Indian students willing to have a long-stay student Visa in Germany are required to have the APS certificate. The APS certificate for Germany acts as authentic proof of the academic documents of the Indian students and is also a mandatory document for the German study visa process. In this blog, we will discuss the APS certificate, its application process, its uses, and the fees required to obtain it.
Akademische Prüfstelle ior, popularly known as the APS certificate, is a mandatory document required by Indian students seeking admission to education in Germany. The increasing number of Indian students applying to German universities has resulted in the introduction of the APS certification. The certificate helps showcase the authenticity of the Indian academic documents, accelerating the process of admission to German universities and getting a student visa in Germany.
The certificate was introduced in 2001, APS Germany has been present in China since 2001, and Vietnam in 2007 was recently introduced in India in 2022. The “Academic Evaluation Centre” (APS India) is a service provider for the “Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany” situated in New Delhi. The agency cooperates with the “German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)).
From 1st November 2022, the Germans have made it mandatory to get all the academic documents and certificates verified by the Academic Evaluation Centre (APS India) so that Indian students can receive the APS certificate in Germany. This is important when applying for German studies through VFS Global Solutions. Therefore, Indian students need to note that an APS certificate is mandatory when applying for a student visa in Germany.
It is also beneficial for the students to complete their APS process before the visa application, as it helps reduce the processing time. It is also vital to note that the APS certificate does not provide visas; it is an integral part of the German student visa application process. However, an APS certificate is optional for short-term courses or courses less than 90 days. However, APS is a mandatory document for courses that last more than 90 days.
Indian students pursuing or having completed educational qualifications from any recognized school or university and seeking admission to postgraduate and undergraduate courses in Germany must get the APS certificate before applying to German universities and colleges for admissions. The APS certificate is also mandatory when applying for a German student visa.
The following steps will be very helpful for Indian students to Apply for an APS certificate in Germany.
In the following section, we will discuss the requirements for an APS certificate in Germany from India
The successful completion of the document verification results in the issuing an APS Certificate by APS India, which is mandatory for applying to universities in Germany.
The following section will help provide information regarding the various documents required for an APS certificate in Germany for different courses from India.
Document checklist for APS certificate Germany for application after class 12
| Printed and duly signed application form with passport-size photo (not older than 6 months | ☐ |
| Copy of APS fee transfer receipt | ☐ |
| Copy of Aadhaar Card with linked mobile number. | ☐ |
| Copy of passport. (1st and last page) | ☐ |
| Copy of Class X Marksheet and Certificate | ☐ |
| Copy of Class XII Marksheet and Certificate. If the certificate has yet to be issued, the Provisional Certificate issued by the school will be accepted (Not older than 3 months). | ☐ |
| Proof of participation in a Pre-University Entrance Exam (if applicable) | ☐ |
| Copy of Test as Results (Core and Subject-specific) | ☐ |
| Copy of Language Certificate – German and English | ☐ |
Document checklist for APS certificate Germany for application after class 12 after passing JEE Main and Advance
| Printed and duly signed application form with a passport-size photo (not older than 6 months) | ☐ |
| Copy of APS fee transfer receipt | ☐ |
| Copy of Aadhaar Card with linked mobile number. | ☐ |
| Copy of passport. (1st and last page) | ☐ |
| Copy of Class X Marksheet and Certificate | ☐ |
| Copy of Class XII Marksheet and Certificate. If the certificate has yet to be issued, the Provisional Certificate issued by the school will be accepted (Not older than 3 months). | ☐ |
| Proof of passing the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Main and Advanced along with the Admit Card | ☐ |
| Copy of Language Certificate – German and. Or English | ☐ |
Document checklist for APS certificate Germany for application for candidates studying in bachelor degree
| Printed and duly signed application form with a passport-size photo (not older than 6 months) | ☐ |
| Copy of APS fee transfer receipt | ☐ |
| Copy of Aadhaar Card with linked mobile number. | ☐ |
| Copy of passport. (1st and last page) | ☐ |
| Copy of Class X Marksheet and Certificate | ☐ |
| Copy of Class XII Marksheet and Certificate. If the certificate has not yet been issued, the Provisional Certificate issued by the school will be accepted (Not older than 3 months). | ☐ |
| Copy of all Bachelor mark sheets for the first year of studies. | ☐ |
| Copy of Test as Results (Core and Subject-specific) | ☐ |
| Copy of Language Certificate – German or English | ☐ |
Document checklist for APS certificate Germany for application for candidates studying in bachelor or master degree
| Printed and duly signed application form with a passport-size photo (not older than 6 months) | ☐ |
| Copy of APS fee transfer receipt | ☐ |
| Copy of Aadhaar Card with linked mobile number. | ☐ |
| Copy of passport. (1st and last page) | ☐ |
| Copy of Class XII mark sheet and certificate. | ☐ |
| Copy of Class XII admit card, if available. | ☐ |
| Copy of mark sheets of all semesters. | ☐ |
| Copy of the bachelor's degree. If the degree has yet to be issued, the provisional certificate issued by the College will be accepted. (Not older than 1 year) | ☐ |
| Copy of the Master’s degree and transcripts. (if applicable) | ☐ |
| Copy of language certificate – German and/or English | ☐ |
The fee for an APS Certificate in Germany is around 18000 INR. The fees for the certificate should be transferred to the account mentioned below. The account details for the same are
Account Holder: Embassy of Federal Republic of Germany – Wiss
Account Number: 0946426766
Name of Bank: Kotak Mahindra Bank
IFSC Code: KKBK0000182
It is important to note that the fees are non-refundable.
The validity of the APS certificate issued to the students is lifetime. The Academic Evaluation Centre (APS India) processes the application quickly and delivers the certificates to the students. The application processing time is approximately three to four weeks. Also, the candidates need to note that the digital APS certificates issued to students after April 2023 are valid for three years and should be reissued after that. Also, the APS certificates should be valid for applying to any German university.
The candidates can contact our experts in Theobrain for any assistance regarding university admissions in Germany or any other foreign university.