APS for Germany: Your Guide to Language & Degree Requirements

One of the first steps while planning to study in Germany is getting an APS Germany certificate. This certification is mandatory and plays an important role in both university admissions and German student visa application.

Many Indian students want to study in Germany after finishing school or college. To do this, students must get the APS Germany certificate. It is now a mandatory requirement for getting into German universities and also for applying for a German student visa. Without this certificate, your documents will not be accepted during the admission or German student visa process.

Still, many students feel confused about the APS process, like what documents to give, is IELTS required, or who can apply. This guide will help you understand everything in a simple way. You will learn about language certificate rules, degree certificate, bonafide letter, translation needs, and also about the APS Germany fees and processing time.

This article is for students who have already completed their degree or are in their final or pre-final year. It will help you apply for the APS certificate for Germany step by step without any problem.

What is APS Germany Certificate?

The APS (Akademische Prüfstelle) certificate checks and verifies your academic documents. It is required for Indian students who want to apply to a German university and for the student visa.

Once you get the APS certificate, it is valid for life. You don't have to apply again.

Important Points:

• Needed before applying to any German university
• Also needed for a German student visa
• The fee is INR 18,000, not refundable
• Takes up to 45 days to process
• Issued only once and valid forever
• Students with EU or German scholarships don’t need to apply

Is IELTS Required for APS Germany?

No, IELTS is not required for APS Germany. You don’t have to give IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, or any language test for your APS application. But you can submit your language certificate (English or German) if you already have it. APS will just check if the document is real or not. They will not check your marks.

Important: You will need a language test certificate like IELTS or TOEFL when you apply for your German visa or to a university.

Can Students Apply for APS Germany without an IELTS Certificate?

Students should note that while applying for their APS Certificate Germany, students are not required to meet any specific language requirements. Hence, it is NOT mandatory to submit language certificates such as IELTS, TOEFL, PTE and DET. However, candidates can submit their English/German language certificates voluntarily, and APS will verify the formal authenticity of the documents.

Meaning that the verification undertaken by APS would be specific to the formal aspects of the language certificates provided by the applicant. Indian students should note that a language proficiency certificate would be required during the German student visa application process.

Can Students Apply for APS Germany without a Degree Certificate?

The main purpose of the APS Certificate Germany is to validate the authenticity of your academic transcripts or your past academic degree certificates. Hence, you must submit all your academic degree certificates as part of your APS application process. The APS Germany certification of your Indian degrees is important as it helps German authorities recognize the authenticity of your educational qualifications. Indian students looking to apply for the APS Germany Certification can also retrieve their documents using the DigiLocker facility of the Indian Government. The same is accepted/ recognised by German authorities during the APS process. 

Indian students who have not completed their Bachelor’s degree at the time of the APS verification process are advised to apply to German universities with certified grades from the 5th or 7th semester. Provisional certificates for the APS verification process older than one year will not be accepted as part of the APS certification process. Hence, it is essential to ensure that the provisional certificate that the candidate provides is either relatively recent, within the specified time period, or updated by the actual degree certificate to meet the requirements of the APS verification process.

Can a Pre-final Year Student apply for APS Germany Certification?

Yes, pre-final year students can apply for their APS Certificate Germany. However, all pre-final year students would need a provisional bonafide certificate issued by their university/college stating that the student is pursuing and will clear his/her (UG/PG) studies in (month) and (year) and should also mention the student's association with the institution, briefly touching upon his/her course name and duration.   

Candidates should note that all academic degrees and language certificates issued in an Indian regional language will have to be translated into English and these translations must be notarized. The notarization is an important step for all Indian regional documents as it ensures the authenticity and accuracy of the translation for the verification process. Bilingual documents that are in English and a regional language are NOT required to be notarized.

APS Germany Certification: Overview

In this section, we are going to talk about the important aspects of the APS Germany Certification for Indian students looking to study in Germany.

1. The APS (Akademische Prüfstelle) certification is a mandatory requirement for candidates looking to apply to universities in Germany and for your German Student Visa application.
2. The main purpose of the APS Germany certification is to confirm the candidate’s educational background meets the standards required for admission to study courses in Germany.
3. The APS certificate Germany acts as a bridge between the Indian educational system and the German higher education and visa application process, confirming that the academic qualifications of Indian students are properly evaluated and recognized for studying in Germany.
4. Indian students who are beneficiaries of EU-funded or German scholarships are exempted from applying for APS Germany certification as their scholarship involves a thorough vetting process.
5. The APS Certificate Germany certification is valid indefinitely once issued and a candidate has to apply for an APS certificate only once as the certificate is valid for life.
6. Indian applicants looking to study in Germany are required to complete the APS certification process before applying to a German university as this would only streamline the university admission process, accelerate your German student visa processing time and most importantly it is a mandatory requirement.
7. APS India does not issue visas.
8. The APS Verification fee is INR 18,000 and is non-refundable under all circumstances.
9. Candidates are advised to apply early for their certification as APS Certificate Germany processing time can take up to 45 days provided the referee detail and verification process are aligned as per the APS requirement.

Indian students under no circumstances whatsoever should submit fake or altered documents. It is the responsibility of the candidate to provide genuine and authentic documents for the APS verification process. Any documents found to be altered or falsified in any way will be classified as fake and candidates submitting fake documents will be barred from participating in all current and future processes related to APS Germany. Candidates can get in touch with our Shiksha Counselling Services for assistance with German university admissions.