1.2 Registration, Test Day, Results, and Visa Use
Key Takeaways
Goethe-Instituts in Germany charge €155 for Start Deutsch 1 in 2026, with a 20% discount for course participants; other centres set their own local fees.
Candidates must show an official, valid photo ID, and dictionaries, phones and smartwatches are forbidden aids that lead to exclusion without a refund.
At Goethe-Instituts, results are normally available within two weeks; the certificate can be checked for authenticity at goethe.de/verify.
§ 30 (1) sentence 1 no. 2 AufenthG requires joining spouses to communicate in German at least in a simple way; § 28 (1) applies this to spouses of Germans.
Goethe certificates carry no expiry date, but some German missions accept spouse-visa certificates only if they are no older than six months.
1.2 Registration, Test Day, Results, and Visa Use
Many candidates take Start Deutsch 1 because a German mission asks for proof of basic German for a spouse visa. Others simply want a recognised record of their progress. In both cases the administrative rules matter as much as the German. A wrong name on the booking, a missing ID document or a certificate your embassy considers too old can cost weeks.
Where and How to Book
The Goethe-Institut's exam rules (Prüfungsordnung) name three kinds of exam centre:
- Goethe-Instituts in Germany and abroad
- Goethe-Zentren abroad
- exam partners of the Goethe-Institut in Germany and abroad, for example adult education centres (Volkshochschulen)
You book with the centre, usually online through Mein Goethe.de or through the partner's own office. Dates, deadlines and fees are local. In countries with many spouse-visa applicants, places can be scarce, so book as early as your visa timeline allows.
Enter your personal details exactly as they appear in the passport or ID card you will bring. The certificate is issued with those details. Correcting a certificate later needs a valid ID document, and the centre may charge up to 25% of the exam fee for issuing the new one.
Fees
Fees follow each centre's local fee schedule, so there is no single worldwide price. Some published 2026 examples:
| Centre | Fee (2026) |
|---|---|
| Goethe-Instituts in Germany: Start Deutsch 1 | €155 (course participants: 20% less) |
| Goethe-Instituts in Germany: Fit in Deutsch 1 | €139 |
| vhs exam centres in Baden-Württemberg (exam partner) | €110 external candidates, €89 vhs course participants |
At the Goethe-Instituts in Germany, the course-participant discount applies if your course ended no more than six months before the exam date. Centres in other countries charge in local currency and publish their prices on their own exam pages.
If illness means the exam counts as not taken (under the rules in the Prüfungsordnung), the fee is credited to the next date; the centre may charge up to 25% of the fee for rebooking. If you are excluded from the exam, the fee is not refunded.
Test-Day Rules
- Identity: before the exam, and again during it if needed, you must prove your identity with an official, valid photo ID. The centre decides which documents it accepts and tells you in advance. Identity is checked again before Sprechen.
- No aids: dictionaries, grammar books and your own scrap paper are forbidden. So are mobile phones, smartwatches and any device that can record or play back. A hearing aid also counts as unauthorised unless you registered it as a special need. Using forbidden aids leads to exclusion.
- Leaving the room: only one candidate may leave at a time, and anyone who finishes early may not come back in while the exam is still running.
- Answer sheet: mark your Hören answers in the booklet and transfer them at the end; about five minutes are included for this. In the combined Lesen and Schreiben block you organise the transfer yourself within the time. Write your Schreiben Teil 2 text directly on the answer sheet, because only what is on the answer sheet is marked.
- Special needs: candidates with a disability or another specific need can receive adjustments such as extra time. Contact the centre at least four weeks before the exam; a medical certificate is required.
Results, Certificates, and Resits
When you take the exam at a Goethe-Institut, results and certificates are normally available within two weeks. At external exam venues, processing can take about six weeks (Goethe-Institut USA). Results cannot be released early. Depending on the centre, the certificate is issued on paper or digitally as a PDF, which you can download from Mein Goethe.de. Anyone can check a Goethe certificate's authenticity at goethe.de/verify. A lost certificate can be replaced within 10 years, for a fee.
If you fail, you receive your points and information about resitting. Start Deutsch 1 can be repeated as often as you like, but only as a whole exam. The centre may set a period that must pass before you can book the next date.
Using the Certificate for a Spouse Visa
German residence law requires a joining spouse to be able to communicate in German at least in a simple way (sich zumindest auf einfache Art in deutscher Sprache verständigen). The rule is in § 30 (1) sentence 1 no. 2 AufenthG for spouses of foreign residents. § 28 (1) sentence 5 AufenthG applies it to spouses of German citizens. In practice, missions ask for an A1 certificate from a provider working to the standards of the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE), such as the Goethe-Institut, telc or ÖSD.
§ 30 (1) sentence 3 AufenthG lists cases in which the language proof is not required. A simplified overview (not legal advice):
| Sentence 3 | The proof is not required if … |
|---|---|
| No. 1 | the resident partner has protection status (for example a title under § 23 (4) or § 25 (1) or (2)) and the marriage already existed when they moved to Germany |
| No. 2 | an illness or disability makes it impossible for the spouse to prove simple German |
| No. 3 | the spouse has a recognisably low integration need (defined by regulation: typically a university degree plus the expectation of integrating without state help) or would have no right to an integration course |
| No. 4 | the resident partner's nationality allows visa-free entry and longer stays (§ 41 AufenthV: Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the USA) |
| No. 5 and No. 7 | the resident partner holds, or held just before a permanent permit, an EU Blue Card, an ICT card or certain skilled-worker, researcher or manager permits (for example §§ 18a, 18b, 18d) |
| No. 6 | special circumstances make it impossible or unreasonable for the spouse to try to learn German before entry |
Spouses of EU citizens who use their free-movement rights fall under separate EU rules and do not need this certificate.
Two points often cause mistakes:
- The nationality exemption depends on the partner living in Germany, not on the applicant's passport.
- Certificate age: Goethe certificates carry no expiry date, but some German missions accept spouse-visa certificates only if they are no older than six months (Goethe-Institut Cyprus). Ask your mission what it currently requires before you book.
Visa rules change, and each mission applies them locally. Confirm your own case on the website of the German embassy or consulate responsible for you.
Which applicant is exempt from showing an A1 certificate for a German spouse visa under § 30 (1) sentence 3 AufenthG?
A spouse joining a German citizen, with no degree and no special circumstances.
A spouse joining a foreign national who holds a residence permit for vocational training.
An applicant whose own passport is from the USA, joining a partner from India who has an ordinary residence permit.
A spouse joining a partner who holds an EU Blue Card in Germany.
How long is a Goethe-Zertifikat A1 valid for a spouse visa?
The Goethe-Institut cancels every certificate after exactly 12 months.
The certificate carries no expiry date, but some German missions accept it only if it is recent, for example no older than six months, so you must check with your mission.
Missions accept any certificate regardless of its date.
German law says an A1 certificate expires three years after the oral exam.
How are answers transferred in the combined Lesen and Schreiben block of the paper exam?
You transfer them to the answer sheet yourself within the block of about 45 minutes; plan about five minutes for this.
The invigilator adds a separate 15-minute transfer period after the written exam.
Examiners also mark answers circled in the question booklet if the answer sheet is empty.
The answer sheet is only used for the speaking exam.
What is the purpose of requiring simple German from joining spouses under § 30 AufenthG?
To qualify the spouse for a German university programme.
To prove that the spouse can work as a translator.
To help the spouse manage basic everyday communication and integration from the start of life in Germany.
To replace the checks on health insurance and income.
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.