Foreign higher education entrance qualifications

Have you gained your higher education entrance qualification at a school abroad and want to study at a German higher education institution? This is possible in principle if your foreign academic qualifications are recognised in Germany as suitable for entry to higher education. The main condition is that your foreign school-leaving qualification would allow you to enter higher education in the country in which you gained it.

Foreign higher education entrance qualifications

You can find a useful summary of the foreign school-leaving qualifications that are accepted for entry to German higher education in the anabin database, which is maintained by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK). If your school-leaving qualification is recognised as a higher education entrance qualification in Germany, it will allow you either general admission to higher education or subject-specific admission to higher education. If you have already studied for two or three semesters in your home country, this period will qualify you for entry to higher education in Germany.

If the qualifications you have obtained abroad are not sufficient for admission

If the qualifications you have obtained abroad are not sufficient for admission to a German higher education institution, you have the option of taking a preparatory course at a Studienkolleg to prepare you for the compulsory assessment test (Feststellungsprüfung). You will take the assessment test in the subjects that are relevant to the programme you want to study. The assessment test proves that you have the knowledge necessary to study at a higher education institution.

You also need to prove that you have satisfactory German language skills.