APPLICANTS for first cycle study courses

Studying in Germany with Foreign Country Certificates and Qualifications

The German federal state ministries of education have developed an official evaluation system called ANABIN, determining for each country of origin which kind of previous education and school leaving certificate is regarded as equal to the German „Abitur” and thus constitutes a qualification for entrance at a German higher education institut. This is called a „Hochschulzugangsberechtigung” or short „HZB” (university entrance qualification).

In the case of certain countries of origin, the qualification for admission to a German university is furthermore dependent on a university entrance examination, additional university courses or even a university degree in addition to the secondary school certificate. Even then, it is possible that these students can only be admitted to study certain subjects, namely in the field of studies in which they were educated in their home country. This is called „fachgebundene Hochschulzugangsberechtigung” (subject-restricted admission).

If one is eligible to apply for study courses in all subjects, one holds an „allgemeine Hochschulzugangsberechtigung”(general university entrance qualification). A further differentiation is whether one is eligible for admission to all universities (universities of applied sciences and universities) or only to universities of applied sciences. Finally, depending on preceding education and country of origin, the so-called „Studienkolleg” (preparatory course) needs to be attended and completed with the final examination known as the „Feststellungsprüfung” (assessment test or entrance examination). Only once this examination has been passed, one may apply to take a university degree programme, and this degree can only be in the academic field, in which the whole preparatory course was completed.

Our Certificate Database (currently for 17 countries) will inform you as to which foreign certificates lead to which form of eligibility to study in Germany.

On www.anabin.de you can also find information on the school leaving certificates of other countries.

Most Important Admission Criteria for Studying in Germany

Do I have to apply to uni-assist?

In which cases is uni-assist not responsible for processing applications for first cycle study courses?

Most Important Admission Criteria for Studying in Germany

The „Hochschulzugangsberechtigung” (HZB) – that is, a secondary school leaving certificate equivalent to the German „Abitur” (e.g. Matura, A-Levels, Atestat, baccalauréat, ...), or, depending on the country of origin, a combination of school leaving certificate, university entrance examination and university course years corresponding to the standard set by the German „Abitur”.

Additional requirements for admission to study at German universities can include sufficient German language competence, additional knowledge of foreign languages, required practical training/work placement or a specific grade point average (GPA).

Formal requirements, such as the meeting of application deadlines, signature on the application, manner of translation and correct form of authentication are decisive criteria for university admission.

Do I have to apply to uni-assist?

In general, you have to send your application for a first cycle study course to uni-assist, if

your desired university is a member university of uni-assist;
you have acquired a university entrance qualification abroad, such as a High School Diploma, A-Levels, Baccalaureate or similar;
you have only studied outside of Germany up until now;
you have acquired a university qualification abroad, that is sufficient for admission to the desired course of study, despite having completed the German "Abitur";
you are applying to take a particular degree or belong to a group of applicants, for which the university requires uni-assist to conduct the preliminary review; detailed information pertaining to this can be found on the web sites of your chosen university.

uni-assist member universities

In which cases is uni-assist not responsible for processing applications for first cycle study courses?

uni-assist is not responsible for you, if

you have obtained a German secondary school certificate (Abitur) either in Germany or at a German school abroad;
you have already successfully completed tertiary studies in Germany and on that basis have acquired the eligibility to study the second degree course of your choice;
you would like to apply for exchange programmes between your home university and a partner university in Germany, e.g. Erasmus students;
you are coming to Germany from an EU country (or from Iceland, Norway or Liechtenstein) or are a dependant of an EU citizen living in Germany and you are applying for the first semester of a subject with Germany-wide restricted admission, such as, for instance, medicine. Detailed information on this can be found on www.hochschulstart.de