Documents for Studying in Germany: Translations, Certification & anabin

To study in Germany you need complete copies of your school and university certificates in the original language, certified translations into German or English, language certificates and a passport copy. Translations must come from a sworn (court-admissible) translator or from the institution that issued the certificate.

Getting documents right is the step that most often delays applications. This guide covers what uni-assist and universities ask for, how certification and translation work, how degree recognition works (anabin, ZAB) and what applicants from Afghanistan must know.

Documents for a bachelor's application

• Complete school-leaving certificate that gives university access in your home country, with the overview of subjects and grades.
• Proof of any university entrance exam you passed.
• Transcripts and certificates of any previous university study, with the official grading system.
• Language certificates (English for English-taught programs).
• Passport copy.

Documents for a master's application

• Bachelor's degree certificate and complete transcript, including any diploma supplement.
• The official grading system of your university – a link or PDF of the examination regulations. uni-assist does not accept anabin or Wikipedia links.
• School-leaving certificate and university entrance exam result, where available.
• Language certificates.
• Program-specific documents such as a CV, motivation letter or module descriptions.

See admission requirements for what each type of program checks.

Certified copies: what counts as official

DAAD explains that only officially certified copies and translations are accepted for applications. Certification can be done, for example, by the German embassy in your country, for a fee. uni-assist also accepts uploads of official documents that show a signature and stamp, an automatic issuance note or a verification code.

Translations: who may translate

uni-assist universities accept translations made by:

• Persons or institutions authorised to translate under oath or admissible in court, or
• A department of the issuing school or university that is authorised to issue translations.

uni-assist states plainly that it does not accept non-certified translations from standard translation agencies. Upload the certificate in the original language together with the translation, and do the same for the transcript. If your country issues certificates additionally in German or English, you do not need a translation.

Recognition: anabin, uni-assist and ZAB

Most applicants do not need a ZAB statement for admission; the university or uni-assist evaluates your certificates. It can be useful if a university or employer asks for it, or later for work. Order it early, because regular processing takes three months.

Apostille and legalization

For university applications, uni-assist and universities ask for certified copies and certified translations, not usually an apostille. For the visa or for other official purposes, a German mission may ask for further proof of authenticity. Check whether your country is a party to the Apostille Convention in the HCCH status table and follow your mission's instructions.

Afghan documents: what is different

• No apostille: Afghanistan does not appear in the HCCH status table, so Afghan documents cannot be apostilled.
• Kabul consular section closed: notarisations and certifications must be arranged through other German embassies or consulates general in the region. Contact the chosen mission in advance.
• Tazkira: for the visa, submit the original e-Tazkira and/or paper Tazkira with an English or German translation and colour copies. If your passport was issued on an earlier Tazkira, submit that too.
• Names must match: names in Tazkira and passport must match – no exceptions.
• Passport: extension stickers issued and applied after 31 July 2026 are no longer accepted; you need a new passport that is machine-readable and valid at least 90 days after entry.
• uni-assist: for Afghan certificates, uni-assist asks for the school-leaving certificate with subjects and grades, and the university diploma with transcript if available.

Also check how anabin rates your Afghan certificate: the 12th-grade certificate needs a Studienkolleg or two years of university study, while an Afghan bachelor's gives direct access to all subjects. For the visa steps, see the Germany student visa guide.

Language certificates and test reports

Your English certificate is a document too, and universities are strict about it. Each program decides which tests it accepts and how old they may be. Some examples from official pages:

• TUM accepts TOEFL iBT 88, IELTS Academic 6.5, PTE 65, Cambridge CAE or CPE, or a degree taught at least 50% in English.
• Deggendorf Institute of Technology accepts certificates that are at most two years old and does not accept the TOEFL Home Edition.
• Hamburg University of Technology asks for TOEFL iBT 90 (ITP and Essentials are not accepted) or IELTS Academic 6.5; an English-medium degree does not exempt you unless it is from a listed country.
• The University of Bonn does not accept a medium-of-instruction letter for its Computer Science master's.

If you rely on a medium-of-instruction letter, ask your university to issue it on letterhead with signature and stamp, and check first that the program accepts it. Details in English-taught programs in Germany.

Indian applicants: the APS certificate

APS India verifies academic documents from Indian institutions for applicants who want to study in Germany. It states the APS certificate is part of the documentation generally required for the German student visa, and universities such as Mannheim and TU Dresden ask applicants from India for it. Master's applicants in certain fields must also take the Digital Master Test (dMAT) before the APS certificate is issued; APS India says its mid-January and mid-March cycles are relevant for winter semester 2027/28. The APS fee is non-refundable once paid.

Tip: build one master file

Scan every original and every translation once, in colour and at high resolution, and name the files clearly (for example: bachelor-certificate-original, bachelor-certificate-translation-EN). You will upload the same files to uni-assist, university portals, the Consular Services Portal and scholarship portals, so a clean set saves hours and avoids mismatched versions.

Documents for the visa

Your visa file reuses most of these documents plus proof of funds and insurance. The Kabul embassy student sheet lists: valid passport, CV and motivation letter, certificates with translations, admission letter (or application confirmation for bachelor's), proof of funds, proof of first-year tuition payment if applicable, travel health insurance and civil-status documents if applicable.

Documents after you arrive

Keep your paper set with you when you travel. For the residence permit at the foreigners' office you need your passport with visa, the enrolment certificate, the address registration confirmation (Meldebestätigung), proof of funds and proof of health insurance, plus the fee of up to €100. Some universities also ask to see original certificates or certified paper copies at enrolment.

Document checklist and order of work

1. 1

   Collect originals early

   Request transcripts, degree certificates, the diploma supplement and the grading system from your school and university.

2. 2

   Check names and dates

   Make sure names and dates of birth match your passport on every document.

3. 3

   Order certified translations

   Use a sworn translator or your institution's authorised office. Translate every page, including stamps and grading notes.

4. 4

   Get certified copies

   At the German mission or another authority your target university accepts. Ask about fees and appointment rules first.

5. 5

   Scan in high quality

   Upload complete, readable PDFs of original plus translation together.

6. 6

   Keep a master folder

   Store scans and paper sets for the application, the visa and the residence permit.

Common document mistakes

• Uploading only the translation, without the original-language certificate.
• Translations from an ordinary agency without sworn status.
• Missing pages, back sides or the grading scale.
• Linking to anabin or Wikipedia instead of your university's own grading rules.
• Leaving certification until the last weeks before a deadline, when mission appointments are full.

Plan your document work around the deadlines: track deadlines for free on FindUniPath, and read how to apply to universities in Germany for the full process.