Germany Einbürgerung 2026: Which B1 Certificate?

Published May 2026 · Updated August 2026 · Editorial review by Prep2go.study

The expensive mistake is booking the wrong B1 paper. People in an Integrationskurs pay extra for Goethe when the DTZ at the end of the course already covers Einbürgerung. People who will leave Germany sit a DTZ they cannot easily reuse abroad. People with a German degree sit an exam they may not need.

This guide keeps the accepted-certificate list, then spends the space where the old version was thin: how DTZ, Goethe-Zertifikat B1, and telc Deutsch B1 actually differ on the day — tasks, typical € bands, validity, and how to find a live centre without a stale city list.

What level of German do you need for citizenship?

Under Germany’s reformed Nationality Act (Staatsangehörigkeitsgesetz, StAG), in force from 2024, the usual language requirement for naturalisation is B1 on the Common European Framework (CEFR). That is the same B1 whether you have lived in Germany for five years or thirty.

B1 is intermediate, not fluency. You should handle a doctor’s appointment, a letter from the landlord, and a conversation at the Ausländerbehörde without a translator. You do not need C1 academic German for the standard language box.

The 2024 reform also cut the standard residency period from 8 years to 5 years. 3 years is possible in exceptional cases (including a fast track for exceptional integration). Language proof is still B1 in the usual file. Do not mix this with longer residency clocks in other EU countries — this article is Germany only.

Which certificates are commonly accepted?

These are the papers German authorities most often treat as B1 proof for Einbürgerung. Always confirm your individual file:

Always confirm acceptance with your local Ausländerbehörde / Einbürgerungsbehörde. Practice can vary slightly by Bundesland. A certificate that is fine in one city is not a promise in another.

ÖSD B1 and a few other CEFR B1 diplomas sometimes appear in local lists. Do not assume they are interchangeable with DTZ, Goethe, or telc until your authority says so in writing.

DTZ vs Goethe-Zertifikat B1 vs telc Deutsch B1

All three can satisfy the B1 language box. They are not the same exam. The papers ask different tasks, cost different amounts, and live in different booking systems. Choose the one that matches how you learned German and where you will use the certificate next.

Snapshot

Fees are soft ranges, not a price list. Volkshochschulen, private schools, and Goethe Institutes set their own amounts. Always read the current fee on the centre page before you budget.

What each paper actually asks

If you only remember one difference: DTZ is built around life in Germany (housing, work, authorities, the course itself). Goethe and telc Deutsch B1 are general B1 German. Same CEFR level; different texts and speaking prompts.

DTZ on the day

The Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer is the exam at the end of a BAMF-approved Integrationskurs. Written paper: 100 minutes (Hören ~25, Lesen including Sprachbausteine 45, Schreiben 30). Oral: about 15 minutes, almost always with a partner, often on a different day.

• Dual level is unique to DTZ among these three. The same sitting can produce an A2 or a B1 profile. Einbürgerung needs the B1 outcome. A2 is not enough for the usual naturalisation language box.
• Sprachbausteine lives inside reading. You get a short functional text with numbered gaps and a list of options — connectors (weil, obwohl, damit), verbs with prepositions, case after mit/für. It is not a separate timed paper.
• Listening is Germany-everyday. Expect a mailbox message, a loudspeaker announcement, a two-person chat about housing, health, or an appointment. Scan the questions before the audio.
• Writing is one job, not an essay. A letter or email of roughly 80–100 words that covers the bullet points. Register is polite-everyday, not academic.
• Speaking is paired, not a 1:1 interview. You introduce yourself, speak briefly on a prompt, then plan something with the other candidate (a course trip, a neighbourhood meeting). Examiners score you, not the pair as a team — but you still have to interact.

You do not get one headline percentage on the DTZ certificate. Level descriptors (A2 / B1) sit on the assessed blocks. Full timings, point weights, and the B1 rule belong on the DTZ overview — use that page for scoring, not this one.

Booking path: your Integrationskurs Träger enters you, or you find a licensed DTZ sitting through a BAMF course provider. DTZ is not a walk-in Goethe-style worldwide exam.

Goethe-Zertifikat B1 on the day

Goethe-Zertifikat B1 is a modular general-German exam from the Goethe-Institut. You can sit all four modules in one session or book them separately — confirm the offer at registration. That modular retake is the practical difference if one skill fails.

• Listening is longer and more ‘media’. Voicemail, radio clips, conversations, then a longer interview or discussion. You are matching speakers, judging true/false, and catching detail — closer to general B1 media than to BAMF course dialogues.
• Writing is two tasks in about 60 minutes. Typically a personal email that answers a situation, plus a short forum or opinion text. More words and more genre-switching than DTZ’s single letter.
• Speaking is usually paired, with a mini-presentation. After a warm-up you present a prepared topic, then discuss it. If the centre cannot pair you, you may get a shorter 1:1 slot — ask when you book. It is still not an IELTS-style long interview.
• No dual-level safety net. You are sitting B1. Fall below the module threshold and that module is a fail, not an automatic A2 certificate. The trade-off: a Goethe B1 diploma is the paper most universities and employers outside Germany already recognise by name.

Official module outline: Goethe-Zertifikat B1. Pass thresholds are set by Goethe (commonly around 60% per module) — read the current exam description, not a blog memory.

telc Deutsch B1 on the day

telc writes and licences the DTZ — and also sells a separate general exam called telc Deutsch B1. Do not mix the two when you register. DTZ is the integration-course paper. telc Deutsch B1 is a standalone B1 diploma accepted for many Einbürgerung files.

• Sprachbausteine is a named written section. The reading block is long (~90 minutes) and includes dedicated gap-fill grammar/vocabulary. If you liked DTZ Sprachbausteine, this will feel familiar — just heavier and not wrapped in Integrationskurs texts.
• Writing is one semi-formal letter (~30 minutes). Bullet points on the prompt; you must cover them. Closer to DTZ length than to Goethe’s two-task hour.
• Speaking is usually paired. Introduction, talk from a picture or topic, then plan an activity together. 1:1 happens when pairing is impossible, not as the default design.
• B1 only — fail is fail. There is no A2 certificate from this paper. Written and oral usually both need a pass (telc’s typical split). Confirm the current handbook with your centre.

Exam family page: telc German certificates.

Typical fees in € (centres set the price)

Nobody publishes one national price. Treat these as 2026 planning bands you will replace with the number on the booking page:

If you already pay the standard Integrationskurs contribution, adding a Goethe sitting ‘just in case’ is usually wasted money. Sit DTZ first. Buy a second brand only if you need international portability the DTZ will not give you.

Do these certificates expire?

For Einbürgerung, DTZ, Goethe-Zertifikat B1, and telc Deutsch B1 generally have no formal expiry date. The diploma does not ‘run out’ the way some visa language tests do.

Very old certificates can still be questioned. An authority that wants proof your German is still at B1 may ask for a newer paper, a conversation at the office, or extra evidence. That is a local practice issue, not a printed expiry on the Goethe or telc diploma.

If your certificate is many years old, email your Ausländerbehörde with a scan before you rebuild a study plan. Do not assume a 2014 paper is either automatically fine or automatically dead.

Availability: how to find a live centre

Do not use a blog city list. Centres open, close, and change dates. Use the live search for the exam you chose:

1. DTZ / Integrationskurs: Search BAMF-NAvI for a course provider (Träger) near you — bamf-navi.bamf.de. DTZ sittings are mainly inside Germany: large-city VHS and regional Träger, not a global Goethe-style calendar. Ask the provider whether they run DTZ only for their course group or also accept external candidates.
2. Goethe-Zertifikat B1: Use the Goethe exam calendar — goethe.de exam dates — then open the Institute or exam partner page (Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and many cities abroad). Book the city that has a free date, not the city you wish had one.
3. telc Deutsch B1: Use the telc examination centre finder. The licensed network is broad in Germany (VHS, private schools) and also exists abroad. Filter for telc Deutsch B1, not DTZ, unless you specifically want DTZ.

Rural districts often have fewer Goethe dates and more VHS/telc or Integrationskurs DTZ options. If you live outside a large city, start with BAMF-NAvI and the telc finder before you plan a weekend trip to an Institute.

Decision tree: which exam should you book?

Work top to bottom. Stop at the first yes.

1. Already have a German school-leaving certificate, completed Ausbildung, or a German-taught degree? Ask the Ausländerbehörde whether that counts as B1 proof. If yes, do not book DTZ, Goethe, or telc.
2. In a BAMF Integrationskurs, or finishing one? Sit the DTZ with your Träger. That is the paper the course is built for. Add Goethe only if you also need a portable diploma for work or study outside Germany.
3. Need international portability (university, employer, or a move abroad)? Book Goethe-Zertifikat B1. It is the name most foreign institutions already know. Modular retakes help if one skill is weak.
4. Not in a course, living in Germany, want a local date and often a lower fee? Check telc Deutsch B1 at a licensed centre (often VHS). Compare the live fee with the nearest Goethe date before you decide.
5. Unsure you are actually B1? Do not pay an exam fee to find out. Use a diagnostic on the practice exam hub first, then book.

Option 1: DTZ — the Integrationskurs route

If you are in or completing a BAMF integration course, DTZ is the default. The curriculum, the mock letters, and the oral topics line up with the exam. Switching to Goethe mid-course means learning a second task set for no citizenship gain.

Written 100 minutes + paired speaking ~15 minutes. Dual-level A2/B1. Sprachbausteine inside Lesen. Section-by-section scoring lives on the DTZ overview. An 8-week prep sequence lives on how to pass DTZ B1.

Who this suits: anyone whose German was built in an Integrationskurs and whose next use of the certificate is Einbürgerung or settlement in Germany.

Option 2: Goethe-Zertifikat B1

Independent of BAMF. Bookable worldwide. Modular. Heavier writing and a presentation-style speaking part. Usually the highest fee of the three in German cities.

Who this suits: candidates who skipped the Integrationskurs, who will use the diploma outside Germany, or who want to retake a single module instead of a whole dual-level paper.

Option 3: telc Deutsch B1

Standalone B1, not DTZ. Broad licensed network, often easier to find a Saturday at a VHS than a Goethe Institute date. Writing length similar to DTZ; Sprachbausteine is a full written section; no A2 fallback.

Who this suits: people who need a B1 diploma without a course, who prefer a local telc centre, and who do not need Goethe’s brand for a foreign university.

What if you already have a German degree or school certificate?

If you finished school, vocational training, or a university degree in Germany with enough German-medium instruction, you may not need a separate language exam. Your qualification can count as proof.

Confirm with your Ausländerbehörde before you invest months in DTZ or Goethe prep. Bring the diploma, transcript, and — if asked — evidence that instruction was in German.

Zertifikat Integrationskurs: DTZ + LiD

Finish a full BAMF Integrationskurs, pass the DTZ at B1, and pass Leben in Deutschland (LiD), and you receive the Zertifikat Integrationskurs. That bundle proves language and civic knowledge for integration purposes. Many authorities also treat a passed LiD as covering the Einbürgerungstest — confirm locally.

LiD format (standard version, per BAMF): 33 multiple-choice questions; you normally need 17 correct answers to pass. Confirm any update on the BAMF Abschlussprüfung page before you memorise a number from an old PDF.

LiD is not a language exam. It tests the legal and social basics the orientation course covers. You can hold B1 and still fail LiD if you skip the civics booklet.

If you paid the standard Integrationskurs contribution and finish successfully (DTZ + LiD where required), BAMF’s process can refund 50% of that contribution. File on time; keep the notices. Naturalisation fees and the 5-year / 3-year residency clock are a separate StAG file — do not treat a blog as counsel.

How long does it take to reach B1?

• From zero, via BAMF Integrationskurs: the standard language course is often about 600 lesson units (plus orientation). Calendar time is commonly around 7–12 months, longer on a part-time or literacy track.
• From solid A2, self-study to exam-ready B1: commonly about 8–16 weeks of focused work if listening keeps up with reading.
• Already in the DTZ course and targeting a B1 profile: an 8-week intensive plan is realistic for many candidates — see the pass-workflow article rather than inventing a new timetable here.

Frequently asked questions

Does my B1 certificate expire? Certificates from Goethe, telc, and DTZ generally have no formal expiry date for citizenship purposes. Very old certificates may occasionally be questioned — ask your Ausländerbehörde if yours is many years old.

Can I use a certificate from another country? Goethe and telc certificates are usually accepted regardless of where you sat the exam. DTZ is aimed at Germany’s integration pathway and is mainly sat inside Germany via BAMF providers.

What if I only reached A2 on the DTZ? A2 is not enough for naturalisation under the usual B1 rule. You can retake the DTZ or sit Goethe-Zertifikat B1 or telc Deutsch B1 instead.

Is there a minimum score I need? For DTZ you receive level classifications — not one headline percentage. Goethe and telc use scaled scoring with provider-defined pass thresholds (often around 60% per module or per written/oral block). Use the DTZ overview for DTZ tables.

Do children need a B1 certificate too? Minor children naturalised with a parent are often exempt from the adult language requirement — rules vary by age. Confirm with your Ausländerbehörde.

Is telc Deutsch B1 the same exam as the DTZ? No. telc develops both, but DTZ is the dual-level Integrationskurs exam. telc Deutsch B1 is a separate general B1 diploma. Register for the name your authority and your centre actually use.

Should I sit Goethe and DTZ? Only if you have two jobs for the paper: Germany’s language box and a foreign institution that wants Goethe by name. For Einbürgerung alone, one accepted B1 certificate is enough.

If DTZ is your path

Once you have chosen DTZ, stop comparing brands and practise the paper: Lesen with Sprachbausteine, Hören, a 30-minute letter, and paired speaking. Prep2Go’s German exam hub and a short diagnostic are enough to see whether you are close to a B1 profile before you pay the centre.

Start on the practice exam hub, open the DTZ B1 hub, read the DTZ scoring overview, and — if vocabulary is the gap — browse the German exam vocabulary deck (Goethe / telc / ÖSD themes used in DTZ prep).

Related: DTZ B1 how to pass · EU citizenship language rules · fastest European citizenship paths.

Sources: BAMF — Naturalization in Germany · BAMF-NAvI course search · BAMF — Abschlussprüfung (DTZ & LiD) · Make it in Germany — Naturalization · Goethe-Institut B1 · telc German exams · telc centre finder.

Last updated 12 August 2026. Requirements, fees, and centre lists change. Verify with your local Ausländerbehörde and the live BAMF / Goethe / telc pages before you book or submit a file.