The German interior ministry has published an amendment to the Integrationskurstestverordnung (IntTestV) that raises the pass requirements for the Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer (DTZ), the exam most migrants use to prove German-language knowledge at B1 level. The change, promulgated in the Federal Law Gazette on 20 October and taking effect on 1 November 2026, requires candidates to score at least A2 in the previously ‘weakest’ skill area. Until now, examinees could obtain an overall B1 certificate by achieving B1 in Speaking plus either Writing or Listening/Reading, even if they scored below A2 in the third component. From November, B1 in Speaking remains mandatory, but the two remaining skills must reach B1 or A2 respectively. The reform aims to close loopholes that, according to officials, enabled cheating in the multiple-choice comprehension paper and allowed some test-takers to leave the Writing section blank. For employers this matters because the DTZ fulfils language criteria for several residence categories, Blue-Card conversions and fast-track naturalisation. HR teams sponsoring work-force nationalisation programmes should brief staff booked for post-November exams and consider subsidising intensive writing tuition. Integration-course providers must adapt curricula quickly; BAMF estimates that 318,000 people sat the DTZ in 2025 alone. Legal practitioners point out that existing B1 certificates remain valid, but future applicants for permanent residence (Niederlassungserlaubnis) or citizenship who choose the DTZ route must meet the tougher standard. Alternative qualifications such as telc Deutsch B1 or Goethe Zertifikat B1 are unaffected but may become harder to schedule as demand spikes. Migrants already enrolled in integration courses should check examination dates; those able to sit before 31 October face the easier regime. The amendment does not alter the separate ‘Life in Germany’ civics test thresholds.
Source: SchengenVisa News
