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
Start with the legal route, not the exam brand
Germany has more than one settlement-permit route. Section 9 of the Residence Act is one route and lists language knowledge among several separate conditions. Other routes may rely on different provisions or exceptions. A mention of B1 in a general guide does not establish which provision applies to you, whether you qualify, or which certificate your authority will accept.
First identify the provision or application category shown by your competent local foreigners authority. Keep its current instruction, the URL or written reply, and the date checked.
Decision tree: procedure before product
- Locate the competent local foreigners authority for your place of residence (for example via the BAMF-NAvI authority locator, then the authority’s own pages).
- Ask which settlement route / statutory provision your file is being assessed under—do not assume Section 9 by default.
- List every condition the authority names for that route (language is only one item).
- Ask which language proof and document format are currently accepted for that route.
- Only then compare DTZ, Goethe B1, telc B1, or other named products in the comparison guide.
- If the authority answer is incomplete, keep the exam booking closed and send a written follow-up rather than guessing from another city’s practice.
Keep three decisions separate
- Route and eligibility: the competent authority identifies the applicable route and assesses the complete file.
- Language-proof acceptance: the same authority confirms the exact level, certificate, modules or document format it will accept for that route.
- Exam execution: the exam owner and selected official or authorised centre control the product, booking, identification, fee, cancellation, result and certificate process.
Goethe, telc or an integration-course provider can explain an exam product. They cannot decide a settlement-permit application.
Responsibility split
| Topic | Decider | What to save | Forbidden shortcut |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applicable settlement provision | Local foreigners authority | Provision name, portal page, date | “Section 9 for everyone” |
| Full eligibility (livelihood, housing, etc.) | Same authority | Full checklist for the route | Treating B1 as the whole file |
| Accepted language proof | Same authority | Exact wording + format | Provider marketing as acceptance |
| Exam booking / ID / fee / result | Exam owner + centre | Centre confirmation | Copying another centre’s fee |
| Citizenship vs settlement | Different procedures / often different authorities | Separate folders | One B1 rule for both goals |
What to save before comparing exams
- The route name and statutory provision shown by the authority.
- The authority’s exact wording about language knowledge and accepted proof.
- Any stated document-format, original, copy or verification requirement.
- The source or written reply and the date you checked it.
- Unanswered questions marked for confirmation rather than filled with assumptions.
Do not transfer an answer from citizenship, work, study or another residence route into this file.
Scenario pitfalls
- Treating Section 9 as the rule for every settlement route.
- Treating a B1 result as proof that livelihood, pension, housing or other conditions are satisfied.
- Booking a convenient exam before the authority confirms the accepted proof.
- Using an exam provider’s product description as an acceptance decision.
- Mixing settlement-permit language proof with naturalisation civic-knowledge evidence without an authority instruction that links them.
Settlement language-proof record template
| Field | Entry | Source | Date checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Competent foreigners authority | |||
| Route / provision named | |||
| Non-language conditions still open | |||
| Language proof required? | |||
| Accepted proof wording (quote) | |||
| Document format | |||
| Candidate exam products (names only) | |||
| Stop rule before booking |
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 foreigners authority applying the reader's route-specific residence provision | 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
After the authority identifies acceptable proof, continue to the DTZ, Goethe B1 and telc B1 comparison. Use the settlement and citizenship checklist or timeline only to organise confirmed information. Return to the B1 hub for the reading order.