Roadmap
German, level by level — mapped to your migration.
Most routes to Austria have a language checkpoint: family reunification starts at A1, the citizenship file closes at B1, German-taught university programmes ask for C1. This page lays the road from zero upward next to what each level unlocks — so you learn for the visa, not the other way round.
Who this roadmap is for
Four situations cover almost everyone we move to Austria. Find yours and you know your target level.
Students
You are heading for a German-taught degree. Your target is C1 by enrolment — B2 to survive the prep year. English-taught programmes can skip the German exam, but daily life cannot.
Professionals
You are targeting the Red-White-Red Card or an employer. Trades often move at A2, office jobs expect B1–B2. German is your interview, not a formality.
Families
You are joining a spouse or parent in Austria. A1 opens the file, B1 extends it. The roadmap from zero is short and non-negotiable.
Starters from zero
No certificate, no course yet — just the plan. You will learn what each level really costs in hours, and which one your route actually needs.
What each route asks for
Select your route: the ladder shows the German level it needs, what else the file must contain, and which certificates count.
Study
Required GermanB2–C1
Key requirements
- University admission letter
- Proof of funds (around €15,000/year)
- Health insurance
- Accommodation in Austria
Note: German-taught programmes need C1 at enrolment; English-taught ones replace it with IELTS/TOEFL — but daily life still runs on B1 German.
Realistic prep
8–14 months
Accepted exams
ÖSD B2/C1GoetheTestDaF (for university)Work
Required GermanA2–B1
Key requirements
- Job offer with employer sponsorship
- Recognition of your qualification
- Salary meeting the threshold
- Health insurance
Note: Trades often accept A2; office and customer-facing roles expect B1–B2. German is effectively part of the interview.
Realistic prep
4–8 months
Accepted exams
ÖSDGoethetelcFamily
Required GermanA1B1
Key requirements
- Marriage or birth certificate (apostilled)
- Sponsor's income above the threshold
- Adequate accommodation
- Health insurance
Note: Adults prove A1 German before the visa is issued, then reach B1 within two years for the extension. Children are exempt.
Realistic prep
3–6 months to A1
Accepted exams
ÖSD A1Goethe SD1EU Blue Card
Required GermanB1 (recommended)
Key requirements
- Recognised university degree
- Salary above the Blue-Card threshold
- Employment contract
- Health insurance
Note: German is not a legal condition for the Blue Card itself — but B1 sharply improves employer responses and speeds up everything after it.
Realistic prep
6–9 months
Accepted exams
ÖSDGoethetelcInvestor
Required GermanA2–B1 (expected)
Key requirements
- Business plan with economic benefit
- Sufficient capital
- Self-sustaining business within the set period
- Health insurance
Note: No German at the first stamp — but authorities expect integration progress toward settlement, and clients answer faster in German.
Realistic prep
4–8 months
Accepted exams
ÖSDGoethetelcSettlement
Required GermanB1 (B2 shortens it)
Key requirements
- Five years of continuous residence
- Secure income and insurance record
- Integration agreement fulfilled
- No significant criminal record
Note: B1 closes the standard file; B2 and volunteering open the shorter integration track. C levels are welcome but never required.
Realistic prep
usually already held
Accepted exams
ÖSD B1Goethe B1
The ladder, rung by rung
Hours assume six to eight focused hours a week. Faster is possible; skipping is not — each exam assumes the one below it.
- A1
First footing
80–200 guided hours2–3 monthsThe sentences an authority window, a supermarket or a landlord actually needs from you. Small, daily, usable from week one.
Speaking
Introduce yourself and your family, ask for things, answer simple questions about daily life.
Listening
Understand slow, clear speech about people, numbers, prices and times.
Reading
Read forms, signs, timetables and short personal messages.
Writing
Fill in forms, write short notes and simple messages about everyday needs.
Topics covered
Introductions and familyShopping, orders, reservationsNumbers, time and addressesDoctor and appointmentsRecommended for: Every route's first step — family reunification above all.
- A2
Everyday routines
200–350 guided hours+2–3 monthsThe language of routine: work shifts, health, errands, and the past tense to talk about all of it.
Speaking
Handle routine exchanges — errands, work schedules, simple past-tense stories about your week.
Listening
Follow announcements and short conversations about work, health and leisure.
Reading
Personal emails, advertisements, short brochures.
Writing
Notes and messages about daily life; a simple personal letter.
Topics covered
Work and daily routineHealth and the bodyTransport and directionsTalking about the pastRecommended for: Family-reunification extension; first interviews for simple roles.
- B1
The independence threshold
350–500 guided hours+3–4 monthsThe level most files close at: opinions with reasons, authority letters you understand without a translator, and the citizenship test in German.
Speaking
Cope flexibly in most situations of daily and working life; give opinions with reasons.
Listening
Follow the main points of clear standard speech — radio, work meetings, authorities.
Reading
Texts about work, authorities and everyday problems.
Writing
Connected texts: complaints, applications, formal emails.
Topics covered
Authorities and applicationsOpinions, plans, adviceWork and trainingCitizenship-test themesRecommended for: Citizenship, family extension, apprenticeships, most settlement files.
- B2
Professional fluency
500–700 guided hours+4–6 monthsWhere German stops being the obstacle: spontaneous conversation, argued positions, media without subtitles.
Speaking
Interact spontaneously and fluently with natives; argue a position and weigh alternatives.
Listening
Follow extended speech, most news and films in standard German.
Reading
Reports, articles and contemporary prose with a viewpoint.
Writing
Clear, detailed texts: essays, professional reports, formal letters.
Topics covered
Professional communicationMedia and societyArguing strengths and weaknessesApplications and interviewsRecommended for: Skilled-job interviews and university prep alongside C1.
- C1
Academic precision
700–900 guided hours+6–9 monthsThe university gate: well-structured expression on complex subjects, register control, and reading that catches what is not said.
Speaking
Fluent, well-structured expression on complex subjects; choose the right register for the room.
Listening
Follow long, demanding speech and catch implicit meaning.
Reading
Demanding longer texts; recognise the author's attitude between the lines.
Writing
Clear, well-structured expressive texts with stylistic control.
Topics covered
Academic argumentationScience and news vocabularyEssay and summary writingAustria-specific themesRecommended for: German-taught university admission and regulated professions.
- C2
Mastery
900–1,200 guided hours+9–12 monthsNear-native command: precision in nuance, bureaucratic German read at speed, and speech that survives any Austrian accent.
Speaking
Effortless precision even in nuanced discussion and unfamiliar fields.
Listening
Understand everything — including fast, dialect-tinged Austrian conversation.
Reading
Abstract, structurally complex texts of any length.
Writing
Precise, polished long-form writing with full style control.
Topics covered
Legal and bureaucratic GermanLiterary nuanceInterpreting and teachingRegister and idiomRecommended for: Academic careers, legal work, teaching German.
A realistic timeline
At six to eight focused hours a week. Faster is possible; pretending so is not.
Months 0–3
First certificate
A1 — the one that opens the family file.
Months 3–8
Bureaucracy language
A2 — job interviews and daily errands get comfortable.
Months 8–14
The independence threshold
B1 — the door to full-time work and settlement.
Months 14–24
University language
B2 — the admission requirement for most German-taught programmes.
How to start
Four steps between you and a study plan with a date on it.
- 01
Book the free consultation
We map your route and fix the target level — the one checkpoint your file actually needs, not the whole ladder.
- 02
Place your current German
Send an existing certificate or take a short placement test. Knowing your real rung beats guessing by months.
- 03
Choose course and exam
ÖSD, Goethe or telc — we pick by seat availability and your city, then match the course format to your weeks.
- 04
Set the exam date
Seats in Tehran and Vienna book out two to three months ahead. The date on the calendar is the study plan.
Certificates Austria recognises
All three are accepted in Austria; they differ in the details.
ÖSD — Austrian German Diploma
Austria's own certificate; the exam includes Austrian German — what you'll hear in Vienna.
Goethe-Institut
The most widely recognised certificate; offered in Tehran and Vienna alike.
telc
Flexible dates, more centres; valid for immigration and many universities.
Where the road is paved
Courses and exams Austrian authorities and universities know by name — start here, not in the app-store wilderness.
Free online resources
YouTube channels
Apps for daily practice
Paid courses & tutoring
Costs shift with country and season — in the consultation we line these up with your level, budget and deadline.
Four rules we give our own clients
Learn toward the checkpoint your route needs, not the whole ladder. A1 now if family is the route; B1 later when citizenship becomes the question.
Book the exam before you feel ready — seats in Tehran and Vienna run out two to three months ahead, and a fixed date is the honest study plan.
ÖSD and ÖIF certificates are the ones Austrian caseworkers see every day. Goethe is equally valid — pick by seat availability, not brand.
Build your first vocabulary list from your own file: your documents, your profession, your city. The exam then feels like a conversation about your life.
Not sure which level your route starts from?
In the free consultation we place your German on this map next to your migration goal — and tell you honestly whether a course is worth your money yet.