Preparatory German Courses

The target group of our courses are primarily international prospective students and applicants to TU Braunschweig. However, the courses are also open to visiting researchers and guest lecturers as well as all other learners of German.

The courses are mostly held in person. In our A1 and A2 courses, we offer participants who are unable to attend face-to-face classes due to delayed arrival the opportunity to take part in the courses online. These courses have a hybrid format.

The content of the Preparatory German Courses is based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). In our courses you will learn

• linguistic competence in all four skills (listening, reading, speaking, writing)
• study-related skills (e.g. participation in discussions, papers, presentations, academic writing and teamwork)
• Cultural and regional studies

Our courses prepare you specifically for studying at university in Germany. The teaching of study-related content is therefore a main priority.

You will complete each course level with a final examination (written and oral part) and receive a certificate. The dates for the oral and written exams are discussed during the course and take place near the end of the course.

Courses at levels A1 to B2.2:

• 175 teaching units in each course (including examination time for written and oral examinations)
• 1,010.00 € for each course (including learning materials, examination fees and certificate)

TestDaF preparation course:

• 175 teaching units
• 1010.00 € (course fees including learning materials)
• 210.00 € (TestDaF examination fee, not included in course fees)

Cancellation/rebooking:

• 70,00 € handling fee

You must pay the course fees within two weeks after registration. You can only pay the course fee by bank transfer; cash payments and instalments are not possible. You do not have to make the payment yourself, but it is important that you state your name, the course and the reference number (see confirmation of receipt) in the subject line of the bank transfer so that the payment can be allocated.

An overview of the course fees can also be found in the Language Centre's fee schedule (PDF, 403 KB).

Reduced course fees:
German learners can benefit from reduced course fees for certain Preparatory German Courses as part of the DAAD-FIT programme.
More information

You can register via our online registration form:

Register online for the Preparatory German Courses

• Due to the high demand, courses courses are often fully booked quickly. We therefore advise you to book as early as possible. As long as places are available for a course, registration is possible at any time.
• If you need a visa to enter Germany, we strongly recommend that you book your courses at least four months in advance, as visa applications often take a long time to process.
• If you are still a minor, you cannot make a direct online booking for our courses. In this case, please send us an e-mail to: idaf(at)tu-braunschweig.de

Whether you need a visa to attend the Preparatory German Courses at TU Braunschweig depends on the country you are travelling from and the duration of your stay in Germany.

If you would like to study at a German university after attending the Preparatory German Courses, you will need a Visa for Study Preparation. You can convert this visa into a student visa if you enrol at a German university after attending the German courses. It is important that you enter Germany with the correct visa, as tourist visas, for example, cannot be converted into a study visa within Germany. You would have to travel back to your home country to re-enter the country after applying for the correct visa. Therefore, please inform yourself in good time about current visa regulations at the German embassy of your respective country.

Please note that it takes several months to process visa applications in many countries. Therefore, apply for the Visa for Study Preparation as early as possible!

To obtain the Visa for Study Preparation, you can apply for an application confirmation in the booking process of our courses. The application confirmation states that you are formally qualified to study at TU Braunschweig after successfully passing the TestDaF exam. There is an additional charge of 75.00 euros for receiving the application confirmation, which must be transferred together with the course fee.

Please note that the application confirmation doesn't mean that you are admitted to TU Braunschweig!

A list of German embassies can be found on the website of the Federal Foreign Office.

Unfortunately, the International House cannot provide you with a room for the duration of your German course. However, we will be happy to support you in your search for accommodation.

Start looking for accommodation as early as possible and search in all districts of Braunschweig. The International House can be reached by bike from all parts of the city in less than 30 minutes thanks to a well-developed cycle network.

Important: Please do not transfer any deposits or rent payments in advance if you are not sure that the rented accommodation actually exists.

You can find many more tips and links on finding accommodation here

No. Participants in the Preparatory German Courses are not enrolled as students at TU Braunschweig.

For the duration of your language courses, you will usually need private German health insurance. However, some countries have a social security agreement with Germany. In this case, you can remain insured in your home country. Please enquire at your embassy whether your home country has a social security agreement with Germany. As soon as you start studying, you can switch to statutory German health insurance, which normally offers better insurance conditions for students.

You can apply to study at TU Braunschweig as soon as you attend a B2 course. You can apply from 01 June to 15 July for the winter semester and from 01 December to 15 January for the summer semester. The lecturers in your language course will be happy to help you. At our Incoming Office, you will receive advice on our degree programmes, subject requirements, recognition of degrees and academic achievements from your home country and you will be taken through all the application documents step by step.