What is APS Certificate in Germany?

Full form of APS Germany is  Akademische Prüfstelle (Academic Evaluation Center). APS Certificate or Akademische Prüfstelle in German is a mandatory requirement for Indian students looking to study in Germany. As there is a large number of Indian students applying to study in Germany every year, the APS certification has been introduced to provide proof of the authenticity of Indian academic documents and above all simplify and accelerate the admission process to German universities and for obtaining your German Student Visa. 

The APS certificate processing time in India usually takes around 3 to 4 weeks after the application is submitted and payment is received. The APS certificate fees in India is INR 18.000. One must note that the APS certificate fees must be paid online before processing begins. Students can track their APS certificate application status by logging into their accounts on the APS India website.

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What is APS Certificate Germany?

First established in 2001, APS Germany has a presence in China (2001) and Vietnam (2007) and was recently introduced in India (2022). Academic Evaluation Centre (APS India) is a service provider of the Science Section of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, New Delhi in cooperation with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

From November 01, 2022, onwards, Germany made it mandatory for all Indian students to get their academic documents verified by the Academic Evaluation Centre (APS India) and obtain authenticity certificates (APS Certificate in Germany) before applying for their German Student Visas via VFS Global Services. Indian students applying for their Germany Student Visa should note that the APS certificate has become a mandatory document that needs to be submitted as part of their Germany Study Visa application process.

Students are advised to complete the APS process before their application with the German university to keep processing times at a minimum. Candidates should note that APS does not issue visas but an original APS Certificate is an integral part of the German student visa application process. APS certificate is not required for short-term courses (less than 90 days). However, for courses having a duration longer than 90 days, an APS certificate is mandatory.

Who Requires an APS Certificate?

All Indian students who are pursuing or have acquired educational qualifications from any of the recognised Indian school boards or universities and are planning to study undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Germany are required to apply for APS Certification before they begin their application process to German Universities. The APS Certificate is also a mandatory requirement for a German Student Visa. 

Who Does Not Require an APS Certificate?

• Indian students who have been sponsored by German or EU-funded scholarships need not apply for an APS certification. 
• Indian students who are going to study the German language without attending a university and/or without attending any pre-university preparatory classes are not required to apply for an APS Certificate. 

How to get an APS Certificate in Germany?

In this section, we have mentioned the steps involved in getting an APS Certificate in Germany. 

Step 1: Candidates who are looking to pursue higher education in Germany would be first required to get their academic documents verified by APS India to get their APS Certificate for Germany

Step 2: Candidates are advised to go through the APS India official website, https://aps-india.de/ and go through the guidelines provided on the website. Candidates would have to keep the original and photocopies of their academic documents for the APS Certification process. Only documents translated into the English language from any of the Indian regional languages must be notarized.

Step 3: Candidates will be required to pay the APS Certificate Germany fees. Once the authorities have received your APS Certificate Germany fees of INR 18,000 they will be able to start processing your application

Step 4: Candidates would be then required to submit the required documents via courier or hand over the documents personally at the APS India office reception during stipulated office timings. Candidates can submit the required documents via courier. APS India office address is Academic Evaluation Centre, Gate No. 3, DLTA Complex, R.K. Khanna Stadium, 1 Africa Avenue,  110029 New Delhi, India.

APS Certificate for Germany from India: Application Process

APS Certificate Germany requirements: In this section, we are going to be discussing the application process for applying for the APS Certificate for Germany from India

source:  Academic Evaluation Centre

1. Candidates would be required to register online at www.aps-india.de 

2. Candidates would be required to print and sign the completed application form. Kindly ensure that the entered data is correct and that the form is personally signed by the applicant. Incomplete and incorrect information will invalidate your application.

3. Candidates would be required to transfer the APS verification fee of 18,000/- INR to the APS bank account. (NON-REFUNDABLE)

4. Candidates would be then required to submit the required documents, including the printed and signed application form via courier or in person at the reception desk of APS India. Kindly keep a record of your courier tracking details. Note: Documents must be in Legible A4-sized coloured photocopies of all original documents and both sides of all the documents must be photocopied. Candidates are not required to courier original documents.

5. Candidates should note that document verification will be conducted by APS India. Only complete applications will be processed.  For Undergraduate students applying for an APS Certificate, there could be an interview involved in the process. The same has been mentioned below.

6. Upon successful completion of the document verification, students enrolled in a Bachelor’s program at an Indian university but have not yet completed their course of study might be asked to appear for a personal interview. These candidates will be notified via telephone or email 10 to 14 days before the interview date. The date shall not be changed.

7. The interview will last around 20 minutes. It will focus on the candidate's academic history and achievements in India. The interviews will be conducted in English and/or German.

8. Within 5 days of the interview, your online profile will be updated with your verification result. Successful candidates will receive five original APS certificates via courier within two weeks.

9. On completion of the document verification, your online profile will be updated with a verification outcome. Successful candidates will receive five original APS certificates via courier.

10. Note: Candidates should note that from April 2023 onwards, paper APS certificates have been replaced with digitally signed APS certificates which the candidate would receive via email at the address provided on the application form. The digital certificate has a validity of three years, after which it will have to be reissued. It can be used for applying to all German universities.

The successful completion of document verification allows APS India to issue a certificate which is a pre-requisite for the visa application when applying to study in Germany. Read: Why APS Certificate is mandatory for Indian students in Germany? The APS Certificate Germany is in place to simplify your application process to German universities and accelerate your student visa application.