- Germany's Federal Interior Ministry confirmed the German Test for Immigrants will require candidates to complete all exam sections from November 1, 2026
- The change targets a loophole that allowed test-takers to skip the writing section entirely and still pass the DTZ
- About 318,550 immigrants sat the DTZ in 2025, with roughly 45% failing to reach the B1 level required for permanent residence
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Germany will raise the bar for its main integration course language exam from November 1, 2026, making it considerably harder for immigrants, including Kenyans, to obtain the certificate needed for permanent residence or citizenship.
Source: Getty Images
The Federal Interior Ministry confirmed that the German Test for Immigrants (Deutsch-Test für Zuwanderer, or DTZ) will require candidates to complete all three skill areas (istening and reading, writing, and speaking) to pass.
The ministry said the change is a direct response to candidates exploiting a gap in the current rules by purchasing exam questions online, memorising answers for the listening and reading sections, then leaving the writing section blank.
What the New Rules Require
Under the current framework, a candidate can pass with an overall B1 or A2 result by performing strongly in the speaking section and at least one of two written components, meaning the writing section can be skipped entirely. From November 1, that will no longer be permitted.
The revised rules require candidates to reach B1 level in at least two of the three skill areas, with a minimum A2 accepted only for their weakest area.
Speaking must now reach a minimum of B1, and candidates must demonstrate at least A2 competency in either the listening and reading section or the writing section. In effect, no section can be avoided.
The regulation was published in the Federal Law Gazette on October 20, 2026.
Who Bears the Consequences
The DTZ is the concluding assessment for state-funded integration courses. Passing it at B1 level, combined with the "Life in Germany" civics test, earns participants an Integration Course Certificate that satisfies language requirements for a settlement permit and can support a citizenship application.
The statutory B1 threshold for permanent residence and citizenship itself has not changed, but the routes to meeting it through the integration course exam have narrowed.
The scale of the potential impact is significant. In 2025, 318,550 immigrants sat the DTZ. Of those, 175,193 (55%) reached B1, 102,663 (32.2%) reached A2, and 40,694 (12.8%) fell below A2, according to figures from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF).
The new rules are expected to make it harder for candidates in the A2 and below-A2 groups to pass at all.
Integration experts and immigrant advocates have criticised the move, arguing it punishes all test-takers for the conduct of a small minority.
German migration policy outlet Migazin noted that the ministry itself acknowledged the number of suspected cheating cases was, in the words of a spokesperson, "probably rather in the low range," without providing concrete figures. The Green Party also reacted critically to the ministry's plans, according to WELT.
What Kenyan Immigrants Should Do Now
For Kenyans on work, study or family visas who intend to apply for permanent residence or citizenship via the integration course route, thorough preparation across all DTZ sections, particularly writing, is now essential. Anyone who has already passed the DTZ is not affected retrospectively.
Those yet to sit the exam from November 1 onward will face the stricter standard and should consult their course provider or the BAMF website for updated guidance before their test date.
Source: TUKO.co.ke