{"id":5696,"date":"2026-02-10T08:12:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T08:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/?p=5696"},"modified":"2026-03-02T10:48:19","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T10:48:19","slug":"aps-certificate-for-university-applications-in-germany","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/de\/aps-certificate-for-university-applications-in-germany\/","title":{"rendered":"APS Certificate: Explanation, Requirement &#038; Application for Germany"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-7c9a542599af92e1aeeee63314793313\" style=\"border-radius:40px;background-color:#2e5077\">What is the APS certificate?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-tertiary-color has-text-color\" style=\"font-size:14px\">The <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uni-assist.de\/en\/tools\/glossary-of-terms\/description\/term\/akademische-pruefstelle-aps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Akademische Pr\u00fcfstelle (APS)<\/a><\/strong> is a verification service run by German embassies in cooperation with the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.daad.de\/en\/studying-in-germany\/requirements\/admission-database\/?ad-layer=2&amp;ad-layerId=4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst)<\/a><\/strong>. 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 <em>Bescheinigung<\/em> is issued after successful verification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/de\/aps-certificate-for-university-applications-in-germany\/#Who_needs_an_APS_certificate\" >Who needs an APS certificate?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/de\/aps-certificate-for-university-applications-in-germany\/#Exceptions\" >Exceptions<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/de\/aps-certificate-for-university-applications-in-germany\/#How_to_apply_for_the_APS_certificate\" >How to apply for the APS certificate<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/de\/aps-certificate-for-university-applications-in-germany\/#1_Register_online\" >1. Register online<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/de\/aps-certificate-for-university-applications-in-germany\/#2_Pay_the_processing_fee\" >2. Pay the processing fee<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/de\/aps-certificate-for-university-applications-in-germany\/#3_Submit_documents\" >3. Submit documents<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/de\/aps-certificate-for-university-applications-in-germany\/#4_Document_review_interview\" >4. Document review + interview<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/de\/aps-certificate-for-university-applications-in-germany\/#5_Receive_the_digitally_signed_certificate\" >5. Receive the digitally signed certificate<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/de\/aps-certificate-for-university-applications-in-germany\/#Using_the_APS_certificate_in_your_university_application\" >Using the APS certificate in your university application<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/de\/aps-certificate-for-university-applications-in-germany\/#Bachelors_and_Masters_degree_programs\" >Bachelor\u2019s and Master\u2019s degree programs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/de\/aps-certificate-for-university-applications-in-germany\/#Studienkolleg\" >Studienkolleg<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/de\/aps-certificate-for-university-applications-in-germany\/#Important_practical_points\" >Important practical points<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-fcffb395e40940a94d20264b86d1e0ca\" style=\"border-radius:40px;background-color:#2e5077\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_needs_an_APS_certificate\"><\/span>Who needs an APS certificate?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-tertiary-color has-text-color\" style=\"font-size:14px\">You <strong>must obtain an APS certificate<\/strong> 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\u2019s and Master\u2019s applications, including Studienkolleg applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-contrast-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-99f4b68076f0443949f28e760b5d5d7c\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Exceptions\"><\/span>Exceptions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-tertiary-color has-text-color\" style=\"font-size:14px\">You generally <strong>do not<\/strong> need an APS certificate if:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"font-size:14px\">You hold a degree from outside China, India, or Vietnam (e.g., EU or US degree).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"font-size:14px\">You are applying for a <strong>PhD<\/strong>, and your German university supervisor does not require it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"font-size:14px\">You hold an international secondary school qualification (e.g., IB, A-Levels) that is accepted without APS.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"font-size:14px\">You have a German- or EU-funded scholarship that exempts you from APS.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"font-size:14px\">You are <em>only<\/em> coming for a short language course or non-university program.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-tertiary-color has-text-color\" style=\"font-size:14px\"><strong>Note:<\/strong> Applicants from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan are typically <strong>excluded<\/strong> from the APS requirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-93912e21fe44bde091857d54a18497ef\" style=\"border-radius:40px;background-color:#2e5077\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_apply_for_the_APS_certificate\"><\/span>How to apply for the APS certificate<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Register_online\"><\/span>1. <strong>Register online<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-tertiary-color has-text-color\" style=\"font-size:14px\">Create an account on the APS portal relevant to your country:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"font-size:14px\"><strong>China:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aps.org.cn\/verfahren-und-services-deutschland\/chinaverfahren\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">APS Beijing<\/a>\/<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aps.org.cn\/aps-am-gk-shanghai\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Shanghai<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"font-size:14px\"><strong>India:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/aps-india.de\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">APS New Delhi<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"font-size:14px\"><strong>Vietnam:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/vietnam.diplo.de\/vn-de\/willkommen\/aktuelles\/aps\/1236800\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">APS Hanoi<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Pay_the_processing_fee\"><\/span>2. <strong>Pay the processing fee<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-tertiary-color has-text-color\" style=\"font-size:14px\">Fees vary by country and are payable during online registration (check the <em>official APS site<\/em> for. your country for current amounts). You should save your proof of payment as it is required for your APS submission package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Submit_documents\"><\/span>3. <strong>Submit documents<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-tertiary-color has-text-color\" style=\"font-size:14px\">After registration, send the required documents by post or in person to the APS office. These usually include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"font-size:14px\">Academic certificates (school + university diplomas) and full mark sheets.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"font-size:14px\">Passport photo and passport copy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"font-size:14px\">Printed APS registration confirmation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"font-size:14px\">Sworn translations in German\/English of anything not in those languages.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-tertiary-color has-text-color\" style=\"font-size:14px\">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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Document_review_interview\"><\/span>4. <strong>Document review + interview<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-tertiary-color has-text-color\" style=\"font-size:14px\">APS evaluates your documents for authenticity. If they meet the requirements, you may be invited for an interview (often virtual or in-person).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Receive_the_digitally_signed_certificate\"><\/span>5. <strong>Receive the digitally signed certificate<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-tertiary-color has-text-color\" style=\"font-size:14px\">After successful review (and interview, if required), you receive a digitally signed APS certificate\/Bescheinigung (\u201eDigiZert\u201c), often as a PDF, you can use for multiple university applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-tertiary-color has-text-color\" style=\"font-size:14px\"><strong>Tip:<\/strong> Apply early (3\u20135 months before university deadlines) because processing can take several weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-4874b00a7b097f8ed98710b3a0d8989e\" style=\"border-radius:40px;background-color:#2e5077\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Using_the_APS_certificate_in_your_university_application\"><\/span>Using the APS certificate in your university application<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Bachelors_and_Masters_degree_programs\"><\/span>Bachelor\u2019s and Master\u2019s degree programs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"font-size:14px\">Upload the APS certificate to your application platform (usually <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uni-assist.de\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">uni-assist<\/a>).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"font-size:14px\">Some universities require the original or digitally signed version at enrolment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Studienkolleg\"><\/span>Studienkolleg<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"font-size:14px\">Include the APS certificate when you submit your Studienkolleg online application.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-white-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-28bcbcc84258659de167a967fe0a9bec\" style=\"border-radius:40px;background-color:#2e5077\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Important_practical_points\"><\/span>Important practical points<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li style=\"font-size:14px\">The APS certificate generally <strong>does not expire<\/strong> once issued, but you should check whether your target university accepts older certificates or requires updated verification.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"font-size:14px\">For Master\u2019s applications, if your Bachelor\u2019s degree was obtained outside China, India or Vietnam, you might not need an APS certificate for the master\u2019s itself \u2014 but check the individual university rules.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"font-size:14px\">Always upload the digitally signed certificate as a standalone PDF \u2014 merging it with other files can invalidate the signature.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li style=\"font-size:14px\">Start the APS application 3\u20134 months before your university deadlines \u2014 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.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>APS certificate for Germany explained: who needs it, required documents, application steps, timelines, and how to use it for university admission and a student visa.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":851,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-post-right-sidebar","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[262,95,97,93],"tags":[496,502,495,500,501,503,498,83,43,62,497],"class_list":["post-5696","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english-articles","category-entrance-exams-admissions","category-living-abroad-housing-culture","category-study-in-germany-austria-switzerland","tag-akademische-pruefstelle","tag-aps-application-process","tag-aps-certificate-germany","tag-aps-china-germany","tag-aps-india-germany","tag-documents-required-for-aps-germany","tag-germany-student-visa-aps","tag-international-students-germany-tips","tag-moving-to-germany","tag-study-in-germany","tag-study-in-germany-documents"],"featured_image_url":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image-150x150.png","medium":"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image-300x179.png","medium_large":"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image.png","large":"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image.png","1536x1536":"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image.png","2048x2048":"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image.png","trp-custom-language-flag":"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image-18x12.png"},"post_author":"Elif Demir","assigned_categories":"Articles in English, Entrance Exams &amp; Admissions, Living Abroad: Housing, Culture &amp; Daily Life, Study in Germany, Austria &amp; Switzerland","uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/edu-link.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image.png",616,367,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/edu-link.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/edu-link.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image-300x179.png",300,179,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/edu-link.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image.png",616,367,false],"large":["https:\/\/edu-link.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image.png",616,367,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/edu-link.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image.png",616,367,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/edu-link.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image.png",616,367,false],"trp-custom-language-flag":["https:\/\/edu-link.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/image-18x12.png",18,12,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Elif Demir","author_link":"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/de\/author\/student-experience-writer\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"APS certificate for Germany explained: who needs it, required documents, application steps, timelines, and how to use it for university admission and a student visa.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5696","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5696"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5696\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6203,"href":"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5696\/revisions\/6203"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/851"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5696"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5696"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edu-link.de\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}