Integration & German courses in Vienna
General information
The Integration Agreement (IA) serves the linguistic integration of migrants who want to settle permanently in Austria. This currently applies to migrants (third country nationals, i.e. non-EU citizens) who came into the country after July 1st 2011. The Integration Agreement consists of two consecutive modules, which are based on each other. In order to obtain certain residence permissions, it is obligatory to complete Module 1. Module 2 is not mandatory to complete, however, it is a requirement for obtaining a permanent residence permit (“permanent residence permit - EC” and “permanent residence permit – family member”) and the Austrian citizenship.
Tip: For further information on this topic, please visit the homepage of the Austrian Integration Fund or contact their Team Languages directly on 01/715 10 51 – 250.
German integration courses at the DeutschAkademie
The DeutschAkademie is an institution certified by the Austrian Integration Fund and carries out integration courses as prescribed by the Federal Ministry of the Interior.
Integration courses comprise the course levels A1(1), A1(2), A2(1) and A2(2). Thus, the maximum course duration is 4 months for participants without any previous knowledge of German. German integration courses take place Monday until Friday 3 hours a day.
The team of the DeutschAkademie is happy to advise you in a personal consultation or on the phone regarding the dates of the upcoming integration courses.
Tip: Get more information in a personal consultation or on the phone! Please inform us right at the start that you are interested in an integration course and/or present your vouchers to our office staff.
Your advantages at the DeutschAkademie
• small groups (max. 5 to 10 participants)
• easy accessibility (U1, U2, U4 centre/Opera House)
• intensive, personal customer care
• adapted learning pace
• excellent teachers
• the possibility to train speaking in communicative exercises
What kind of support is available for integration courses?
Migrants can obtain financial support in the form of the blue federal voucher of the Austrian Integration Fund. The administration branch offices – i.e. the Municipality (Magistrat) and the District Authority (Bezirkshauptmannschaft) - issue the voucher under certain conditions to family members. Family member refers to spouses or underage children of Austrian, Swiss, EEA-citizens and third-country nationals. The conditions determined by the Austrian Integration Fund need to be complied with in order to be entitled to receive support.
The blue federal voucher compasses maximum 300 lessons or 50% of the course fee with 700€ at the utmost.
Furthermore, the city of Vienna provides support for learning German in the form of the Viennese language vouchers (“Wiener Sprachgutscheine”) with 3 x 100€ vouchers. These vouchers are contained in the Vienna education booklet (“Wiener Bildungspass”). One voucher can be used for 80 lessons units, i.e. a one month German integration course at the DeutschAkademie. For further information, please visit www.startwien.at.
Important: You can obtain financial support via the blue federal voucher of the Austrian Integration Fund once you have successfully passed the examination. Course fees are to be paid in advance in total by the participants. In case of the Viennese language vouchers, the 100€ for 80 lesson units is immediately deducted, when the payment is settled and it is merely the remaining amount which needs to be paid.
Registration and course dates
The team of the DeutschAkademie is happy to welcome you at Opernring 1/E/3rd floor, 1010 Vienna!
Following steps lead you to your perfect German integration course:
- your level of German is determined with a precise placement test
- you fill in a non-committal registration
- subsequently, you receive information on the possible course dates for your specific level
- with the payment of the course fee, your place is booked in the course
Important: Please bring all your vouchers and an official photobearing identification document with you, when you visit us to sing up for an integration course.
Please note: Without a placement test, we cannot make a reservation!
Course fees for German integration courses at the DeutschAkademie
The course fee amounts to
335€ for one level with
80 lesson units
(4 weeks, 5 days per week, 3 hours a day)
Calculation example:
How the support works with the blue federal voucher of the Austrian Integration Fund:
You visit a German integration course with 300 lesson units (A1(1) – A2(2)), which you pay 1.340€ for. Your voucher was issued on the 1st July 2011. On the 20th November 2012, you have successfully passed your exam on level A2. Since you have successfully completed your course within 18 months, your voucher was still valid. In addition to your certificate, you get 50% of your course fee refunded, i.e. 670€ (50% of 1.340€). Please note: If you pass the exam on the 20th of March 2013 or later, your voucher is no longer valid and you get NO course fees refunded.
Should you have both, the blue federal voucher of the Austrian Integration Fund and the Viennese language vouchers, the following course fees apply:
4 months German integration course |
Euros |
Course fee (EUR 335 per course) |
1.340,- |
- blue federal voucher of the Austrian Integration Fund |
- 670,- |
- Viennese language vouchers |
- 300,- |
Fee |
370,- |
Please note that the Viennese language vouchers can be used WITHOUT the blue federal voucher of the Austrian Integration Fund as well.
In addition, the amount of financial support depends on the duration of the course. The above example is based on participants without any previous knowledge of German, who need to complete courses from A1(1) to A2(2).
Information about examinations
The Austrian Integration Fund offers 3 German exams:
- the “ÖIF-Test” (2006), level A2 (according to GER1), necessary to fulfil the Integration Agreement old2 (Module 2)
- the “ÖIF-Test” New (2011), level A2 (according to GER), necessary to fulfil the Integration Agreement new3 (Module 1)
- the Deutsch-Test für Österreich (DTÖ, German Test for Austria), level A2/B1 (according to GER), necessary to fulfil the Integration Agreement new (Module 1 and 2)
The Austrian Integration Fund offers dates for the exams “ÖIF-Test” New and DTÖ on its homepage www.integrationsfonds.at for all federal states.
Information on the contents and structures of all exams can be found in a corresponding exam sample at:
www.integrationsfonds.at/top_services/oeif_pruefungen/.
Tipp: You find all exam dates at www.integrationsfonds.at. You can book your preferred exam date after successfully completing your German integration course directly at the DeutschAkademie.
