Bis wann muss ich Modul 1 erfüllen?

Binnen zwei Jahren ab Erteilung Ihres ersten Aufenthaltstitels (§ 9 IntG). Die Frist kann auf Antrag verlängert werden, wenn Gründe in Ihrer Person das rechtfertigen.

Nur wenn Sie den Daueraufenthalt – EU oder später die Staatsbürgerschaft wollen. Modul 2 verlangt Deutsch auf Niveau B1 (§ 10 IntG).

Gilt die Integrationsvereinbarung für EU-Bürger?

Nein. Sie gilt nur für Drittstaatsangehörige, nicht für EU-, EWR- und Schweizer Bürger.

Integration Agreement | Immigration Lawyer Vienna

In short

Module 1: German at level A2 plus knowledge of values and orientation, within two years of the first permit.
Module 2: German at level B1, voluntary, but required for permanent residence EU and for citizenship.
Exceptions apply, for example, to children and for health reasons.
If you miss Module 1, you risk a fine and your renewal.

Integration Act

What it is about

The integration agreement (Integrationsvereinbarung) applies to third-country nationals who settle in Austria, so not to EU, EEA or Swiss citizens. It requires knowledge of German and knowledge of the democratic order and the values of the legal and social system. The exams are conducted by the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF).

Who?

Who Module 1 applies to

The obligation arises when permits such as the following are first issued:

Red-White-Red Card plus
Settlement permit (Niederlassungsbewilligung) in its variants
Family member

A Red-White-Red Card under § 41 Abs 1 or 2 NAG already counts as meeting Module 1.

You have no obligation to complete Module 1 if you hold, for example, an EU Blue Card, a settlement permit for researchers or a residence permit (Aufenthaltsbewilligung). With a settlement permit as an artist, Module 1 counts as met if you work artistically in one of the art forms named in the law.

Exceptions

Who does not have to

children who are still under 14 at the end of the deadline
people for whom it is not reasonable for health reasons (with an expert opinion from a medical officer)
people who declare in writing that they will not stay in Austria for more than 24 months within three years; this declaration includes an irrevocable waiver of further renewal applications after the first

Exempt from Module 2 are children who are not yet of compulsory school age when the application is made, and people for whom meeting it is not reasonable because of a permanently poor state of health.

Module 1

German at level A2

Deadline: two years from the issue of the first permit. The deadline can be extended on request, by no more than twelve months each time. The authority takes your personal circumstances into account.

Proof is usually provided by the ÖIF integration exam (language A2 and knowledge of values and orientation). Certain school qualifications also count.

How to meet Module 1:

certificate for the ÖIF integration exam (German at level A2 and fundamental values of the legal and social system)
school qualification equivalent to the general university entrance qualification or to completion of a vocational secondary school (berufsbildende mittlere Schule)
Red-White-Red Card under § 41 Abs 1 or 2 NAG
settlement permit as an artist, if you work artistically in one of the art forms named in the law
meeting Module 2

If you submit an integration exam certificate in the renewal procedure, it must not be older than two years.

Module 2

German at level B1

Module 2 is voluntary, but a requirement for permanent residence EU and for citizenship.

If you meet Module 2, you automatically meet Module 1 as well.

How to meet Module 2:

certificate for the ÖIF integration exam at level B1
for minors: attendance at a primary school (Volksschule) as part of compulsory schooling, currently or in the previous semester
for minors: attendance at a secondary school as part of compulsory schooling, with a pass grade in German in the last annual report or the last school report
at least five years of compulsory schooling in Austria with a pass in German, a pass in German at the level of the 9th school year, or a pass in "German, Communication and Society" in the compulsory school leaving exam (Pflichtschulabschluss-Prüfung)
pass in German after at least four years of teaching in German at a secondary school abroad
apprenticeship final exam (Lehrabschlussprüfung) or skilled-worker exam in agriculture and forestry
at least two years of enrolment at a post-secondary educational institution, a field of study taught in German, and academic progress in it of at least 32 ECTS credits (16 semester hours) or a corresponding degree

Questions we get asked

Integration agreement: short answers

By when must I meet Module 1?

Within two years of your first residence permit being issued (§ 9 IntG). The deadline can be extended on request if reasons relating to you justify it.

Do I need Module 2?

Only if you want permanent residence EU or, later, citizenship. Module 2 requires German at level B1 (§ 10 IntG).

Does the integration agreement apply to EU citizens?

No. It applies only to third-country nationals, not to EU, EEA and Swiss citizens.

What happens if I miss the deadline for Module 1?

Without Module 1 met in time, your residence permit is as a rule not renewed. If the reasons lie with you alone, you also face an administrative fine (Verwaltungsstrafe) of up to €500. Apply for an extension in good time before the deadline expires. We check which reasons count in your case.

Do I get the cost of the German course back?

Certain family members can have half of the cost of an integration course reimbursed, up to a maximum of €750. The conditions are that you attended at least 75 percent of the course units and passed the integration exam for Module 1 within 18 months of the obligation beginning. See below for details.

Caution

Consequences of non-compliance

If you do not meet Module 1 in time, you risk an administrative fine and your permit not being renewed. In the worst case, a measure terminating residence is possible.

If you do not prove Module 1 in time for reasons that lie with you alone, you risk an administrative fine of up to €500. In addition, renewal of the residence permit as a rule requires Module 1 to have been met in time.

Next step

Initial consultation at a flat fee

We check whether the obligation applies to you, whether an exception applies or whether the deadline can be extended.

Book an initial consultation →

Course costs

Getting part of the course costs back

Under certain conditions, the federal government reimburses part of the cost of integration courses that prepare you for Module 1:

Amount: 50 percent of the cost of an integration course, up to a maximum of €750.
Who qualifies: family members of Austrian citizens and of EEA and Swiss citizens who live permanently in Austria and have not exercised their right of free movement (§ 47 Abs 2 NAG), and, in certain cases, family members of lawfully settled third-country nationals (§ 46 Abs 1, 3 and 4 NAG).
Attendance: participation in at least 75 percent of the course units.
Exam: integration exam for Module 1 passed no later than 18 months after the obligation began, proven with the certificate from the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF).

As of October 2026. Source: § 14 IntG (RIS, in German), oesterreich.gv.at.

Deadline for Module 1