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.

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.

You have to upload your documents within the uni-assist online application form. Please submit the following documents to uni-assist with your application:

your secondary school certificate
if available, your higher education admissions exam
if available, your university transcript
certified translations of all of your documents, in case they were not issued in German or English language

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?

In order to complte the application for preliminary review documentation through the uni-assist online portal, you need to transfer a processing 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!

Potential results of the preliminary review documentation

Das Ergebnis der Zeugnisprüfung durch uni-assist kann unterschiedlich ausfallen. Man unterscheidet zwischen einem direkten Hochschulzugang für alle Fächer, einem direkten Hochschulzugang für bestimmte Fächer (fachgebundener Hochschulzugang) sowie einem indirekten Hochschulzugang über die bestandene Feststellungsprüfung an einem Studienkolleg.

Bei einem direkten Hochschulzugang für alle Fächer können Sie sich für jeden grundständigen Studiengang (Bachelor/Staatsexamen) bewerben.

Bei einer fachgebundenen Hochschulzugangsberechtigung können Sie sich nur für bestimmte Studiengänge bewerben. Die Mitteilung von uni-assist sieht dann wie folgt aus:

"Hochschulzugangsberechtigung für alle Hochschularten für Studiengang XY und benachbarte Fächer/die hier aufgeführte(n) Fachrichtung(en)...".

Mit dieser Bewertung können Sie sich für einen bestimmten Studiengang (Bachelor/Staatsexamen) an der Universität Hamburg bewerben sowie andere Studiengänge, die der gleichen Fachrichtung zugeordnet werden bzw. für die von uni-assist genannten Fachrichtungen. Sie finden eine Liste der Fachrichtungen je Studiengang hier. Falls Sie sich nicht sicher sind, ob Ihr gewünschter Studiengang als benachbartes Fach gilt bzw. zu den aufgeführten Fachrichtungen zählt, kontaktieren Sie uns bitte über dieses Kontaktformular.

Bei einem indirekten Hochschulzugang teilt uni-assist Ihnen mit, dass Sie sich mit Ihren Zeugnissen nicht direkt für ein Studium bewerben können, sondern sich durch die Teilnahme an einem Studienkolleg in Deutschland zunächst auf das Studium vorbereiten und mit der das Studienkolleg abschließenden Feststellungsprüfung dann Ihre direkte Hochschulzugangsberechtigung erwerben.

Sollten Sie außerdem bereits einen Bachelorabschluss erworben haben und dieser wird von uni-assist anerkannt, haben Sie neben der direkten Hochschulzugangsberechtigung auch die Qualifikation erworben, sich für einen fachlich passenden Masterstudiengang zu bewerben. Eine Liste der Zugangsvoraussetzungen der einzelnen Masterstudiengänge an der Uni Hamburg finden Sie hier.

I will not get the VPD in time for the application

Applicants for bachelor and state exam programs do not need to submit a preliminary review documentation with their application. The online application is sufficient for this group - the preliminary review documentation needs to be submitted within the enrollment process. However, we strongly recommend that you apply for a preliminary documentation in good time before applying, so you have the result and your final grade converted into the German grading system ready for your application.

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!

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

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

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

I don't have a preliminary review 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 Preliminary review documentation or review report ("Prüfbericht") 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 could not issue a preliminary review documentation and refers to Universität Hamburg to decide about my eligibility. What should I do now?

On the basis of the documents you submitted, uni-assist was not able to decide about your eligibility and recommends that you contact the university. Therefore, the decision whether you are eligible has to be made by Universität Hamburg itself. Please send the result of the review by uni-assist to the Campus-Center via our contact form.