University admissions in Germany

If you don’t have a CV yet, many universities offer online forms to fill out. It won’t differ from a standard CV intended for employment. It is important that there are no gaps in the years in your Lebenslauf and that you were constantly doing something: studying, working, upskilling, or travelling; everything must be recorded.

As already mentioned in the previous article, you will need a language certificate. At many universities, the certificate can be submitted after admission before the start of studies.

It is important to remember: you never send the original documentThe original always remains with you. An officially certified copy of the certificate is usually required.

First, let’s look at the documents themselves, and then how to draw them up correctly.

School leaving certificate with supplement (11th grade only) is often a mandatory document, regardless of whether you already hold a bachelor’s degree or other qualifications. Therefore, be sure to include it in your list of required documents. However, some universities only ask for your most recent educational qualification document.

If you are just finishing Year 13, you will need school transcripts. The certificate will need to be sent later as soon as it is ready. All documents must be translated by a sworn translator and certified.

Transcripts of grades for students. If you are studying at a state university, the main document for admission will be your transcripts from the dean’s office. It is these transcripts that you will translate. If possible, try to obtain a transcript in English straight away. All documents are translated by a sworn translator and certified.

College diplomas, vocational school certificates and other secondary vocational education. After graduating from these educational institutions, you are not entitled to apply to German universities directly. However, if you are currently studying at a university in Russia or Ukraine and were admitted not on the basis of a school leaving certificate, but on the basis of a college diploma or other similar institution, these diplomas may also be required when applying.

Bachelor’s, specialist’s or master’s degree. If you already hold a higher education degree, prepare these diplomas for translation and notarisation.

All our educational certificates are interconnected, even if we don’t notice it. The bachelor’s certificate contains the number of your school-leaving certificate, the master’s certificate contains the number of the bachelor’s certificate, and so on. It is in this way that all the documents are linked together. This helps to understand which certificates can be omitted when submitting and which ones must be included.

Most likely you will apply via UniAssist. For each application, that is for each university, you need to fill out their special form. Also, do not forget that all documents must be scanned and uploaded to the portal. Processing and checking applications on UniAssist is subject to a fee — the initial check is 75 euros, and each subsequent application is 15 euros (2024). 

Important: there are as many applications as there are universities. However, the document pack remains the same for all applications.

Most universities now accept applications via UniAssist online, and there is no need to send documents by post until you are accepted into the university. Some institutes and universities have their own internal online application systems.

For some degree programmes you also need to register on the HochschulStart website, and you will need to provide your account number on UniAssist in order to link the accounts.

As already mentioned, many universities have special application forms on their websites, but these are often forgotten about. These forms must be completed and included with your application package, so do not miss this important step in the application process.

Sometimes a photograph is required when submitting an application, and sometimes after receiving an offer of admission for a student ID card.

A personal statement is required in only 2% cases for admission to an undergraduate programme, but is required in 90% cases for admission to a postgraduate programme.

Important point: the letter must be checked by a native speaker. You can use several options: ask acquaintances for help, pay for a translator’s services or use one of the numerous online services that provide such a service.

A preparatory internship, or Vorpraktikum, can be a mandatory requirement for admission to certain programmes, particularly for Master’s degrees and rarely for Bachelor’s degrees. Universities want you to provide proof of relevant work experience in your field. A Vorpraktikum usually lasts only 3-4 weeks. If it is required, you will need a simple reference letter from your employer with a stamp and a description of your duties. It is best to request a template for such a letter from the admissions office. Usually, if the document is in Russian, a simple translation of it is sufficient, without the need for notarisation.

For admission to a Master’s degree, in most cases at least 6 months of professional experience in the field is required. As with the Vorpraktikum, you will need confirmation from your employer. Certification of the document is not mandatory, but a simple translation will be necessary.