Why APS Certificate is mandatory for Indian students in Germany?

APS Certificate: With admission season around the corner, there is a lot of talk about the APS Certificate being a compulsory component of the German visa application process. Here we are going to take a look at APS Certificate and why it has become a mandatory component for Indian students looking to study in Germany. The main reason why the APS Certificate has been introduced to students looking to study in Germany from India is because of the large number of student applications the country receives each year. It is also worth mentioning that the APS Certification will also help accelerate student admission and visa processing to the country. 

Akademische Prüfstelle (APS) in German or Academic Evaluation Centre is a joint institution of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Embassy’s cultural department. The main function of the APS or the Academic Evaluation Centre is to check the authenticity of educational documents and their corresponding educational certificates of Indian students wanting to study in Germany and issue authenticity certificates or APS Certification. 

Is APS Certificate mandatory for Indian Students? 

According to the German Missions, starting November 1, 2022, APS certificates have become a mandatory part of the documents to be submitted along with your German study visa application at the VFS Global Centre. Appointments for APS Certification for Indian students wanting to study in Germany started in October 2022. Students are required to get their APS Certification and then book their German Student Visa appointment slot at a VFS Global Centre once their APS certification has come through.

Applying for a German Student Visa via VFS Global Services 

From November 2022 onwards all German Student Visas would be processed through VFS (Visa Facilitation Services) Global Services. And as a mandatory requisite, applicants would be required to provide their APS Certification along with their German visa application form. The APS Certification is an authenticity certificate confirming the authenticity of the academic documents being submitted by the student. The APS Certification is managed by the Academic Evaluation Centre that is available in every German Embassy. Candidates looking to study in Germany can visit the official APS - India website to know about the APS Certification process. 

Steps to Apply for a German Study Visa 

Step 1: Apply for APS Certification by visiting the official APS India website

Step 2: Booking for APS Certification started in October 2022

• The APS Certificate fee is INR 18,000.
• The APS Certification can take about three weeks to complete. 

Step 3: Book your German Study Visa appointment via VFS Global after having obtained the APS-certificate

Step 4: Slots for German Student Visa booking via VFS Global services have been made available starting November 2022.

APS was already present in China (2001), Vietnam (2007) and now India (2022). Candidates 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.  The APS India issues the APS certificate, which confirms that your documents are genuine and valid and that, consequently, you are eligible to study in Germany. It is worth mentioning that the APS Certificate is valid for an unlimited period of time. In order to speed up the student admission process and shorten visa processing time - the APS Certificate will definitely have a positive impact on Indian students looking to study in Germany.