Pathways

Which German level does your goal in Germany need?

See the level each visa, permit or job needs, how far you are from it, and what the next level unlocks.

General information, not legal advice. Rules change. Check the official source or your Ausländerbehörde.

Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte)

A one-year job-search visa. You need a qualification and German A1 or English B2, then 6 points.

A1

Chancenkarte: language minimum

What it unlocksMeets the language minimum for the points route of the Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte). English B2 also counts.

Conditions

  • A vocational qualification of at least two years, a degree, or a qualification from a German chamber of commerce abroad (AHK), recognised in the country where you got it
  • Not required if Germany has already partially recognised your qualification
  • German A1 or English B2
  • At least 6 points
  • Enough money to live on during your stay (about €1,091 a month, for example in a blocked account)

Good to know

  • With a qualification obtained or fully recognised in Germany you are a skilled worker (Fachkraft) and need no points.
  • The Chancenkarte is valid for up to one year for your job search.
  • Embassies usually still want a language certificate, even if German or English is your first language.

EU Blue Card (Blaue Karte EU)

The Blue Card itself needs no German. German decides how soon you can settle.

A1

Blue Card → settlement permit (standard)

What it unlocksSettlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis) after 27 months of Blue Card employment.

Conditions

  • 27 months of employment with a Blue Card
  • Pension contributions for the same 27 months
  • Basic German (A1)
  • Basic knowledge of the legal and social order (Leben in Deutschland test)
  • Enough living space and money to support yourself

Good to know

  • Which months count (only Blue Card months, or also earlier time a Blue Card could have been issued) is interpreted differently; check with your Ausländerbehörde. Time on another EU country's Blue Card does not count.
B1

Blue Card → settlement permit (fast)

What it unlocksSettlement permit after 21 months of Blue Card employment, 6 months sooner than with A1.

Conditions

  • 21 months of employment with a Blue Card
  • Pension contributions for the same 21 months
  • German B1
  • Basic knowledge of the legal and social order (Leben in Deutschland test)
  • Enough living space and money to support yourself

Good to know

  • Which months count (only Blue Card months, or also earlier time a Blue Card could have been issued) is interpreted differently; check with your Ausländerbehörde. Time on another EU country's Blue Card does not count.

Skilled worker visa (Aufenthaltserlaubnis für Fachkräfte)

Most skilled worker visas need no German to start. B1 opens the settlement permit after 3 years.

B1

Skilled worker → settlement permit

What it unlocksSettlement permit after 3 years as a skilled worker (Fachkraft).

Conditions

  • 3 years with a residence permit under § 18a, 18b, 18d or 18g
  • A job your permit allows you to do
  • 36 months of pension contributions
  • German B1
  • Basic knowledge of the legal and social order (Leben in Deutschland test)
  • Enough living space and money to support yourself

Good to know

  • With vocational training or a degree completed in Germany, it is 2 years and 24 months of contributions.

Settlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis)

Permanent residence. The route and the German level depend on the permit you hold now.

A1

Blue Card → settlement permit (standard)

What it unlocksSettlement permit (Niederlassungserlaubnis) after 27 months of Blue Card employment.

Conditions

  • 27 months of employment with a Blue Card
  • Pension contributions for the same 27 months
  • Basic German (A1)
  • Basic knowledge of the legal and social order (Leben in Deutschland test)
  • Enough living space and money to support yourself

Good to know

  • Which months count (only Blue Card months, or also earlier time a Blue Card could have been issued) is interpreted differently; check with your Ausländerbehörde. Time on another EU country's Blue Card does not count.
B1

Blue Card → settlement permit (fast)

What it unlocksSettlement permit after 21 months of Blue Card employment, 6 months sooner than with A1.

Conditions

  • 21 months of employment with a Blue Card
  • Pension contributions for the same 21 months
  • German B1
  • Basic knowledge of the legal and social order (Leben in Deutschland test)
  • Enough living space and money to support yourself

Good to know

  • Which months count (only Blue Card months, or also earlier time a Blue Card could have been issued) is interpreted differently; check with your Ausländerbehörde. Time on another EU country's Blue Card does not count.
B1

Skilled worker → settlement permit

What it unlocksSettlement permit after 3 years as a skilled worker (Fachkraft).

Conditions

  • 3 years with a residence permit under § 18a, 18b, 18d or 18g
  • A job your permit allows you to do
  • 36 months of pension contributions
  • German B1
  • Basic knowledge of the legal and social order (Leben in Deutschland test)
  • Enough living space and money to support yourself

Good to know

  • With vocational training or a degree completed in Germany, it is 2 years and 24 months of contributions.
B1

Settlement permit after 5 years

What it unlocksSettlement permit after 5 years with a residence permit, whatever the purpose of your stay.

Conditions

  • 5 years with a residence permit
  • 60 months of pension contributions
  • German B1
  • Basic knowledge of the legal and social order (Leben in Deutschland test)
  • Enough money and living space for you and your family

Good to know

  • Completing an integration course (Integrationskurs) proves both the German and the Leben in Deutschland requirement.

Sources§ 9 Residence Act (AufenthG)

Last verified 30 Sep 2026

General information, not legal advice. Rules change. Check the official source or your Ausländerbehörde.

Naturalisation (Einbürgerung)

German citizenship after 5 years of residence, with B1 German and the naturalisation test.

B1

Citizenship (Einbürgerung)

What it unlocksGerman citizenship after 5 years of legal residence.

Conditions

  • 5 years of legal, habitual residence in Germany
  • A B1 language exam. Aim for B1 in every skill, for example Goethe-Zertifikat B1, telc Deutsch B1, or the Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer (DTZ)
  • The naturalisation test (Einbürgerungstest)
  • A permanent residence right, a Blue Card or another qualifying residence permit
  • You can support yourself and your family without benefits, with some exceptions

Good to know

  • The faster route after 3 years was abolished on 30 October 2025; 5 years is now the rule for everyone.
  • An overall B1 on the DTZ, with a lower mark in one skill, is not accepted everywhere.

Nursing recognition (Anerkennung als Pflegefachkraft)

Working as a registered nurse needs recognition of your training, including German.

B2

Nursing recognition

What it unlocksThe German requirement for recognition as a registered nurse (Pflegefachfrau / Pflegefachmann).

Conditions

  • Recognition of your nursing training by the responsible state authority
  • German at B2

Good to know

  • B2 is required in every federal state. A general B2 certificate is widely accepted, including in Hessen, Berlin and Baden-Württemberg. Some states also offer the nursing language exam (Fachsprachprüfung Pflege) as an alternative, such as Bavaria since December 2025. Ask the authority where you will work.
  • With a recognition partnership (Anerkennungspartnerschaft) and an employer, you can come with A2 and finish recognition in Germany.

Licence to practise medicine (Approbation)

Doctors need general German and a medical language exam (Fachsprachprüfung).

B2

Doctors: general German

What it unlocksThe general German certificate every state asks for before the medical language exam.

Conditions

  • A general B2 certificate, usually not older than three years

Good to know

  • Which certificates count varies by federal state. People who trained or went to school in German are often exempt.
C1

Doctors: medical language exam (Approbation)

What it unlocksThe German requirement for the licence to practise medicine (Approbation).

Conditions

  • The medical language exam (Fachsprachprüfung) at C1, usually at the state medical chamber (Landesärztekammer)

Good to know

  • Rules vary by federal state.
  • In Hamburg a B2 certificate is enough for a temporary licence (Berufserlaubnis) for the first year.

Spouse joining a family member (Ehegattennachzug)

Spouses usually show basic German before entry. Many spouses are exempt.

A1

Spouse joining a family member

What it unlocksThe German requirement for a spouse visa (Ehegattennachzug), shown before entry.

Conditions

  • Basic German (A1), usually with a certificate such as Goethe-Zertifikat A1
  • Both spouses are at least 18

Good to know

  • Many spouses are exempt: for example spouses of EU Blue Card holders and of skilled workers with a permit under § 18a, 18b or 18d, spouses of people from countries whose citizens can enter Germany without a visa, and spouses with a clearly low integration need.
  • Exemptions also apply for illness or disability, or when learning German before entry is not possible or reasonable.
  • Spouses of Chancenkarte holders are not exempt, and you generally cannot join someone who only holds a Chancenkarte.