Language School Costs

Costs vary a lot by provider and intensity. At a Volkshochschule (municipal adult education centre) group courses usually run €120–350 per month. Private language schools typically charge €350–900 per month for intensive courses. Private lessons cost €35–80 per hour. On top of that come registration fees (€20–120) and teaching materials (€30–80).

A full-time intensive course with 20–30 lessons per week typically costs €350–900 per month at a private language school. Public providers can be cheaper (from around €250). If you book for longer (3+ months), many schools offer early-bird or package discounts.

On top of course fees you should budget for living costs (€900–1,200 per month, depending on the city), exam fees (€80–220 per exam), teaching materials (€30–80), health insurance and, where relevant, accommodation. Insurance is where the arithmetic often goes wrong: the cheap student health insurance requires enrolment at a state or state-recognised university under § 5 Abs. 1 Nr. 9 SGB V and costs around €143–148 per month in 2026 at the average supplementary contribution rate (roughly €139–160 depending on the insurer). If you are only taking a language course and are not enrolled, you do not qualify for that rate and need private expat or incoming cover — those premiums are not fixed by law and depend on the provider, your age, the length of your stay and the benefits included, so compare several offers first. A language course visa additionally requires a Sperrkonto (blocked account): €1,091 per month in 2026. If the course prepares you for university study, it is only €992 per month.

Yes. The Integrationskurs is funded by the BAMF and costs eligible participants only €2.29 per lesson (2026 figure), so at most €1,603 for all 700 lessons — or it is free of charge altogether. For job-related German there is the DeuFöV course (usually free). Jobseekers can apply for a Bildungsgutschein (education voucher) at the Agentur für Arbeit. Depending on the federal state, employees are entitled to Bildungsurlaub (educational leave).

Volkshochschulen (VHS, municipal adult education centres) are usually much cheaper — often only €3–8 per Unterrichtseinheit (UE, a 45-minute lesson). The courses are less intensive, though (mostly one or two evenings a week), and the groups are larger. Private language schools cost more, but offer smaller groups, full-time intensity and often targeted exam preparation.

Yes, if the course is job-related. You can claim the course fees as work-related expenses (Werbungskosten) in your tax return. If you are self-employed, they count as business expenses. Travel and exam costs are deductible too. As evidence, keep your invoices and a short note explaining the professional connection.

Compare several offers: ask for the price per lesson (not just the monthly price), check the group size (ideally no more than 12 participants) and clarify whether teaching materials and the placement test are included. For longer bookings it is worth negotiating — many schools give up to 15% off from three months upwards.

Many language schools offer payment in instalments, above all for intensive courses of three months or more. Paying in advance often earns a discount of 3–10%. For visa applications, however, schools usually require payment for the entire planned course period, because the payment confirmation is part of the visa file.