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Volkshochschule and the Integrationskurs explained
2026-10-02
If you move to Germany and want to learn German, two words will come up very quickly: Volkshochschule and Integrationskurs. They're connected, but they're not the same thing. Here's what each one is, in plain English.
A quick note first: this is a language and orientation guide, not legal advice. Rules about who must or can take an integration course, and what it costs, can change. For the official and current details, always check the website of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, the BAMF.
What is the Volkshochschule?
The Volkshochschule, or VHS for short, is an adult education center. Almost every German city and many smaller towns have one. The name means something like "people's college", but it's not a university. It's a place where adults take courses in the evening, on weekends or during the day.
The VHS offers courses in all kinds of topics: languages, cooking, yoga, computer skills, painting, and much more. For newcomers, the most important part is the German courses, often called Deutsch als Fremdsprache or Deutsch als Zweitsprache.
Things to know about VHS German courses:
- They're open to everyone. You don't need a special status to sign up for a regular course.
- They're organized by level, usually following the A1 to C1 scale. Many VHS offer a short placement test or a counseling talk to find your level.
- There are different formats: intensive courses every morning, evening courses once or twice a week, weekend courses and online courses.
- The fees are set by each VHS. Regular courses are usually affordable compared with private language schools, and some VHS offer reductions. Check the program of your local VHS.
Many VHS also run integration courses, which brings us to the second word.
What is the Integrationskurs?
The Integrationskurs (integration course) is a German course funded by the German state and coordinated by the BAMF. It's offered by many approved course providers, and the VHS is one of them, along with private language schools and other organizations.
An integration course has two parts:
- The language course (Sprachkurs): you learn German for everyday life, work and dealing with authorities. The goal is level B1.
- The orientation course (Orientierungskurs): you learn about Germany's legal system, history, culture and values, and about living together in Germany.
At the end, there are two exams:
- the Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer (DTZ), a language test that shows whether you reached A2 or B1
- the Leben in Deutschland test, about the topics of the orientation course
If you reach B1 in the DTZ and pass the Leben in Deutschland test, you get the Zertifikat Integrationskurs, which can be useful later, for example for applications for permanent residence or citizenship.
Different kinds of integration courses
Besides the general course, there are special courses for different needs, for example:
- courses for young adults
- courses for parents, often with childcare
- courses for women
- literacy courses for people who are learning to read and write, or learning the Latin alphabet
- intensive courses for fast learners
There are also job-related German courses, the Berufssprachkurse, for people who want to improve their German for work after the integration course or at a higher level.
Who can take an integration course?
This depends on your situation, and it's the part where you should check the official information. In general terms:
- Some people are required to attend (verpflichtet), for example in certain cases when they get a residence permit, or when a job center asks them to.
- Some people are entitled to attend (berechtigt), often when they receive a residence permit for work, family or humanitarian reasons.
- Others, including EU citizens and Germans with a migration background who need to improve their German, can apply for admission if places are available.
Participants usually pay a reduced contribution per lesson hour, and some people can be exempted from paying. The exact amounts and rules are on bamf.de, where you can also search for course providers near you.
Words you'll hear
- die Volkshochschule (VHS): adult education center
- der Integrationskurs: integration course
- der Kursträger: course provider
- der Einstufungstest: placement test
- die Berechtigung: entitlement, the right to attend
- die Verpflichtung: obligation to attend
- die Anmeldung: registration (for a course, too)
- der Orientierungskurs: orientation course
- die Prüfung: exam
- das Zertifikat: certificate
Useful sentences
- Ich möchte einen Deutschkurs machen. I'd like to take a German course.
- Welches Niveau habe ich? What level am I?
- Gibt es einen Abendkurs? Is there an evening course?
- Wann beginnt der nächste Kurs? When does the next course start?
- Ich habe eine Berechtigung für den Integrationskurs. I'm entitled to the integration course.
Learning between classes
A course gives you structure, a teacher and classmates to speak with. What makes the difference is what you do between lessons. Short daily practice keeps the words from the last class fresh. Pretzel can help with that: get 5 new words a day by email, review them in your word library, and check your progress with the free level test before your course starts or before the exam.
Viel Erfolg im Kurs!