An integration course (Integrationskurs) is Germany's standard route into the language: 600 hours of language tuition up to level B1, followed by a 100-hour orientation course on everyday life, law and society in Germany — 700 hours in total. Some newcomers have a legal entitlement to a place. Many others — EU citizens, asylum seekers, people with tolerated status — had no entitlement, but could previously be admitted voluntarily by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) under §44(4) of the Residence Act if places and budget allowed, using a Berechtigungsschein (eligibility certificate) issued by the immigration office or the BAMF itself. Since late 2025, that voluntary route has been progressively closed — and since June 2026 it has been partially reopened under a capped quota. This page sets out what actually changed, who is affected, and what you can do now.
What Actually Happened: The Freeze, Step by Step
There was never a single announced "freeze" with a start and end date. What happened was a sequence of administrative changes between November 2025 and July 2026:
- Until late 2025: Voluntary admission was a normal, widely used route. If you had no legal entitlement, the BAMF could still admit you under §44(4) of the Residence Act when places and funds were available.
- End of November 2025: The BAMF effectively stopped processing voluntary admissions. Course providers reported that applications were no longer being processed, or only to a very limited extent — a development reported by Welt and by provider associations at the time.
- February 2026: The restriction became explicit: only people with a legal entitlement, or an official obligation to attend imposed by the immigration office or Jobcenter, could newly join a course. Berlin's Senate integration commissioner stated that the decision removed around 8,000 course places in Berlin and more than 100,000 nationwide. The chambers of industry and commerce (IHK) and the skilled-crafts chambers publicly demanded that the decision be reversed, warning that it blocks integration into the labour market.
- 1 June 2026: New federal rules partially reopened voluntary admission — but only within a capped quota tied to the available budget. Within the quota, priority went to people holding temporary protection status under §24 of the Residence Act (mainly people from Ukraine) and to EU citizens, especially those taking up work.
- End of July 2026: The published priorities further favour German nationals and EU citizens whose German is not yet sufficient for employment or training, together with their family members. Asylum seekers with pending procedures and tolerated persons have noticeably fewer chances; their admission depends on whatever places and funds remain.
Who Is Affected — and Who Is Not
Everything depends on which of three legal categories you fall into:
- Legal entitlement — not affected. Recognised refugees and many residence-permit holders have a statutory right to a course place. Their admissions and courses continue normally.
- Official obligation — not affected. If the immigration office (Ausländerbehörde) or the Jobcenter has formally obliged you to attend an integration course, you can still join one.
- Voluntary admission — affected. This is the group the restrictions target: people who could previously join with a Berechtigungsschein under §44(4) despite having neither an entitlement nor an obligation — among them many EU citizens, asylum seekers and tolerated persons.
One reassurance: nobody is removed from a course that is already running. If you are mid-course, the changes do not affect you.
What the June 2026 Quota System Means in Practice
Since 1 June 2026, voluntary admission has not been a right you can claim but a quota the BAMF fills according to its budget and the published priorities. In practice that means:
- Your chances depend heavily on your group. Section 24 protection holders and EU citizens — particularly those starting work or training — are served first; asylum seekers with pending procedures and tolerated persons are admitted only if places and funds remain after the priority groups.
- Many lower-priority applicants are instead directed to initial orientation courses (Erstorientierungskurse): shorter, cheaper courses covering basic German and everyday orientation. They are a useful start, but they are not a shortened integration course and do not lead to the integration course certificate.
- If you do get a place, participants generally contribute €2.29 per teaching hour — about €1,603 for a full 700-hour course. People on basic income support (Grundsicherung) and hardship cases can apply for an exemption.
- Watch the clock: voluntary admission letters are generally valid for one year. An entitlement can also lapse if you do not start within a year of registering, or if you interrupt your participation for more than a year. If you already hold a valid admission, use it before it expires.
Why It Matters for Your Residence Plans
For many expats the integration course is not just about language. If you complete it, you receive the Zertifikat Integrationskurs, which proves two things at once: B1-level German and the civic knowledge tested in the "Leben in Deutschland" exam. Both are requirements for a settlement permit (permanent residence) under §9 of the Residence Act, and the same knowledge is tested in naturalisation — our guide to permanent residence and the integration course requirements explains how the pieces fit together. A blocked course can therefore delay settlement or citizenship plans that were timed around it.
The certificate is, however, only one form of evidence. A separately booked, recognised B1 language certificate — for example from telc or the Goethe-Institut — and the standalone "Leben in Deutschland" test can also serve as evidence for the language and knowledge requirements. If your settlement application is approaching and no course place is available, these alternative routes are worth discussing with the immigration office rather than simply waiting.
What You Can Do Now
- Establish your category. Ask the Ausländerbehörde or Jobcenter whether you have an entitlement, an obligation, or only the voluntary route. The answer determines everything else.
- Get — or protect — your Berechtigungsschein. If you already hold an admission or eligibility certificate, check its expiry date and enrol before it lapses; admissions are generally valid for one year.
- Apply for quota admission anyway. Quotas are tied to the federal budget and priorities have already shifted twice in 2026; being in the queue costs nothing and situations change.
- Check the job-related language courses. The BAMF's Berufssprachkurse are a different programme with their own access route via the Jobcenter or employment agency, aimed primarily at people already in, or entering, work or training. If you are employed or about to start a job, you may qualify even while the integration-course quota is closed to you.
- Keep learning and get certified. Use the waiting time: initial orientation courses, private language schools, and free online or self-study options — such as Deutsche Welle's free German courses and local volunteer or library offers — can take you towards B1, and you can then book a recognised exam to hold the certificate in hand.
Frequently Asked Questions
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No. The restrictions only concern voluntary admissions under §44(4) of the Residence Act. If you have a legal entitlement — for example as a recognised refugee or the holder of many types of residence permit — or if the immigration office or Jobcenter has formally obliged you to attend, you can still join a course as before. Participants already in a running course are also unaffected and are not removed from it.
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Possibly, but no longer on demand. Since 1 June 2026, voluntary participants have been admitted under a capped quota tied to the available federal budget. EU citizens are one of the priority groups — especially those taking up work and, under the priorities published at the end of July 2026, EU citizens and German nationals whose German is not yet sufficient for employment or training, together with their family members. Apply for admission anyway: whether you receive a place depends on your priority group and on the places and funds remaining.
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Yes, but do not sit on it. Voluntary admission letters are generally valid for one year, and an entitlement can also lapse if you do not start a course within a year of registering or interrupt your participation for more than a year. If you already hold a valid admission or eligibility certificate, enrol with a course provider before it expires.
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Not necessarily. The integration course certificate (Zertifikat Integrationskurs) is one way to prove the B1 German and the knowledge of the legal and social order required for a settlement permit under §9 of the Residence Act and for naturalisation — but it is not the only way. A recognised B1 language certificate, for example from telc or the Goethe-Institut, and the standalone “Leben in Deutschland” test can also serve as evidence for the same requirements, so a blocked course does not have to stall your application.
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Participants generally contribute €2.29 per teaching hour, which comes to about €1,603 for the full 700-hour course. If you receive basic income support (Grundsicherung) or paying would be a hardship in your case, you can apply for an exemption from the contribution.
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No date has been announced. Since June 2026, voluntary admission has operated as a quota linked to the available federal budget, so access depends on your priority group and the funds remaining. The chambers of industry and commerce (IHK) and the skilled-crafts chambers have publicly called for the restriction to be reversed, but as of October 2026 there is no confirmed timetable for a full reopening. Applying early and keeping your documents ready is the practical response.
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