Can I enrol at a university with a conditional admission before reaching the required language level (e.g. C1)?

Usually not: final enrolment depends on meeting the condition set by your university. What decides this is not a universal "C1 rule", but the admission and enrolment rules of your university and programme.

#What to check

• What is your condition? Your conditional admission letter states which document and which level are required. For German-taught programmes this is most often a DSH or TestDaF result; the required level varies by university and programme.
• A conditional admission is not a guarantee. Until you meet the condition, final enrolment (Immatrikulation) is not secured.
• During a preparatory course: some universities have their own rules for applicants in their preparatory language courses. The university decides what status you have while attending.

#Warnings from the missions' information sheet

• The language exam can be retaken only once.
• After you meet the language requirement, your earlier conditional admission may not simply continue; you may have to apply again.

#What to do

Read the condition and deadline in your admission letter, and ask the university's student office (Studierendensekretariat) in writing exactly which document is needed for enrolment and by when.

More: Conditional admission and the visa