Learning German
German unlocks bureaucracy, jobs, permanent residence and citizenship. Which level you need depends on your route — from A1 for a spouse visa to C1 for medicine or many degree programmes.
Which level for which goal
A1 (spouse visa), B1 (citizenship, many jobs), B2 (nursing, many Bachelor's), C1 (medicine, German-taught Master's). Certificates from Goethe, telc, ÖSD and TestDaF are widely accepted.
Online vs. in-person
Online classes with recognised certificates suit visa timelines; local Volkshochschule (VHS) courses are cheap and social once you arrive.