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Recognition of foreign educational qualifications (Recognition of foreign educational qualifications)

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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.

How do I apply for the preliminary documentation procedure at uni-assist?

You apply for preliminary documentations via uni-assist's online portal. Please use our instructions (PDF) to complete the online application form. Please note that the application via uni-assist's online portal is for the purpose of applying for preliminary documentation only. It does not replace the application for a degree program at Universität Hamburg, i.e. after applying for preliminary documentation, you have to apply via Universität Hamburg's online application portal.

Please submit the following documents to uni-assist with your application:

  • a certified copy of your higher education entry qualification (Abitur)
  • if available, a certified copy of your higher education admissions exam
  • if available, a certified copy of your university transcript
  • certified translations of all of your transcripts

Transcripts must be submitted in German or English or translated into one of these languages.

Translations will only be accepted if they have been made by sworn translators or certified by the proper authorities.

For information about translations that have been certified and executed by sworn translators, please see https://www.uni-assist.de/en/how-to-apply/assemble-your-documents/certified-copies-and-translations/.

What costs can I expect?

Once you have submitted your documents to uni-assist, you need to transfer your fee to uni-assist's bank account.

The processing fee is €75. For further details, please see the information under "Regulation of fees".

Please note that uni-assist will only review your documents once you have transferred the processing fee!

If you can prove that you have been registered as a refugee in your German residency permit, uni-assist checks your documents free of charge, provided certain conditions are met.

Special hint for EU applicants

Applicants for bachelor and state exam programs with EU citizenship and applicants deemed equivalent to EU applicants do not need to submit a preliminary  documentation to apply. The online application is sufficient for this group - the preliminary documentation needs to be submitted later for enrollment. However, we strongly recommend that you apply for a preliminary documentation in good time before applying, so that that grade  in the online application a grade has been correctly converted into the German grading system. If it is not possible for you to receive the preliminary documentation before the application deadline, you may convert your grade yourself. For this you can use the modified Bavarian formula or our grade converter. The use of the converter is without guarantee - only the grade conversion by uni-assist is binding. Should the grade converted by uni-assist be lower  than the grade you indicate in the online application, this may result in a withdrawal of  admission.

This hint is not meant for master's applications!

Information for applicants for Master in International Business and Sustainability (MIBAS)

You also apply for preliminary documentations via uni-assist's online portal as written above. Please note that the application via uni-assist's online portal is for the purpose of applying for preliminary documentation only. It does not replace the application for a degree program at Universität Hamburg, i.e. after applying for preliminary documentation, you have to apply via Universität Hamburg's online application portal.

Please submit the following documents to uni-assist with your application for MA in International Business and Sustainability (MIBAS):

  • a certified copy of your university degree or if you did not get it right now a certified copy of your transcript of records
  • certified translations into German or English of all of your transcripts if they are not already available in one of these languages

Translations will only be accepted if they have been made by sworn translators or certified by the proper authorities.
For information about translations that have been certified and executed by sworn translators, please see https://www.uni-assist.de/en/how-to-apply/assemble-your-documents/certified-copies-and-translations/.

I already have a preliminary documentation from uni-assist - what's next?

My VPD is only valid for specific programs

Perhaps your VPD is not valid for all programs offered by Universität Hamburg. You'll find one of the following phrases on your VPD then:

  • "Hochschulzugangsberechtigung für alle Hochschularten für die hier aufgeführte(n) Fachrichtung(en)..." 
    This allows you to apply to specific subject areas at Universität Hamburg in only those disciplines indicated by uni-assist; if you are not sure whether your program is categorized according to one of these subject areas, please use this contact form.
  • "Hochschulzugangsberechtigung für alle Hochschularten für Studiengang XY und benachbarte Fächer"
    This allows you to apply to one specific bachelor's/Staatsexamen program or related programs at Universität Hamburg;
    if you are not sure whether your program is categorized as related, please use this contact form.
    .

If uni-assist informs you that your transcripts or certificates do not permit you to study in Germany, a Studienkolleg in Germany (preparatory college) may be an option for you.

My preliminary documentation is more than one year old. Can I use it to apply to Universität Hamburg?

Yes. Universität Hamburg accepts preliminary documentations which are older than one year.

I don't have a preliminary documentation for Universität Hamburg, but a preliminary documentation or "Prüfbericht" for another German university. Can I use it to apply to Universität Hamburg?

Yes - if the document certifies (possibly subject-specific) access to all types of higher education institutions in Germany. If you are not sure whether the document is sufficient for applying to Universität Hamburg, you can have it checked. Please send us your test report via the following form: www.uni-hamburg.de/int_e Please include information about the degree program you want to apply for. We will inform you in an e-mail whether your preliminary documentation or "Prüfbericht" will be accepted for an application for your chosen program at Universität Hamburg.

Uni-assist issued me an ‚Ersatzbescheinigung‘. What should I do now?

Uni-assist has issued you an ‚Ersatzbescheinigung zur Vorlage bei der Universität Hamburg‘, because the decision whether you are eligible to study has to be made by Universität Hamburg itself. Therefore, please send your ‚Ersatzbescheinigung‘ to the Campus-Center via our contact form.

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Information for refugees

If you can prove that you have been registered as a refugee in your German residency permit, uni-assist checks your documents free of charge under certain conditions. Information about the conditions is provided here:

Last chance to use this option will be application for winter semester 2019/20!

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