Recognition of foreign educational qualifications
To apply to Universität Hamburg, you need to have your documents checked in a "preliminary documentation" procedure (VPD) by uni-assist (University Application Service for International Students). uni-assist reviews your international certificates and notifies you when it sends your VPD whether your previous educational qualifications permit you to start studying in Germany or are recognized for your program of choice.
If you belong to one of the following groups, you do not need to submit documents for VPD procedures:
- graduates of a Studienkolleg in Germany with certification that you have completed an assessment test indicating the grade received on the assessment text and the converted grade of your foreign higher education entry qualification
- graduates with an Abitur certificate from a German school located abroad (university entrance exam, entrance exam, or German international Abitur exam)
- persons who already have an endorsement of recognition from German authorities, including information about the type of higher education entrance eligibility and, if applicable, for a particular subject. Among other things, Universität Hamburg accepts the following types of endorsement of recognition:
- endorsements of recognition from German state transcript recognition offices
- endorsements of recognition from other German higher education institutions
- APS certificates from the academic review offices of Beijing, Ulaanbaatar, and Hanoi
identity certificates for Chinese DSD students (or “211” certificates)
Please note: Endorsements of recognition that do not bear a converted grade or a date on which higher education entrance eligibility was obtained will be assigned a grade of 9.9 or “without a waiting period” in selection procedures. This means that applications without a grade or date for higher education entrance eligibility will rank behind the last applicant who had provided a grade or date.
Recommended deadlines when applying for preliminary documentation
Universität Hamburg strongly recommends that you submit your documents to uni-assist at the latest:
- by 1 June of the year in which you apply to begin in a winter semester
- by 1 December of the year in which you apply to begin in a summer semester
- by 15 February of the year in which you apply for an international master´s program
It takes at least four weeks to process your documents. Please plan accordingly to have your transcripts reviewed by uni-assist so that you can apply for the program of your choice at Universität Hamburg by the application deadline.