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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.

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.

You can find preliminary information about your degree by consulting the admissions database of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and access the information portal on recognition of foreign degrees (anabin databank, in German only).

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.

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

  • a certified copy of your higher education entry qualification (Abitur) (NB: excepting applications for the MA in International Business and Sustainability, MIBAS)
  • 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.

When I can expect to receive my VPD?

You will receive your preliminary documentation results from uni-assist at the earliest four weeks following submission of your documents. You may only apply to Universität Hamburg with this preliminary documentation!

What information exactly does my VPD contain?

Your VPD is issued so that you can apply to Universität Hamburg. It contains the following:

  • your overall grade for your higher education entry qualification (adapted to the German grading system)
  • the date on which your higher education entry qualification was issued
  • information about the type of higher education entry qualification you have; for Universität Hamburg, thise generally includes a higher education entry qualification for all types of higher education institutions and all subject areas (allowing you to apply for a bachelor's program/Staatsexamen program in any discipline at Universität Hamburg and is known as a "general higher education entry qualification") or a higher education entry qualification for all higher education institutions for the specific subject areas (allowing you to apply to a bachelor's/Staatsexamen program 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 contact the Application and Admissions Team).

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: