What is an APS certificate?
As of 1 November 2022, Indian students have to include a certificate from the Academic Evaluation Centre (APS) in their application for the German student visa.
APS checks the authenticity and validity of the educational documents of students as per the requirements of German authorities and thus ensures a hassle-free visa application process. Students from India, Vietnam, mainland China, and Mongolia must apply for an APS certificate due to the large number of applicants for a German student visa from those countries.
The successful completion of document verification allows APS to issue a certificate, which is a pre-requisite for the student visa application for Germany.
How to apply for an APS certificate?
To apply for an APS certificate in India you need to follow these steps:
Step 1: Understand the process and requirements
Take this quiz to collect tailored information specific to your case. Based on your academic qualifications, this quiz leads you to the appropriate study options available for you at German universities.
Step 2: Plan your application
Start early and plan your application in advance, as in some cases you may also need to appear for certain mandatory tests or interviews that will be part of your APS application.
Step 3: Gather all the required documents
Download the checklist of required documents that you need for your APS certificate application. Start gathering all the required documents and get the documents translated and notarised if they are not in English or German. Please also download and fill this consent form and send it along with all other documents.
Step 4: Register for the APS application
Register yourself for the APS application. Please note that incomplete or incorrect information will invalidate your application, hence fill in all your details carefully. After you have completed the registration process, your data will be checked by APS India manually during their office hours and your account will be activated once the data has been verified. After successful verification, you will be able to login into your APS account.
Step 5: Pay the APS application fee
The APS certificate costs 18.000 INR. You can pay the fee online. After a successful registration, APS will send you the details on how to make the online payment. The fee is non-refundable.
Step 6: Submit all documents
After a successful payment, you can send all documents to APS India via courier or submit them personally at the APS office. You may also include the fee payment confirmation along with all the required documents. After sending the documents you can track your application status by logging into your account.
Send your documents via courier to APS India:
Gate No. 3, DLTA Complex,
R.K. Khanna Stadium,
1 Africa Avenue,
110029 New Delhi, India
If your application was successful, a courier will bring your five APS certificates to the address you mentioned during the registration. In case you need an additional copy, you will need to pay 500 INR.
Important Note
Make sure your Aadhaar card is linked to your mobile number.
Are there any exceptions?
Students sponsored by a German or an EU-funded scholarship do not need to apply for an APS certification.
Additionally, those applying for short-term courses (programs covering less than 90 days) also do not need the certificate.
Since APS only verifies Indian academic records, students who hold degrees from international schools or universities are also exempt from the assessment by APS India.
How long does it take to receive the APS certificate?
APS India needs 3-4 weeks to process standard APS applications. Generally, the APS office starts processing your application, as soon as it receives your payment. You can track the status of your application directly in your APS account.
General FAQs for your APS application
You can send the required documents either via courier or hand them over personally, directly at the APS India office reception during their opening hours. Please check their official website for more information.
After the online submission of the application, a withdrawal from the APS process is not possible. The application fee for the certificate is also non-refundable.
Legible A4-sized coloured photocopies of all original documents. Both sides of all the documents must be photocopied to include all the relevant information.
If you have not yet graduated with an Indian Bachelor’s degree want to apply for a Bachelor’s program in Germany, you must submit a TestAS score. Candidates who have cleared JEE Main and Advanced are exempted.
Your documents do not have to be notarised. Exception: Documents translated into English from any of the Indian regional languages must be notarised.
Once you have received an APS certificate, it is valid indefinitely. In the event of a change in the eligibility criteria, you may be required to apply for an updated APS certificate under a new category. Contact the APS India office directly for further information.
Anyone, irrespective of nationality, who is pursuing or has acquired educational qualifications from any of the recognised Indian school boards or universities may apply for an APS certificate. For more information on the application categories, take the eligibility quiz.
Vocational certificates or diplomas awarded by UGC- and AICTE-accredited or recognised institutions are usually considered valid for further education in Germany. More information about accepted diplomas you can find on the FAQ.
Indian students who are still pursuing their Bachelor’s degree at an Indian university MIGHT need to go through the interview process after their documents were successfully verified. This depends on the individual profile of the candidate and on the decision of the APS India itself. If you have to go though an interview, APS will contact you via phone or email to notify you about the place and date of the interview, 10-14 days in advance. The interview can be in either English or German, would last approximately 20 minutes and will be focused on your academic background.
APS India does not issue visas. However, the APS certificate is an integral part of the visa application process.
