Free Language Courses for 12 Languages

Free Language Courses for 12 Languages in Europe and Turkey (2026): Who Qualifies and How to Register

Last updated: November 2026. Rules and conditions change, so always check the official website of the body mentioned before you register.

Are you thinking of travelling, migrating, studying or working in another country, and you want to learn its language without paying a lot? The good news is that several countries offer free or low-cost language courses. The part many people don’t tell you: these courses differ a great deal from one country to another, and some are open only to people who already live in the country and meet specific conditions.

In this guide we have gathered 12 languages in one place: German, Swedish, Dutch, English, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Spanish, Italian, French, Greek and Turkish. For each country you will find the official course, who can take it for free, and what to do if you are not eligible.

Before you start: what is the difference between a “free course” and a “free resource”?

• An official free course: funded by the state or the municipality. It usually requires legal residence in the country and registration with a specific authority.
• A free resource: a website, an app or a simplified news bulletin that you can use from anywhere, with no residence conditions.

The smartest approach is to combine the two: start with free resources today, and enrol in the official course once you qualify for it.

Quick comparison table

Country	Official course	Free for whom?
🇩🇪 Germany	Integrationskurs	People receiving Jobcenter benefits and those granted an exemption
🇸🇪 Sweden	SFI	Eligible residents, for a limited period
🇳🇱 Netherlands	Inburgering	Mostly people with refugee status; others pay or take a loan
🇬🇧 England	ESOL	Those who meet income or status conditions
🇳🇴 Norway	Introduction programme (Introduksjonsprogram)	Those with a right and duty to take part
🇩🇰 Denmark	Danskuddannelse	Most foreign residents, with a refundable deposit
🇫🇮 Finland	Kotoutumiskoulutus	Those with an integration plan at the TE office
🇪🇸 Spain	Adult education centres and NGOs	Varies by municipality and organisation
🇮🇹 Italy	CPIA	Small fee; free at some associations and municipalities
🇫🇷 France	OFII training under the CIR	Those who signed the Republican Integration Contract
🇬🇷 Greece	NGO and municipal programmes	Free in specific programmes
🇹🇷 Turkey	Public Education Centres (HEM)	Free for anyone who wants to learn Turkish

🇩🇪 German in Germany

The best-known government course is the Integration Course (Integrationskurs), run by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF).

• Free for people who receive benefits from the Jobcenter, and others may be exempted from the fees under conditions set by BAMF.
• For those who don’t qualify: you pay a contribution. The official government portal lists €2.29 per lesson, which comes to about €1,603 for the full general course.
• Important note for 2026: BAMF has stopped issuing new authorisations for “voluntary” participants until further notice. Authorisations granted earlier remain valid.
• Job-related language courses (Berufssprachkurs): usually free for trainees, jobseekers and people referred by the competent authority, and normally after level B1.
• Free resources: the DW Learn German platform offers the Nicos Weg course from A1 to B1, and the vhs-Lernportal is also free.

Official websites: bamf.de and arbeitsagentur.de.

🇸🇪 Swedish in Sweden

The official course is SFI (Svenska för invandrare).

• Free for adults aged 16 and over who don’t have basic knowledge of Swedish and who live in Sweden.
• 2026 change: since 1 January 2026, the right to study SFI is limited to three years.
• In practice: you register through your municipality (Komvux). Some municipalities require registration in the population register or a temporary personal number.
• Free resources: simplified news such as Klartext from Swedish Radio, and the newspaper 8 Sidor, written in short sentences.

Official websites: your municipality’s website, and skolverket.se.

🇳🇱 Dutch in the Netherlands

The picture here is different: the course is not free for everyone.

• For people with refugee status: the municipality pays for the course and for two attempts at each exam component under the Civic Integration Act 2021.
• For everyone else: you pay yourself, or you take out a loan from DUO of up to €10,000. Most exam components cost about €50 each.
• Free resource: the official Inburgeren.nl website offers free practice exams.

Before you believe any advertisement for “free Dutch courses”, ask your municipality about your own situation.

Official websites: inburgeren.nl and duo.nl.

🇬🇧 English in England

ESOL courses (English for Speakers of Other Languages) are offered by colleges and adult education centres.

• Often free for people who are unemployed, receive certain benefits or have a low income. The conditions vary by provider and region.
• You are usually asked to show proof of residence and of your income or status before enrolling.
• The rules in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland differ from those in England.
• Free resource: the BBC Learning English website.

Where to ask: your nearest adult education centre or college.

🇳🇴 Norwegian in Norway

Certain groups of newcomers have both a right and a duty to take part in the Introduction Programme (Introduksjonsprogram), which includes Norwegian language training and an introduction to society.

• Study is free for those with the right and duty, up to a total of 600 hours of language and social studies, organised by the municipality.
• Participants are entitled to a financial introduction benefit, and the final tests are free.
• 2026 changes: people with collective protection aged 18 to 55 now have the right and duty to take part, and the programme has been widened to cover older age groups.
• For those who don’t qualify: you pay fees, which in some municipalities are about NOK 14,000 per semester.

Official websites: imdi.no and your municipality’s website.

🇩🇰 Danish in Denmark

One of the best systems for residents: Danish is free for most adult foreigners with legal residence.

• You are referred to the course through your municipality, and you usually have the right to about 3.5 years within the first 5 years of residence.
• A deposit of DKK 2,000 is paid before you start and is refunded when you pass the tests within the set deadlines. It is not required from people in an integration programme, nor from au pairs.
• If your entitlement has ended, you can study at your own expense. One municipality lists a price of DKK 140 per lesson.

Official websites: your municipality’s website and its language centre (Sprogcenter).

🇫🇮 Finnish in Finland

• Integration training (Kotoutumiskoulutus) is free for those who have an integration plan with the employment office (TE).
• Adult education centres offer many courses, which are mostly paid, and some municipalities provide free programmes for specific groups, such as the Startti programme in Vantaa.
• Note: the government has announced cuts to the integration training budget, so places and waiting lists may be affected.

Where to ask: the TE office and the InfoFinland website.

🇪🇸 Spanish in Spain

There is no single national system. Instead there are many offers that vary by region and municipality.

• Adult education centres (CEPA/CEA): provide classes for foreigners.
• Organisations such as the Red Cross, Cáritas, CEAR and Accem: run Spanish classes for migrants.
• Municipalities: some announce free courses, such as the city of Alicante, which published free A1 and A2 courses for autumn 2026.
• Official language schools (EOI): fees are low but not always free.

Where to ask: your municipality and its social services office.

🇮🇹 Italian in Italy

• CPIA centres are public schools for adults. They accept people aged 16 and over who hold a residence permit. A small contribution is usually required, about €20 per year at some centres.
• Free courses are offered by municipalities, associations and volunteers, and some specialised universities announce free courses for third-country nationals.
• Why does your level matter? Level A2 is required for the EU long-term residence permit, and B1 is required to apply for citizenship.

Where to ask: your nearest CPIA and your municipality.

🇫🇷 French in France

• Anyone who signs the Republican Integration Contract (CIR) with the OFII may be prescribed up to 600 hours of French for free.
• Important changes: a member of the National Assembly reported that since 1 July 2025 the lessons have become remote and optional, and that the required French levels have risen from 1 January 2026.
• Tip: the OFII certificate proves attendance, not your level. To prove your level officially you will usually need a test such as the TCF or TEF, or a DELF diploma.

Official website: ofii.fr.

🇬🇷 Greek in Greece

• We could not find a single confirmed national programme for 2026, but NGOs and municipalities offer free lessons. For example, METAdrasi announced free lessons for migrants and refugees in Thessaloniki in January 2026, and municipalities such as Heraklion and Rethymno announce free programmes.
• The Odyssea programme, with the Hellenic Open University, offered 80 hours of Greek to refugees and migrants.
• Priority is usually given to people living in Greece, and places vary from city to city.

Where to ask: your city’s municipality and local migrant organisations.

🇹🇷 Turkish in Turkey

• Public Education Centres (Halk Eğitim Merkezleri) come under the Ministry of Education, with at least one centre in every district. They offer Turkish courses for foreigners, and courses with no entry requirements are described as free and open to anyone who wants to learn.
• Municipalities such as Istanbul run programmes through İSMEK, and some sources mention Turkish courses at levels A1 and A2.
• TÖMER centres at universities teach Turkish, but for a fee, and prices vary by university.

Where to ask: the Public Education Centre in your district.

Which documents do you usually need?

1. Passport or ID card.
2. Residence permit.
3. Proof of address or registration with the municipality.
4. Proof of income or benefits, if the course is linked to them.
5. A level certificate, if you have taken an earlier exam.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Relying on an advertisement alone: check the official website.
• Assuming that “free” means free for everyone: in most countries, free courses are tied to residence.
• Forgetting side costs: books, exams and deposits may still be charged, even on free courses.
• Waiting too long: some rights are limited in time, such as in Sweden (3 years) and Denmark (3.5 years).
• Believing magic promises: there is no way to speak a language fluently in one day.

A simple plan to start today, for free

1. Choose one language and focus on it for 3 months.
2. Set aside 20 to 30 minutes a day: listening first, then reading, then repeating sentences out loud.
3. Use simplified sources for your language (easy news, slow clips).
4. Write 3 sentences about your day every day.
5. Once you qualify, enrol in an official course to consolidate what you have learned.

Conclusion

Learning a new language without paying a lot is genuinely possible, but it takes two steps: free resources that you start with today, and an official course that may be free if you are eligible in the country where you live. Read your country’s section, check the official website, and then register.

If this guide helped you, share it with someone looking for a language course, and come back to it whenever you want to see what’s new. We will update it when the conditions change.