German A1 for spouse visa: what you need and how to prepare

Who usually needs German A1 for a spouse visa?

For the family reunion visa, the German language requirement generally works like this: a husband or wife who wants to join a partner living in Germany – a German citizen or a foreign resident – is usually asked to show simple German at level A1 before the visa is issued. The idea is that you can manage basic everyday situations from your first day.

There are exceptions. Depending on your situation, you may not need to prove German, for example:

• if your partner holds an EU Blue Card, and in many cases if your partner is another kind of skilled worker or a researcher;
• if you are a citizen of certain countries whose nationals have special entry rules;
• if illness or disability makes it impossible to learn German, or in some other hardship cases.

Rules have exceptions and they change. Before you book anything, check the website of the German mission (embassy or consulate) responsible for your place of residence and make-it-in-germany.com. Deutsch30 cannot give legal advice, and an A1 certificate never guarantees a visa.

From Pakistan or India? Pakistan and India are not among the countries with special entry rules, so applicants from there usually need A1 for the spouse visa unless another exception applies – your mission will confirm. Exam seats can be limited – look up current dates and centres on goethe.de (in India the Goethe-Institut is known as Max Mueller Bhavan) and on telc.net early.

Which A1 certificates are commonly accepted?

German missions usually ask for a certificate from a recognised exam provider that tests all four skills. The following are commonly accepted; confirm with your mission before you register:

What the A1 exam contains

Start Deutsch 1 and telc Deutsch A1 check the same four skills. The exam takes a little over an hour plus the speaking part, and you usually need about 60% to pass. Exact timing and scoring are on the provider’s website.

• Hören (listening): short announcements, phone messages and everyday conversations – numbers, times, prices and places matter most.
• Lesen (reading): short notes, emails, signs and adverts.
• Schreiben (writing): fill in a form with personal details and write a short message of about 30 words.
• Sprechen (speaking): in a small group – introduce yourself, ask and answer simple questions on a topic, and make or respond to requests.

Deutsch30 has practice tests in these task formats and a timed A1 mock exam. More detail is in our Goethe & telc exam preparation guide.

Your 8-week A1 study plan

About 45–60 minutes a day is enough. Many learners need longer – that is fine; stretch the plan, but keep practising daily.

1. Week 1 – first words: Lesson 1 (greetings, sein), Lesson 2 (verbs and questions), Lesson 3 (articles). Learn the pronouns and sein, numbers and the words for person & family.
2. Week 2 – everyday life: Lesson 4 (family), Lesson 5 (café, accusative), Lesson 6 (hobbies), Lesson 7 (time and days). Add food and numbers, time & dates.
3. Week 3 – daily routine: Lesson 8 (separable verbs), Lesson 9 (modal verbs), Lesson 10 (negation). Words: everyday life & free time.
4. Week 4 – getting around: Lesson 11, Lesson 12, Lesson 13 and Lesson 14 (dative, prepositions, directions and pronouns). Words: home, city & transport, shopping.
5. Week 5 – listening and reading: numbers, prices, times and spelling in the listening gym; short A1 texts such as Meine Familie and a flat advert.
6. Week 6 – speaking and writing: practise introducing yourself and the exam speaking simulations in speaking practice; write short messages in the writing studio.
7. Week 7 – exam practice: work through the A1 practice tests in exam prep, then sit the timed A1 mock exam.
8. Week 8 – polish: review your weak parts with the vocabulary trainer and grammar, repeat the mock exam, and rehearse your self-introduction until it feels easy.

Have a fixed exam date? The personal study plan fits the pace to it.

A1 speaking exam phrases

In part 1 you introduce yourself (name, age, country, home town, languages, job, hobbies) and often spell a word or say a number. These phrases cover most of it:

Grammar behind these phrases: present tense, question words, du or Sie and mein / meine.

A typical A1 writing task – with a model answer

In the second writing part you get a short situation and three points to cover in about 30 words. For example:

You cannot come to your German course on Saturday. Write to your teacher, Frau Wagner: Why can’t you come? Ask about the homework. When will you come again?

Note the details examiners look for: a greeting (Liebe Frau … / Lieber Herr …), the verb in second position (Am Dienstag komme ich wieder), all three points answered, and a closing (Viele Grüße). The writing studio checks your own texts and gives an exam-style score.

Tips for couples learning together

• Make German your daily ten minutes. If your partner already lives in Germany, agree on a short daily call in German: what did you eat, what are you doing tomorrow, what is the weather like?
• Practise the speaking exam as a role play. Your partner plays the examiner and asks: Wie heißen Sie? Woher kommen Sie? Was sind Sie von Beruf?
• Label your home. Sticky notes with the article: der Tisch, die Tür, das Fenster. See gender and articles.
• Do the same lesson on the same day. Both open the same lesson, then test each other with the words.
• Don’t translate for each other. Let the learner try first – mistakes in the kitchen are cheaper than mistakes in the exam room.

Free tools for your A1 exam