Visa with a Conditional Admission: 36F or 39F — and Which Language Level?

Your conditional admission has arrived, and the same two questions come up about the visa: "Do I apply under 36F or 39F?" and "Does the mission want A1 or B1?"

Let us clear up the most widespread error first: 39F is not a section of the law. There is no "Section 39f" in the Residence Act (Section 39 concerns approval for employment). 36F and 39F are information-sheet (Merkblatt) numbers used by the German missions in Türkiye — headings on document checklists, not legal bases.

The legal basis is this: the residence purpose of study also covers study-preparatory measures (Section 16b AufenthG), which includes a study-preparatory language course. A language course unconnected to studies falls under Section 16f instead.

#Which information sheet applies to you?

So if your condition is still the language level, the list you want is 36F. Numbers do change from time to time, so check your mission's current list of information sheets before applying — the framework in this article is stable, the numbers are not necessarily.

#"A1 or B1?" — the honest answer

Contrary to the categorical statements circulating online, the missions' information sheet for study applicants contains no line prescribing a particular certificate level for the visa. What is binding is this:

You must prove sufficient German at the German university, before your studies begin, through a language examination (DSH or TestDaF).

What happens in practice? Missions want to see your language course registration or a confirmation from the school in the file, and they may take any language certificate you hold into account; the decision involves discretion. So:

• The official list does not impose a specific level.
• An A1/A2 certificate still strengthens your file — it answers the question of whether you are genuinely coming to learn the language.
• The real hurdle is the university's exam (DSH/TestDaF). We compare the exam types in our TestDaF, DSH and telc guide.

In short: "Is A1 enough?" depends on the mission. "Do I have to pass DSH or TestDaF?" has a firm answer: yes.

#Three risks nobody mentions

The information sheet contains three warnings that rarely appear on consultancy websites:

1. You may retake the language exam only once. If you fail DSH or TestDaF and fail the retake, your provisional admission lapses and you cannot enrol. From there it means another semester of language courses and another attempt.

2. Once you have acquired the language skills, your "old" provisional admission is no longer valid. You have to apply again. The assumption "I already hold the admission, so I will start automatically after the course" is wrong.

3. Not every university offers German courses. Some only run advanced courses, at some the courses are charged for (the sheet names Munich as an example), and some do not accept applicants without a language certificate at all. Ask your university in writing: is there a course, what does it cost, how many places are there?

#An English-taught master's with a conditional admission: not a contradiction

The answer to "my programme is in English, so why German?" is in your admission letter. The right question is: what exactly is the condition?

• If the condition is a language level: you are in practice travelling for a language course, and your file is built accordingly (the 36F framework).
• If the condition is something else (missing documents, a grade average, a preparatory module, a VPD): this is not a language-course file; you show how you will meet that condition instead.
• If there is no condition and the admission is direct: you need no German certificate; your English test result and a standard student visa file suffice. Step by step in our student visa guide.

#The official document list

The core items from the information sheet:

For providers and opening times for the blocked account, see our Sperrkonto guide.

#Process and timing

The mission reviews the file and forwards it to the relevant immigration office in Germany. According to the information sheet, once the necessary checks are complete the visa is usually issued within four to six weeks and is normally valid for six months. Waiting for an appointment comes on top of that — for city strategy, see our appointment guide.

Converting the visa into a residence permit after arrival is the immigration office's job, and it will want to see your admission or application documents. If things stall there, our article on delays explains your rights.

#Frequently asked questions

#My documents are in English, not German. Is that a problem?

The information sheet requires a certified copy and translation of your university entrance qualification and an application form completed in German. Correspondence from universities in English is generally accepted; for official Turkish documents a sworn translation is the safe route. Your mission's own list is decisive.

#Is A1 really mandatory for the visa?

The official list states no level; what it requires is course registration and funding. A certificate still strengthens your file. The only binding threshold is the university's DSH/TestDaF exam.

#36F or 39F?

If your condition is still the language level: 36F. If you already meet the language requirement and start your programme directly: 39F. Numbers can change — check the current list.

#I have B1 — will they still ask questions in German?

They may. Decision-makers have discretion and want to see whether the certificate holds up in conversation. The questions are usually simple: why Germany, which city, which programme. If you get stuck, you may ask to continue in English.

#What if I fail the language exam?

The sheet is explicit: DSH/TestDaF may be retaken once; fail again and your provisional admission lapses, so you cannot enrol. Another semester of courses and a further attempt follow.

#Will I move into my programme automatically after the course?

No. Once you have the language skills, the old provisional admission loses its validity and you must apply again. Plan your timeline around that.

Before you apply for the visa, check which kind of letter you have: conditional admission to a degree and admission to a German course are different documents. We compared which route each university offers in universities offering conditional admission in Germany, based on their official pages.

#Conclusion and honest advice

The confusion comes from treating numbers that circulate in forums as sections of the law. The correct framework is simple: the numbers are document checklists, the legal basis is Section 16b, and the binding language threshold is the university's exam.

Before applying, settle three things in writing: what exactly the condition in your admission letter is, whether your university runs a language course and what it costs, and what your mission's current document list says. With those three answers, "A1 or B1" answers itself.

The document list and amounts here follow the information sheet for study applicants published by the German missions in Türkiye, version of 18 August 2025, and are current as of September 2026. Sheet numbers, amounts and checklists can change — treat your mission's own page as authoritative.