Study and research in Germany

FAQ's - Learn German

• How well do I need to speak German if I want to study in Germany?
• Where can I learn German in Germany and elsewhere around the world?
• Do I need a visa if I want to attend a language course in Germany?

How well do I need to speak German if I want to study in Germany?

As a rule, you must be able to prove that you are adequately proficient in the German language before you can be admitted to studies in Germany. An International Degree Programme is an exception to this rule. These programmes are mostly held and taught in English. You can then gain adequate German language skills by enrolling in parallel German language courses.
As far as all other degree programmes are concerned, you should definitely take German courses in your home country, for example, at the local Goethe Institute.
Before you can be admitted to university for a full courses of studies, you first have to pass a German language test called "TestDaF" at a Test-DaF centre in your home country or in Germany (www.testdaf.de). Alternatively, you can take another German language test, the "Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang" (DSH), at your German university.
Detailed information on the language certificates required for admission to higher education and on learning German in Germany and worldwide can be found on our web-based service pages at:  Learn German.
Both higher education admissions language tests – DSH and TestDaF – pursue the same goal. They test whether you are good enough at German to be able to study successfully at a German university. Additionally, these tests naturally also generally confirm that you are proficient at a high level in written and spoken German.
There are various kinds of university courses that make varying language demands on the German language skills of participants. You can find details on this on the Internet: www.daad.de/deutschland/deutsch-lernen/faq/00429.en.html. For example, the following language skills will be tested:

• the ability to follow and understand lectures, to note down and later work on the content of the lectures,
  
• the ability to understand academic texts and to analyse these, and
  
• the ability to express your own opinion in writing and orally on a given studies-related topic.

Where can I learn German in Germany and elsewhere around the world?

Many German universities offer special German language courses to help students prepare for their studies. Simply ask the International Office at your German university whether such courses are offered at your institution. Furthermore, numerous public and private language schools offer German courses, including the Studienkollegs and the Goethe Institutes. The local evening school courses (Volkshochschulen) also often offer quite reasonably-priced courses.
Abroad, German language courses are offered by the Goethe Institutes and by many universities. Simply ask the DAAD Lektors working at universities in your home country. They will be able to help you find an appropriate language course.
If no good language courses are available nearby, you can also enrol in a web-based, online distance studies course. Language courses offered by Deutsch-Uni online specifically prepare students for academic studies in Germany. Check out their website at: www.deutsch-uni.com.
You can find a list of the German language courses offered by German universities and by non-university course providers on the homepage of the Professional Association of German as a Foreign Language (Fachverband für Deutsch als Fremdsprache) at: www.fadaf.de/.
You can additionally make use of the DAAD's broad range of web-based information on learning German at: Deutsch lernen.

Do I need a visa if I want to attend a language course in Germany?

If you do not come from an EU or EEA country, or from one of the other few countries whose citizens do not need a visa, then you will certainly need a visa to attend a language course in Germany. Please take note of the following:
A "Language Course Visa" (Sprachkursvisum) is only valid for the length of your language course. It cannot be converted into a Visa for Educational Purposes (Visum zu Studienzwecken). After completing your language course, you have to leave Germany again. If, after completing the language course, you immediately wish to follow this up by taking up a course of studies, you need to obtain a "Student Applicant Visa" (Studienbewerbervisum). We offer further information on this on our homepage at: Germany >> Living in Germany >> Entry and Residence.

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