The German level you need depends on the route, not on a single national rule. For a visa from India, the Opportunity Card points route starts at German A1 (or English B2), Ausbildung asks for A2 or B1, and university study usually asks for much more. Pick your route first, then the level, then the exam. An A1 certificate meets the German language condition for the Opportunity Card points route, but it earns no points on its own, and it will not meet a degree programme that asks for C1.

What A1, A2, B1 and B2 mean

The levels come from the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The Goethe-Institut in India describes them roughly like this:

  • A1: familiar everyday expressions, introducing yourself, simple questions when the other person speaks slowly.
  • A2: routine exchanges about daily life, work and your surroundings.
  • B1: most everyday situations at work, school or in leisure; giving short reasons for an opinion.
  • B2: detailed descriptions, arguing a point, talking with native speakers without strain on either side.

C1 and C2 are the “proficient” levels above these.

Which level each route asks for

The German missions in India and the Federal Foreign Office state these levels on their own pages (read on 20 October 2026):

Route Language level stated
Opportunity Card, points route German at least A1, or English at least B2
Vocational training (Ausbildung) visa German at least A2; at least B1 for medical professions
Visa to search for a training place German B1
Preparatory course (Studienkolleg or language course) German B1 for a German-taught course, English B2 for an English-taught one
Bachelor’s or Master’s study “generally” C1, whether the programme is in German or English
Intensive language course visa No certificate if the course starts at A1; a certificate if it starts higher

The Opportunity Card also gives points for German: one for A2, two for B1 and three for B2 or higher. A higher level can help an applicant reach the points the route needs. The recognised-qualification route to the same card does not use points.

For study, the universities decide. DAAD says most German-taught programmes ask for at least B2 and that each programme sets its own minimum and its own list of accepted certificates. English-taught programmes ask for proof of English instead.

For work in nursing, care or physiotherapy, the mission’s skilled-worker page says only that “special requirements apply” and that regulated professions need a licence to practise. It does not give a language level there. Check the recognition authority for your profession before choosing an exam.

Which certificates the missions name

The missions in India ask for a certificate from a recognised provider. Their pages name these as examples:

  • German: Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan, ÖSD and telc. The intensive-course page lists the same three.
  • English (Opportunity Card): a certificate following ALTE (Association of Language Testers in Europe) standards, or TOEFL. Pearson PTE, Duolingo and TOEFL online are not accepted in India.
  • English (study): IELTS or an ALTE member’s test. Duolingo, Pearson PTE and TOEFL home edition are not recognised for applications in India.

For Ausbildung, the mission says a written confirmation of your level from the training company or school may be submitted, but that it may not be accepted in every case. A certificate is the safer evidence.

For university admission, DAAD names TestDaF (which can be taken outside Germany) and the DSH (taken in Germany at a university). It says the Goethe-Zertifikat C2 and telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule are usually recognised too, and some programmes also accept Goethe or ÖSD certificates at B2 or C1. The programme’s own admission page is the final word.

How long each level can take

The Goethe-Institut in India gives a guide in teaching units of 45 minutes, “depending on your previous knowledge and learning requirements”:

  • A1: 80 to 200 units
  • A2: 200 to 350 units
  • B1: 350 to 650 units
  • B2: 600 to 800 units

These are the provider’s estimates, not a promise of a pass. Plan your application around the exam date and the time results take, not the course end date.

Booking an exam in India

Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan offers its exams from A1 to C2, plus TestDaF for university study. Points from its India exam pages:

  • Book only on the Goethe-Institut website. It warns about offers that falsely promise access to exams or certificates.
  • Since 1 September 2025, a valid passport is the only ID accepted for its exams from A1 to C2.
  • The B1 and B2 exams have four modules (listening, reading, writing, speaking) that can be taken separately or together.
  • Exams run at Goethe-Institut centres in Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune and Kolkata and at Goethe-Zentren in Chandigarh, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Trivandrum and Kochi, among other listed places.

For telc or ÖSD, book through the provider’s own website.

Where it depends

The mission pages do not say how old a certificate may be, or whether separate module certificates are accepted in place of a full certificate. If either matters for your timing, ask your mission before you apply. Universities set their own language rules, and a mission may ask for different documents for one case. Fill in the language level truthfully in the visa questionnaire; the study page warns that a wrong level means deleting and restarting the application.

What SGC does not decide

SGC does not set language requirements, run exams or grade them. The mission decides on the visa, the university on admission, and the exam provider on the result. We can help you match your route to the level it needs and plan your documents; see the language course visa pathway or, if you are planning vocational training, the Ausbildung search visa requirements.

Your next step: open your route’s mission page below, note the level it states, then check the next exam dates on the Goethe-Institut India exam page.

Official resources

What we cannot promise

German authorities, universities and employers make every decision on visas, admissions, recognition and jobs. SGC explains the process and helps you prepare; it cannot promise an outcome.