A1 German is a visa requirement.
Treat it like one.
For most spouse visas, Germany requires proof of "simple German" — CEFR A1 — beforethe visa is issued (§30 Abs. 1 AufenthG). The certificate, not the interview, is usually the slowest thing you control. This page is the whole path: who's exempt, where to sit the exam in India, Pakistan or Bangladesh, and how to learn A1 without a local course.
First: does your spouse even need it?
§30(1) S.1: both spouses ≥ 18 years old + incoming spouse can communicate in German at a simple level = A1 CEFR (certificate from an ALTE-standard provider: Goethe-Institut, telc, ÖSD, TestDaF partner).
Exempt — no A1 needed
Your sponsor holds an EU Blue Card (§18g), an ICT card, or a §18a/§18b skilled-worker permit (or upgraded from one to permanent residence). That covers most GermanDost readers — the spouse skips the certificate entirely.
A1 required
Sponsor is a student (§16b), a permanent resident, or a German citizen (§28 applies the same A1 logic). Book the exam before you book anything else.
Not sure which case you are? Run the family-reunification navigator — it applies the full §§28–36a matrix to your permit.
All 7 statutory exemptions (§30 Abs. 1 S. 3 AufenthG)
Missions apply these restrictively — treat them as a check-yourself list, not a plan A.
Refugees with pre-flight marriage.
Sponsor holds a title per §§19–21 (researcher/ICT etc.) or other listed titles and the marriage already existed when the sponsor moved their life-centre to Germany (variant per statute), or sponsor holds §23(4), §25(1)/(2), §26(3) etc. (recognized refugees) with pre-existing marriage.
Health exemption.
Spouse CANNOT demonstrate A1 due to physical/mental illness or disability.
e.g. degree-holding spouse expected to work — applied restrictively, mission discretion.
Spouse has recognisably low integration need (per AufenthV — in practice: university degree + expected professional integration; 'academic prognosis' exemption).
AU, IL, JP, CA, KR, NZ, UK, US + AD/MC/SM — NOT IN/PK/BD.
Spouse's nationality allows visa-free entry to Germany even for long stays (§41 AufenthV states).
Blue Card = YES, exempt. §18a/§18b skilled workers = YES, exempt.
Sponsor holds Blaue Karte EU (§18g), ICT card (§19/§19b), or a title per §§18a, 18b, 18c(3), 18d, 18f, 19c(1) (governed occupations), 19c(2) (pronounced practical experience), 19c(4) (public interest), §21 (self-employed).
Case-by-case; must document effort.
Hardship: acquiring A1 before entry is impossible or unreasonable in the individual case (e.g. no courses reachable, danger, illiteracy + demonstrated year-long effort).
Ex-Blue-Card holders who upgraded to PR keep the privilege.
Sponsor now holds Niederlassungserlaubnis/§18c(2) but held one of the Nr.-5 titles immediately before.
The exam: Goethe-Zertifikat A1 — "Start Deutsch 1"
The most widely accepted certificate is the Goethe-Institut's Start Deutsch 1; telc Deutsch A1 and ÖSD certificates from ALTE-standard providers count too. Four parts: Hören, Lesen and Schreiben (~65 minutes written) plus a short group Sprechen (~15 minutes). Pass mark: 60 of 100. Missions commonly expect the certificate to be recent — not older than about a year when you apply (mission practice varies; check your embassy's checklist).
India
Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan — New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata (+ exam partners)
Largest network of the three; city slots still sell out in visa season — book 2–3 months ahead.
Pakistan
Goethe-Institut Pakistan (Karachi) and Annemarie-Schimmel-Haus (Lahore)
Only two Goethe centres for the whole country — Islamabad applicants usually travel to Lahore. Plan the trip into your timeline.
Bangladesh
Goethe-Institut Bangladesch (Dhaka)
Single centre; with the embassy's long visa processing, sit the exam close to when your file is actually ready.
Exam dates and fees change per centre — always confirm on goethe.de before planning travel.
The realistic timeline
Work backwards from your visa application date — the exam seat and the certificate's freshness are the two constraints people miss.
Check if A1 is even required
10 minutesBlue Card and §18a/§18b skilled-worker sponsors: your spouse is exempt — skip straight to the visa file. Everyone else: plan the exam now, because it drives the whole timeline.
Learn A1 German
~2–4 months of steady studyA1 is 'can introduce yourself, ask simple questions' — roughly 80–150 study hours depending on daily time and English/Urdu/Hindi/Bangla starting point. Daily practice beats weekend marathons.
Book the exam early
book 2–3 months aheadGoethe Start Deutsch 1 seats in Delhi, Mumbai, Karachi, Lahore and Dhaka sell out fast — book while you study, not after. telc and ÖSD certificates are accepted too.
Sit the exam
~80 minutes totalFour parts — Hören, Lesen, Schreiben (~65 min written) plus a short group Sprechen (~15 min). Pass mark is 60 out of 100. Results typically arrive within about two weeks.
Certificate into the visa file
keep it freshMissions generally expect the A1 certificate to be recent — commonly not older than about a year at application. Don't sit the exam years before you actually apply.
D-visa application
months — country-dependentWith the certificate, documents and verification done, submit via the Consular Services Portal / VFS. Processing: India often 2–6 months, Pakistan ~6–12, Bangladesh ~12–16.
Learn A1 from home — the GermanDost path
No German course in your city? The whole A1 curriculum is here, built for exactly this exam. A free account saves progress across devices.
A1 course + practice
The structured A1 track: lessons, listening and reading practice built for the Start Deutsch 1 format.
Start the A1 track →
Vocabulary decks
Spaced-repetition flashcards for the A1 word list — 10 minutes a day is enough; the scheduler does the rest.
Open the decks →
Exam simulator
Timed A1 mock exams in the real format, graded instantly — know you'll pass before you pay the exam fee.
Take a mock exam →
Tagesscore daily ritual
A 3-minute daily challenge that keeps the streak (and the vocabulary) alive between study sessions.
Play today's round →
Keine Rechtsberatung — general information from the statute and official mission pages only, no individualized legal advice (RDG). The mission decides each case; requirements on your embassy's current checklist always win over this page.
Last updated: 2026-07-19