What level are you?
The CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) is the official European standard used by every language school, government authority, and employer in Germany. From visa applications to job offers β your level code matters.
From zero to fluent
Click any level to explore courses in Berlin at that stage.
You can get started
This is where everyone begins. Simple words, basic phrases, survival German.
- Introduce yourself and ask simple questions
- Order food and coffee, buy tickets
- Understand very basic signs and notices
- Fill in simple forms (name, address, date)
Daily life is manageable
You can handle routine tasks and short conversations in familiar situations.
- Chat about family, work, and daily routine
- Navigate public transport and local shops
- Understand simple official letters (Anmeldung etc.)
- Minimum required for many family reunification visas
Independence starts here
The most important milestone for migrants. B1 unlocks citizenship and opens doors.
- Hold most everyday conversations β even unexpected topics
- Understand official letters from BehΓΆrden, Krankenkasse, landlords
- Apply for basic jobs and explain your experience in German
- Required for German citizenship application (Β§10 StAG)
Work professionally in German
The professional threshold. Required by many regulated industries in Germany.
- Work professionally in German-speaking environments
- Understand complex bureaucratic and legal documents
- Participate in meetings, negotiate, write formal emails
- Required for nurses, healthcare workers, and many engineers (Anerkennung)
Near-fluent communication
You express yourself clearly, spontaneously, and precisely β in any context.
- Communicate fluently in demanding professional and academic contexts
- Understand university lectures, legal texts, and complex literature
- Required for most German universities and academic programmes
- Expected in management, law, medicine, and senior-level roles
Indistinguishable from native
The highest possible level. Reserved for translators, academics, and literary writers.
- Understand virtually everything β spoken and written, at any speed
- Summarise and reconstruct complex arguments with precision
- Express nuance, irony, and subtle shades of meaning effortlessly
- Required for professional translators, interpreters, and literary editors
How long will it take?
Cumulative guided learning hours from absolute beginner (EU averages β individual pace varies).
Hours reflect guided classroom instruction. Self-study, immersion, or prior language knowledge can significantly reduce this. An intensive course (4h/day, 5 days/week) covers one full level in roughly 2β3 months.
Which certificate do you need?
Different goals require different proof of German proficiency. Here's the quick reference.
Requirements change. Always verify with the relevant authority (BAMF, university, employer, or AuslΓ€nderbehΓΆrde) before enrolling.