Technical article

How Much of the Language Do You Need?

Will we have to pass a language test, and how good must our language be?

By Neil Solomon · 4 min read

Picture a couple named Ray and Janet. Both are 66, from Ohio. They love the idea of a village in Europe. They ask a fair question. Will we have to pass a language test, and how good must our language be?

Language levels are described by a European scale: A1 is the first step, A2 is basic daily phrases, B1 is the level where a person can handle most everyday situations. The rules below mostly apply to people from outside the EU, and mostly to those who stay on for years.

Austria

The portal says: "You must have reached the A1 level" for the first settlement permits. Passing Module 1 or 2 of the Integration Agreement also counts. Module 1 is German at A2 plus a values test. Module 2 is B1. There is no general duty to take Module 2, but it must be done before applying for permanent residence.

Hours: the Integration Fund gives one example, an A2 course of 300 teaching units. A federal voucher covers up to 50% of the cost, capped at EUR 750. The student must pass within 18 months and attend at least 75% of the units. The page does not list required hours.

The Netherlands

For a permanent residence permit the page says: "You have passed the civic integration exam at at least level A2." People who are exempted also qualify, and the page does not list who. The page gives no hours for a course.

Italy

The Interior Ministry's brochure says the test follows "il livello A2 del QCER". It covers short texts, simple sentences and common expressions. No duration is given. The brochure dates from 2010. The Ministry of Interior and prefecture pages still describe the same test for the EU long-term residence permit (read 11 October 2026). It applies to foreigners aged 14 or over who have lived in Italy for five years. Exemptions listed on those pages are children under 14, people with serious learning deficits certified by a public health body, and people who hold a certificate or diploma showing Italian at A2 or higher, or who earned the recognition through credits in the integration agreement.

Greece

The migration ministry lists courses at A1, A2, B1 and B2. It says A2 courses and Greek history courses "address third-country nationals" who wish to become long-term residents. For long-term resident status, the ministry's pages and the text of Law 4251/2014 list "sufficient knowledge of Greek" together with knowledge of elements of Greek history and culture. The certificate comes from the General Secretariat for Lifelong Learning at level A2+ (read 11 October 2026). The page does not say a certificate is required for other permits or for citizenship, so none is stated here.

What is left open

• Course hours, except Austria's single example. The ministries describe levels and tests, not hours.
• Who is exempt from the Dutch civic integration exam. The immigration service page does not list the groups.
• Rules written for retirees. None of these pages addresses them, so the levels above apply to the permit you hold, not to your age.