What is the APS certificate?

The Akademische Prüfstelle (APS) is a verification service run by German embassies in cooperation with the DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst). It evaluates and verifies the authenticity of foreign educational documents and confirms whether a qualification is suitable for university admission in Germany. An APS certificate or Bescheinigung is issued after successful verification.

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Who needs an APS certificate?

You must obtain an APS certificate if you want to apply to a German university with a school or university diploma obtained in China, India, or Vietnam. This requirement applies to both Bachelor’s and Master’s applications, including Studienkolleg applications.

Exceptions

You generally do not need an APS certificate if:

• You hold a degree from outside China, India, or Vietnam (e.g., EU or US degree).
• You are applying for a PhD, and your German university supervisor does not require it.
• You hold an international secondary school qualification (e.g., IB, A-Levels) that is accepted without APS.
• You have a German- or EU-funded scholarship that exempts you from APS.
• You are only coming for a short language course or non-university program.

Note: Applicants from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan are typically excluded from the APS requirement.

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How to apply for the APS certificate

1. Register online

Create an account on the APS portal relevant to your country:

• China: APS Beijing/Shanghai
• India: APS New Delhi
• Vietnam: APS Hanoi

2. Pay the processing fee

Fees vary by country and are payable during online registration (check the official APS site for. your country for current amounts). You should save your proof of payment as it is required for your APS submission package.

3. Submit documents

After registration, send the required documents by post or in person to the APS office. These usually include:

• Academic certificates (school + university diplomas) and full mark sheets.
• Passport photo and passport copy
• Printed APS registration confirmation
• Sworn translations in German/English of anything not in those languages.

Mail or deliver your packet to the correct APS office (Beijing / New Delhi / Hanoi). If mailing, be sure to use a trackable courier service so you can confirm delivery.

4. Document review + interview

APS evaluates your documents for authenticity. If they meet the requirements, you may be invited for an interview (often virtual or in-person).

5. Receive the digitally signed certificate

After successful review (and interview, if required), you receive a digitally signed APS certificate/Bescheinigung („DigiZert“), often as a PDF, you can use for multiple university applications.

Tip: Apply early (3–5 months before university deadlines) because processing can take several weeks.

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Using the APS certificate in your university application

Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs

• Upload the APS certificate to your application platform (usually uni-assist).
• Some universities require the original or digitally signed version at enrolment.

Studienkolleg

• Include the APS certificate when you submit your Studienkolleg online application.

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Important practical points

• The APS certificate generally does not expire once issued, but you should check whether your target university accepts older certificates or requires updated verification.
• For Master’s applications, if your Bachelor’s degree was obtained outside China, India or Vietnam, you might not need an APS certificate for the master’s itself — but check the individual university rules.
• Always upload the digitally signed certificate as a standalone PDF — merging it with other files can invalidate the signature.
• Start the APS application 3–4 months before your university deadlines — the process can take several weeks to months. You need the APS certificate before uni-assist or the university can process your application. A Missing APS is a common reason for incomplete applications.