Languages in Liechtenstein

German language learning in Liechtenstein serves everyday communication, education, employment, residence and citizenship procedures. Standard German is used in official and professional settings, while local dialects are common in informal conversation and are mainly learned through contact with other speakers. Adult courses are offered by providers including BZB Berufs- und Weiterbildungszentrum Buchs Sargans, deutsch studio Vaduz, EFFECT Stiftung Triesen, Erwachsenenbildung Stein Egerta Schaan, ISB Schaan and NUNES & PARTNER Vaduz. The Stiftung Erwachsenenbildung Liechtenstein coordinates and supports adult education, and a Weiterbildungsgutschein may reduce course costs for people with low income. Course dates, prices and duration depend on the provider and module; kurse.li mainly lists vocational continuing-education offers. Liechtenstein Languages, known as LieLa, offers BASIS as a four-week intensive course, ALPHA for literacy after BASIS, and PLUS for access to the working world. The Ausländer- und Passamt, abbreviated APA, may support eligible residents with CHF 200 per course, generally during the first five years after entry. Eligibility can include temporarily admitted people, holders of B, C or D permits, and Liechtenstein citizens who grew up abroad. The support is subject to conditions such as a minimum attendance of 90%, a maximum of four supported courses per language level and target levels of A1, A2 or B1. Higher-level B2 courses, literacy courses, low-threshold everyday courses, job- or industry-specific courses and courses with childcare may receive support only in individual cases or on application. The participant pays the remaining course fee after the voucher. Recognised diplomas for APA-supported German courses include Goethe-Institut, telc and ÖSD certificates. A provider should confirm before registration whether a course and its examination meet the applicable support rules. German requirements can also depend on the legal procedure: family reunification may require an internationally recognised German A1 certificate in the country of origin, settlement may require a German A2 certificate and a civics test, and naturalisation requires knowledge of German together with basic knowledge of the legal order and state structure. The relevant procedure and any exceptions, including certain cases involving minors, older age or permanent health reasons, should be clarified with the APA or the responsible civil-status authority. A language-learning goal is not automatically the same as proof required for naturalisation. Children and young people receive support through several routes. Free German as an Additional Language, or DaZ, supports children and young people whose first language is not German, usually one to four times per week in groups of three to six and for up to seven years. Its goal is participation in regular lessons without language-related problems. Newly arrived pupils aged 8 to 18 without sufficient German may receive integration classes or groups, while children under eight are supported within kindergarten or the first primary class. In the year before kindergarten entry, voluntary parent-child German courses and Mach-Mit-Nachmittage are offered through municipal programmes; for 2026/27, weekly voluntary offers are planned at ten municipal school locations. School language learning includes German, German as an Additional Language, English as the first foreign language, French as the second foreign language and Latin. Depending on the school type, pupils may also choose subjects such as Italian, Spanish or French. German skills are also relevant for vocational training and qualified work, and the APA may support job- or industry-specific courses organised with employers. English is particularly useful for international, technical and scientific communication and for some business programmes. The Landesbibliothek provides media in several national languages for children, young people and adults. Digital learning is available mainly through individual providers and course materials; no central state language-learning app or platform is documented for Liechtenstein.