VisaWho this applies to
Use this guide if you are checking Germany B1+ before choosing an exam, paying a centre, or submitting a document. It does not decide eligibility, an exemption, or certificate acceptance for an individual case.
Key decisions
- Identify the authority or institution receiving your proof.
- Confirm the exact certificate, level, exam version, and document format it accepts.
- Verify local booking, ID, fee, result, cancellation, and timing details with official sources.
Detailed explanation
The language question is only one part of naturalisation
Under the general route in Section 10 of the Nationality Act, German-language knowledge and knowledge of Germany’s legal and social order are separate requirements. The Act describes B1 for the language requirement and also contains exceptions and special rules that an authority must apply to the individual case.
This page does not decide eligibility, whether Section 10 is your route, whether an exception applies, or whether a particular certificate or alternative document is sufficient.
Decision tree: language proof vs the rest of the file
- Confirm the competent nationality authority for your place of residence and open its current naturalisation instruction or portal.
- Ask which naturalisation route applies to you (do not assume the general Section 10 path without confirmation).
- Split evidence into two lists: language evidence vs civic-knowledge / other file evidence.
- Record the authority’s current wording for accepted language documents and for civic-knowledge documents separately.
- Ask about exceptions only as open questions—do not self-apply an exception.
- Only after possible language evidence is named compare DTZ, Goethe B1, telc B1, or other named options in the comparison guide.
- Keep settlement-permit answers out of this folder unless the nationality authority explicitly reuses them.
Keep two evidence lists
Language evidence: save the authority’s current wording about level, accepted document, certificate or alternative evidence, format and submission method.
The rest of the file: keep civic-knowledge evidence, identity, residence history, livelihood and every other document or declaration in the authority’s current checklist. A B1 result does not complete that second list.
The federal naturalisation portal provides an overview. Your competent nationality authority controls the current local procedure and assesses your evidence.
Responsibility split
| Question | Decider | Related VisaLang page | Boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naturalisation route and eligibility | Competent nationality authority | This page (questions only) | No outcome prediction |
| Accepted language document | Same authority | This page + exam comparison | Provider pages ≠ acceptance |
| Civic-knowledge evidence (e.g. Leben in Deutschland) | Same authority | Language and civic knowledge | Not interchangeable with B1 language proof |
| Exam product / booking | Exam owner + centre | Fees/booking and preparation guides | Cannot finish the citizenship file |
| Settlement permit language proof | Foreigners authority (different procedure) | Settlement B1 page | Do not merge rules |
Questions for the competent authority
- Which naturalisation route and current instruction apply to me?
- Which language documents are accepted, and in what form?
- Is civic-knowledge evidence separately required, and what proof is accepted?
- Which forms, documents and submission channel are current for this authority?
- Are any possible exceptions relevant, and what evidence would the authority require to assess them?
Save the source or written reply and the date checked. Do not use another applicant’s result as evidence for your own file.
Scenario pitfalls
- Treating B1 language evidence and civic-knowledge evidence as the same item.
- Treating an exam provider’s page as a naturalisation acceptance decision.
- Applying a general federal overview as a complete local document list.
- Assuming an exception without an authority assessment.
- Booking Goethe B1 solely because a settlement-permit neighbour used it.
Naturalisation language-proof record template
| Field | Entry | Source | Date checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Competent nationality authority | |||
| Route named | |||
| Language evidence wording (quote) | |||
| Civic-knowledge evidence wording (quote) | |||
| Other open file items (short list) | |||
| Exception question (if any) | |||
| Candidate language documents (names only) | |||
| Stop rule before exam payment |
What to verify officially
| Item to verify | Who finally decides | Official source | Confirmed on this page | You still need to confirm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current route requirement and accepted proof | Competent local nationality authority applying the current Nationality Act to the individual application | Authority source | The official entry and verification sequence recorded on 2026-10-21. | Your current individual route, exceptions, document format, and submission instructions. |
| Exam product and booking rules | Official exam owner and authorised local centre | Exam-owner source | The exam-owner entry used by this guide. | Current centre authorisation, dates, fees, ID, cancellation, results, and certificate delivery. |
Common mistakes
- Booking before confirming the exact proof for the route.
- Using an old price, date, or centre listing without checking the official page.
- Assuming another applicant's outcome applies to your own case.
Next action
Once the authority confirms the possible language evidence, use the DTZ, Goethe B1 and telc B1 comparison. If civic knowledge is part of your route, read Leben in Deutschland and language proof and keep the submission checklist separate. Use the B1 hub for the full reading order.