some states list more: Hesse, for example, also accepts DSH-2, DSH-3 and TestDaF with at least 4 in all four parts.
Yes, these two states accept C1. Ask the state authority which C1 certificates it lists. If you might move to another state later, remember that most other states expect C2.
In Hesse, no: if you hold a German university entrance qualification (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung), such as the Abitur, you do not need a separate language certificate. Other states set their own rules, so confirm with the state where you apply.
Both are on the general list. Goethe C2 is modular: reading, listening, writing and speaking are separate modules, each passed with 60 out of 100 points, and you can repeat one module alone. Choose the exam that is offered near you and suits your timetable.
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. For Goethe C2, a single module costs less than the full exam.
Yes. ScoreUp offers full Goethe C2 mock exams for reading, listening and writing, built with the same parts, item counts and timing as the real exam, so you can see which module needs more work before exam day.