General terms and conditons
General Terms and Conditions
of Insula Sprachschule Köln
1. Scope
These General Terms and Conditions apply to language courses, private tuition, telc examinations and other services provided by Insula Sprachschule Köln to its participants.
Any deviating agreement applies only if expressly agreed between Insula and the participant.
In the event of any discrepancy between the German version and a translated version, the German version shall prevail.
2. Conclusion of the Contract
The contract is concluded once the participant's registration has been confirmed by Insula.
By registering, the participant accepts these General Terms and Conditions.
German law applies. Mandatory statutory consumer protection provisions remain unaffected.
3. Scope of Services and Course Organisation
3.1 Scope of Services
The type, scope, dates and price of the booked service are determined by the course offer, current price list and booking or registration confirmation applicable at the time of registration.
Unless expressly stated otherwise, one lesson unit (LU) equals 45 minutes.
3.2 Public Holidays and Trial Lessons
As a general rule, classes do not take place on statutory public holidays. For course formats in which missed course days are made up, these days will be added to the booked course period.
Where Insula offers a trial lesson for a particular course format, the conditions published for that offer apply.
Where a trial lesson is expressly offered free of charge and no subsequent course booking is made, the trial lesson remains free of charge. Where it is counted as the first lesson of a subsequently booked course, this will be taken into account accordingly.
3.3 Minimum Group Size and Course Start
Insula reserves the right to postpone the start of an intensive course by up to one week and the start of an evening course by up to three weeks if the number of participants required to run the course has not yet been reached.
If a sufficient group cannot be formed within this period, Insula may cancel the course. Fees already paid for services that will not be provided will then be refunded.
For intensive courses, if the group size required for the full number of lessons is not reached, the number of lessons may be adjusted to the smaller group size in accordance with the price list applicable at the time of booking.
If only one person has registered for a group course, Insula reserves the right to postpone or cancel the course.
Additional provisions apply to courses for which Insula issues documents for a language course visa; please see Section 8.
3.4 Only One Participant Attending a Group Session
If only one participant attends an individual session of a scheduled group course, the session may be provided as private tuition for 50% of the originally scheduled teaching time.
3.5 Teacher Absence and Change of Teacher
If a teacher is unavailable, Insula will make reasonable efforts to provide a substitute teacher.
If no substitute is available, the cancelled lesson will be rescheduled. Replacement dates may be scheduled after the regular end of the course at the usual course times.
If Insula is unable to reschedule a cancelled lesson, the fee attributable to lessons that have been cancelled and not replaced will be refunded on a pro-rata basis.
If a participant is unable to attend a replacement date offered by Insula, there is generally no entitlement to a refund.
Participants are not entitled to lessons with a particular teacher. A change of teacher does not generally constitute grounds for cancellation or termination of the contract.
4. Prices and Payment
4.1 Prices and Due Dates
The prices published or expressly offered at the time of registration apply.
Unless otherwise agreed, course fees are payable following confirmation of the course start and receipt of the invoice and are due no later than one week before the course begins.
Where registration takes place less than three days before the course begins, payment is due immediately upon receipt of the invoice.
4.2 Evening Courses and Instalment Payments
The full fee for an evening course is generally due one week before the course begins.
Where offered, private customers paying the entire course fee in advance receive the prepayment discount stated in the relevant offer.
Payment by instalments may be agreed for evening courses. Payment dates are agreed with Insula and are binding.
Payment by instalments is solely a payment arrangement and does not create a contract that can be terminated on a monthly basis.
Unless otherwise agreed, all instalments must be paid no later than one month before the end of the booked course.
4.3 Payment Methods and Costs
Payment shall be made using the payment methods stated on the invoice.
Bank, transfer, postage and comparable charges, particularly in connection with international payments, shall be borne by the participant where they result from the payment or delivery method chosen.
In the event of late payment, Insula may charge any reasonable and legally permissible reminder costs actually incurred.
4.4 SEPA Direct Debit
Where payment by SEPA direct debit is agreed, the participant must ensure that sufficient funds are available in the relevant account.
Where a returned direct debit is attributable to the participant, Insula may charge the actual costs incurred as a result of the returned payment.
A SEPA mandate may be revoked with respect to future payments.
4.5 Discounts and Early-Bird Prices
Where a discount, promotional price or Early-Bird price is offered for a course, the conditions and deadlines stated in the respective offer apply.
As a general rule, only one discount may be applied to each course unless expressly agreed otherwise.
Where a discount is offered for booking several courses at the same time, the discount will be applied to the lower-priced course unless stated otherwise in the offer.
Early-Bird prices may also be used for bookings requiring visa or official documents, provided the relevant requirements and booking deadlines are met.
The processing fee for visa and official documents under Section 8 is charged separately and is not subject to a discount.
5. Cancellation and Termination by Participants
5.1 General Provisions
Registration is binding.
Cancellation and termination notices may be submitted in text form, including by e-mail. The relevant date is the date on which the notice is received by Insula.
Lessons not attended due to illness, holidays or other personal circumstances of the participant are generally not refundable or replaceable unless expressly agreed otherwise or required by law.
Where these Terms and Conditions provide for a fixed cancellation charge, the participant expressly retains the right to demonstrate that Insula has suffered no loss or a substantially lower loss.
Any statutory rights of withdrawal, cancellation or termination remain unaffected.
5.2 Intensive Courses
Cancellation is free of charge up to and including 14 days before the course begins.
After this date, the following cancellation fees apply:
- less than 14 days before the start of the course until 12:00 noon on the last business day before the course begins: 30% of the agreed total price;
- after 12:00 noon on the last business day before the course begins and before the start of the course: 60% of the agreed total price.
Once the course has begun, ordinary termination is generally excluded. Statutory rights of extraordinary termination remain unaffected.
Discounts for long-term bookings are directly linked to the agreed course periods. A break between booked courses may be agreed in advance with Insula.
5.3 Evening Courses
Cancellation is free of charge up to and including 14 days before the course begins.
After this date, the following cancellation fees apply:
- 13 to 8 calendar days before the course begins: €50.00;
- from 7 calendar days before the course begins until the start of the course: 30% of the agreed total price.
Once the course has begun, the contract may be terminated where continued participation has become permanently impossible for an important personal reason.
Notice of termination must be submitted in text form and generally takes effect at the end of the current course month.
For three-month contracts, such termination is generally possible no earlier than after eight course weeks. Six-month bookings are treated for this purpose as two consecutive three-month periods.
Statutory termination rights remain unaffected.
5.4 Private Tuition and Lesson Packages
Private tuition is booked in the form of the lesson packages currently offered by Insula.
Available packages and prices are set out in the current price list or individual offer.
Unless otherwise agreed, the following validity periods apply from the first lesson:
- 10 lesson units: 3 months
- 20 lesson units: 6 months
- 50 lesson units: 12 months
Unused lesson units generally expire at the end of the agreed validity period.
In justified exceptional circumstances, particularly prolonged illness or comparable unforeseeable events, Insula may agree to a reasonable extension. There is no entitlement to such an extension.
Lesson times are arranged individually. Participants are not entitled to particular days, times or a particular teacher.
Scheduled lessons may be cancelled or rescheduled free of charge no later than 24 hours before the lesson begins.
In the event of a later cancellation or no-show, the lesson is considered to have taken place and will be deducted from the lesson package.
In the event of a no-show without prior notice, the teacher is required to wait for 15 minutes. After that time, the participant is no longer entitled to the lesson.
If a lesson is cancelled due to teacher absence, an alternative date will be offered.
By booking a lesson package, the participant agrees to a continuous programme of instruction. Ordinary termination during the agreed validity period is generally excluded. Statutory rights and individually agreed goodwill arrangements remain unaffected.
5.5 Technical Requirements for Online Classes
Participants in online lessons require a sufficiently stable internet connection and a suitable device with a camera and microphone.
Technical problems on the participant's side do not generally entitle the participant to a replacement lesson or refund.
6. Participant Obligations and Liability
Participants must comply with the school's house rules, refrain from disrupting classes, treat other participants and staff respectfully and handle school property and equipment with due care.
In the event of serious or repeated breaches of these obligations, Insula may terminate the contract for good cause after issuing a prior warning. In particularly serious cases, a prior warning may not be required.
Insula may also terminate the contract if due fees remain unpaid despite a payment reminder.
Insula has unlimited liability for damage resulting from injury to life, body or health and for damage caused intentionally or through gross negligence.
In cases of slight negligence involving a breach of an essential contractual obligation, liability is limited to the typical damage that was foreseeable at the time the contract was concluded.
Otherwise, liability for slight negligence is excluded to the extent permitted by law.
Insula is not liable for loss or theft of participants' personal belongings unless the loss or damage is attributable to Insula.
7. Class Cancellation / Force Majeure
If in-person teaching cannot take place or can only take place to a limited extent due to circumstances beyond Insula's control – including pandemics or epidemics, government orders, natural events, extreme weather conditions such as heavy rain, heat or storms, public transport restrictions, strikes or comparable events – classes will be conducted online.
Synchronous live online teaching is considered an equivalent alternative to the booked in-person teaching and constitutes proper performance of the contractual teaching service. This also applies where in-person teaching was expressly booked.
A switch from in-person to online teaching as a result of such circumstances does not entitle the participant to replacement classes, rebooking, a fee reduction, termination or a refund of course fees.
Classes will continue to be taught live by a teacher and the contractually agreed teaching volume will generally remain unchanged.
Mandatory statutory rights remain unaffected.
8. Special Conditions for Visa and Official Documents
8.1 Courses Suitable for a Visa
Special official requirements apply to courses used for a language course visa.
Where Insula issues documents for a language course visa, the confirmed course will meet the requirements for an intensive language course applicable at the time the documents are issued.
Any reduction in lesson volume that might otherwise apply due to a small group size must not result in a visa-confirmed course falling below the minimum teaching volume required for the relevant visa purpose.
8.2 Responsibility of the Applicant
Requirements for a visa or residence application may vary depending on the purpose of residence, country of origin and the relevant embassy, consulate or immigration authority.
Applicants are responsible for checking the documents, payments and other requirements applicable to their individual application with the competent authority.
Insula cannot guarantee that a visa or residence permit will be granted.
8.3 Payment Before Documents Are Issued
The agreed advance payment must have been received by Insula before visa or official documents are issued.
Where one course is booked, the full fee for that course must generally be paid in advance.
Where two or more consecutive courses are booked, payment for at least the first two courses must generally be made in advance.
Further courses may subsequently be paid in accordance with the agreed payment schedule.
Where the competent authority requires proof of a higher payment or full advance payment for additional or all booked courses, the corresponding amount may be paid in advance.
8.4 Processing Fee and Discounts
Insula charges a one-time processing fee of €100.00 for processing and issuing documents required for visa or official purposes.
This fee is charged in addition to the course fee and is not subject to a discount.
Early-Bird prices and other applicable course discounts remain available for visa bookings, provided the relevant requirements are met.
8.5 Required Information
To issue the relevant documents, Insula requires the necessary course and personal information, including the applicant's full name, home address, date and place of birth and relevant passport details.
8.6 Delayed Visa Approval and Postponement of the Course Start
If the visa is not issued in time and the participant is unable to begin the originally confirmed course on the scheduled date, the participant must inform Insula of the delay without undue delay and, once the visa has been issued, inform Insula of the date from which participation in a course is possible.
A delayed visa approval or delayed arrival does not entitle the participant to join a course that has already started.
Insula will decide, taking into account the progress of the course and the participant's language level, whether joining the originally booked course at a later stage is still pedagogically appropriate.
If joining the originally booked course is no longer possible, the booking will, where possible, be transferred to a new course that is suitable for the participant and meets the relevant visa requirements.
From the date on which the participant informs Insula that the visa has been issued and from which date participation in a course is possible, Insula shall have an organisational period of up to four weeks to arrange a suitable new course start.
During this period, Insula may in particular arrange an appropriate new course or, where organisationally possible and reasonable for the other participants, adjust existing course plans.
In the event of a postponement caused by delayed visa approval, the participant is not entitled to a particular course, level, teaching format, timetable or starting date.
However, any alternative course offered must be suitable for the participant with regard to language level, intensity and the relevant visa requirements.
If Insula is unable to offer a suitable alternative course within four weeks, the participant may withdraw from the course services that have not yet been used. Course fees already paid for these unused services will then be refunded.
The processing fee for visa and official documents is non-refundable if the relevant documents have already been prepared or issued.
If Insula offers a suitable alternative course within the four-week organisational period and the participant decides not to attend for personal reasons, the general cancellation provisions of these Terms and Conditions apply.
Insula expressly recommends that, in the event of delayed visa approval, participants do not make final travel arrangements until a new course start date has been confirmed by Insula.
8.7 Visa Refusal
If the visa application is officially refused, Insula will refund course fees already paid for course services that have not yet been used upon receipt of the official refusal notice.
The €100.00 processing fee is non-refundable, as it covers the processing and preparation of visa or official documents already provided.
Actual external costs incurred, including bank, postage, shipping or courier charges, are also non-refundable.
If the visa application is withdrawn by the applicant, is never submitted or is discontinued for personal reasons without an official refusal, the general cancellation provisions of these Terms and Conditions apply.
8.8 Insula Is Unable to Provide a Suitable Course
If Insula is unable to provide a course suitable for the relevant visa purpose and no alternative acceptable under the provisions above can be arranged, fees paid for course services that cannot be provided will be refunded.
If the visa or official documents have not yet been prepared at that time, the processing fee will also be refunded.
If the documents have already been fully prepared or issued, the processing fee may be retained for the processing service already provided.
9. Special Conditions for telc Examinations
9.1 Registration and Examination Fee
The registration deadline published for the respective examination date applies.
Registration becomes binding once it has been confirmed by Insula and the applicable examination fee has been paid by the relevant deadline.
The examination fee published at the time of registration applies. The current regular price is shown on the relevant examination page.
9.2 Cancellation
Cancellation is free of charge up to and including 15 days before the examination date.
For later cancellations or no-shows, the full examination fee is generally payable.
Statutory rights remain unaffected. Section 5.1 regarding fixed cancellation fees applies accordingly.
9.3 Minimum Number of Participants and Small-Group Surcharges
The regular examination fee applies where at least three registered and confirmed participants are taking the same examination.
Where only two participants are registered, Insula may nevertheless offer the examination. In this case, an additional organisational surcharge of €50.00 per person will apply.
Where only one participant is registered, Insula may offer the examination as an individual examination by mutual agreement. An additional organisational surcharge of €100.00 will generally apply.
In individual cases, Insula and the participant may mutually agree on a different goodwill arrangement regarding this surcharge.
Participants will be informed of any surcharge resulting from the small number of participants before the examination takes place.
If a participant does not wish to take the examination under the amended conditions, Insula may offer an alternative examination date without the small-group surcharge.
If no agreement can be reached regarding the examination or an alternative date, any examination fee already paid will be refunded in full.
Insula also reserves the right to cancel an examination date due to insufficient participant numbers.
All examinations are conducted in accordance with the current examination regulations of telc gGmbH.
9.4 Cancellation of an Examination by Insula
If an examination is cancelled by Insula, examination fees already paid will be refunded in full or, at the participant's request, transferred to an alternative examination date offered by Insula.
In the event of cancellation due to insufficient participant numbers, no further claims for travel expenses, accommodation expenses or loss of earnings exist to the extent permitted by law.
9.5 Illness on the Examination Date
If a participant is unable to attend the examination due to illness, suitable medical evidence confirming inability to sit the examination must be submitted in digital or written form no later than two days after the examination date.
Where the required evidence is submitted on time, the examination fee will be refunded less a €20.00 processing fee.
Without timely submission of appropriate evidence, there is generally no entitlement to a refund.
9.6 Examination Preparation Courses
Preparation courses for telc examinations are subject to the general provisions of these Terms and Conditions applicable to the respective course format.
10. Statutory Right of Withdrawal
Where consumers have a statutory right of withdrawal in connection with a distance contract or a contract concluded away from business premises, this right and the applicable statutory provisions remain unaffected by these Terms and Conditions.
Further details are provided in the separate withdrawal information.
Version: 15 September 2026