German University Application Process for Indian Students: 6 Steps for 2027

  • Last Updated on: November 2, 2026 by
  • Swapna Kanchikacherla
German Universities Application Process for Indians
German Universities Application Process For Indians

The German university application process for Indian students runs in six steps: choose a programme and entry route, clear APS and a language test, prepare certified documents. Then apply through uni-assist or the university, meet the deadline and file the visa. In 2026, APS costs INR 18,000 at APS India, and many courses close on 15 July for a winter start. Find your entry route in the table below, then follow the Winter 2027/28 month plan.

Written by
Swapna Kanchikacherla
Head of European Desk
Specialises in Germany and France student admissions and visa documentation, with a focus on Campus France, APS, blocked-account and proof-of-funds files.
9 Years, 1100 Visas
Reviewed by
Sridhar Kongara
Managing Director
Mr. Kongara Sridhar, Director of AOEC India, has over 12 years of experience in overseas education consulting, admissions, and student visa guidance.
Over 12 years Experience

Key Takeaways

  • Class 12 alone, with at least 70% overall, means a Studienkolleg first, unless you hold a valid JEE Advanced result.
  • A 4-year Indian bachelor’s is treated at par with a German one for a master’s.
  • APS costs INR 18,000, isn’t refunded and has no fixed processing time, so start it first.
  • uni-assist charges EUR 75 (about INR 8,000) for the first course and EUR 30 (about INR 3,200) for each extra one per semester.
  • Skip the apostille: German authorities don’t recognise it on Indian documents.
  • Up-front fees come to about INR 34,300 for APS, one uni-assist course and the INR 8,300 visa fee, before service charges, plus EUR 150 (about INR 16,000) if your field needs the dMAT.
Table of Contents
Step 1: Choose a Programme and Check Your Entry Route Scroll here ↓ Step 2: APS, dMAT and Your Language Test Scroll here ↓ Step 3: Application Documents to Prepare Scroll here ↓ Step 4: Apply Through uni-assist, the University Portal or Hochschulstart Scroll here ↓ German University Application Deadlines and a 12-Month Timeline Scroll here ↓ After the Admission Letter: Visa, Funds and Enrolment Scroll here ↓ Frequently Asked Questions Scroll here ↓

Step 1: Choose a Programme and Check Your Entry Route

The German university application process for Indian students starts with one check before you pay to study in Germany: can you enter the programme? Every programme looks at your HZB (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung, the qualification that lets you enter a German university). If anabin (Germany’s recognition database) doesn’t recognise your college or qualification, APS India may not issue a positive certificate.

Shortlist in the DAAD International Programmes database (1,589 English-only master’s and 237 English-only bachelor’s, private institutions included, for 2026/27) or the Higher Education Compass (Hochschulkompass).

Your Class 12 profileEntry routeWhat you must showAPS needed?
Class 12 onlyStudienkolleg (preparatory college, usually two semesters), then its final exam, the FSP, which opens a bachelor’s seat70% overall in Class 12 (from Winter 2026/27), plus B1-B2 GermanYes
Class 12 plus a valid JEE Advanced resultDirect entry to a subject-specific bachelor’sYour JEE Advanced rankingYes
Class 12 plus one year of a bachelor’s in IndiaDirect entry to the same or a closely related subject70% overall in Class 12 (from Winter 2026/27), plus one successful yearYes
Your degreeEntry route to a master’sdMAT needed?APS needed?
4-year bachelor’sTreated at par; most universities consider you eligible if you meet other criteriaOnly in a listed fieldYes
3-year bachelor’s (B.Com, BSc, BA)Contact the course coordinator before applyingOnly in a listed fieldYes

Still in Class 12 with a JEE Advanced attempt ahead? Sit it: a valid result is the only direct route from Class 12. The other routes are compared in study in Germany after 12th.

With a 3-year degree the programme decides, so write to the course coordinator before you apply and keep a backup programme on your shortlist. For programme choice by field, see masters in Germany.

Step 2: APS, dMAT and Your Language Test

In 2026, the APS certificate (APS India’s check that Indian marks and degrees are genuine) costs INR 18,000 at APS India and is not refunded. APS India gives no fixed processing time: verification takes at least two weeks, and longer depending on application volume and how fast schools, boards or universities reply.

In our 2026 cohort, the most common slip was starting APS in February for an October start. German Missions in India list five cases where APS isn’t needed, such as holding a foreign degree that is not Indian (a British one, say). Some master’s applicants also need the dMAT:

  • The dMAT (Digital Master Test) is an extra APS step, not a replacement, and costs EUR 150.
  • The test provider’s field list covers bachelor’s degrees in Engineering; Commerce, Accounting, Finance or Economics; or Business or Management, for master’s study from Summer 2027. An updated list is due.
  • Next tests: mid-January and mid-March 2027, and you can post APS documents before your result.

English-taught programmes need proof of English, such as IELTS or TOEFL, and most German-taught ones need at least B2 German. Take TestDaF (available in India) or the DSH (taken in Germany). For the visa, German Missions in India generally expect C1 (an advanced level on the European language scale) in your course language, German or English, if you go straight into a bachelor’s or master’s. They don’t accept Duolingo, PTE or TOEFL Home Edition. Test exemptions sit with the full requirements to study in Germany.

Step 3: Application Documents to Prepare

Skip the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) apostille. German authorities don’t recognise attestation or apostille of Indian documents, and it isn’t required for the visa; Germany objected to India joining the convention.

Prepare these instead, from the DAAD document list:

  • Certified copies of your Class 12 or degree certificates, plus a grades overview with an official translation.
  • Certified copies of your language certificates, a passport photocopy and a photograph.
  • Certified translations where your university asks for them; some universities also accept documents in English.
  • For APS: a notarised English translation of any paper issued only in a regional language; English or bilingual papers generally need no notary.
  • For the visa: a motivation letter and a table-form CV in English or German, plus originals or copies certified by a German authority. Certifications by Indian authorities or notaries aren’t accepted here.

From our counselling desk: The file we most often send back shows the degree title two ways: "Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Science)" on the certificate, "B.E. Computer Science Engineering" on the transcript. Have your college correct it before anything goes to APS.

Step 4: Apply Through uni-assist, the University Portal or Hochschulstart

uni-assist charges EUR 75 (about INR 8,000) for the first course and EUR 30 (about INR 3,200) for each further course in one semester, due whatever the result. In 2026, results usually take 4 to 6 weeks from receipt of the online form, currently 2-3 weeks for Asian certificates, sometimes longer. The fee pays for an evaluation, not a place.

ChannelWho files hereWatch-out for Indian applicants
uni-assistApplicants whose programme page names uni-assistIts VPD (evaluation report with your converted grade) is valid one year, though TUM accepts one for 3 years if nothing has changed
University portal or International OfficeProgrammes that take applications themselves, e.g. the Technical University of Munich (TUM) via TUMonlineA VPD alone is not a TUM application; you also apply on TUMonline
Hochschulstart (Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung)Medicine, pharmacy, dentistry and veterinary medicine, which have a numerus clausus (a cap on places) at every German university; German, EU and EEA applicantsIndian applicants apply to the university directly, which may set 15 January as the only date

On uni-assist, upload everything to My assist (uni-assist’s portal) at least 8 weeks before the deadline; reapplying next semester restarts at EUR 75. uni-assist has no India office, works with no placement agencies and requests payment only through its portal, so ignore anyone selling a faster evaluation. Compare campuses across the public universities in Germany.

Grades convert with the modified Bavarian formula: 1 + 3 x (best score – your score) / (best score – pass mark), where 1.0 is best and 4.0 the lowest pass.

  • CGPA 8.0 out of 10, pass mark 4.0: 1 + 3 x 2 / 6 = 2.0.
  • Same CGPA, pass mark 5.0: 1 + 3 x 2 / 5 = 2.2.

German University Application Deadlines and a 12-Month Timeline

Many German courses close on 15 July for a winter start and 15 January for a summer start, but many universities set earlier master’s dates, so your own programme’s date decides.

For a Winter 2027/28 start, here is the German university application process for Indian students month by month:

WhenWhat you do
Oct-Dec 2026Shortlist, book IELTS or start German, register for APS
Jan 2027Check each course page and deadline; APS under way
Mid-Jan or mid-Mar 2027dMAT, if your field is listed: sit the mid-January test if your deadline is 1 March; APS India issues your certificate only after your dMAT result
Jan-Feb 2027RWTH Aachen open-admission master’s (no cap on places), non-EU applicants: apply by 1 March
Feb-Apr 2027TUM M.Sc. Informatics: request the uni-assist VPD at least 8 weeks before 31 May and apply on TUMonline too
May-Jul 2027Courses closing 15 July: applications open in early May at most institutions; on uni-assist, submit at least 8 weeks before the deadline
Aug-Sep 2027Most letters for 15 July courses arrive. Visa processing may take several months, so a letter this late may not leave time for a September/October start: ask the International Office about late arrival or the next intake.
The day your letter arrivesFile the visa on the Consular Services Portal
On arrivalRegister your address and enrol before the deadline

For Summer 2027, TUM Informatics closes 30 November and many courses 15 January: realistic only if APS is done. Our winter intake in Germany guide compares both intakes.

After the Admission Letter: Visa, Funds and Enrolment

The visa is the slowest part, so file it the day your admission letter arrives. Processing may take several months, and the Missions don’t answer status questions for the first three months. Our Germany student visa guide walks through it.

Apply on the Consular Services Portal (CSP, the online visa system). The German national visa fee for applicants over 18 is EUR 75, which German Missions publish as INR 8,300, plus a service fee. Parents, three things count as proof of money:

  • A blocked account (Sperrkonto) holding EUR 11,904 for your first year, releasing no more than EUR 992 a month.
  • A formal declaration from a sponsor residing in Germany.
  • A German or EU scholarship.

Parental income in India isn’t on this list, and an education loan, if you take one, needs its own proof. Providers are compared on our Germany blocked account page. You’ll also need health insurance from arrival. DAAD’s general master’s Study Scholarship isn’t offered to applicants from India; see the open scholarships in Germany.

State universities generally charge no tuition for bachelor’s or most master’s courses, but Baden-Württemberg charges non-EU citizens EUR 1,500 a semester, and TUM in Bavaria charges new non-EU master’s students EUR 4,600 or 6,800 a semester from Winter 2027/28.

Then enrol (Immatrikulation, formal registration) fast, because deadlines are often short and late papers stop you enrolling. The semester contribution runs roughly EUR 70 to 430 per semester. Register your address (Anmeldung) within two weeks of moving in, and hunt for housing once admitted: most German universities don’t offer rooms to new students.

Get in Touch

Frequently Asked Questions

At most institutions, winter-semester applications run from early May to 15 July, and summer-semester ones from early December to 15 January. Many master’s courses close earlier. APS has no fixed processing time and visas may take several months, so start about a year ahead.

For an English-taught programme you need proof of English; IELTS is the safe choice because the visa stage needs a recognised test. German-taught programmes ask for TestDaF or DSH instead. So if you plan to study in German, IELTS alone won’t get you in.

It depends on the programme. Each programme’s own regulations decide the official conversion, and TUM’s online converter is for reference only and not binding. Convert your CGPA with the modified Bavarian formula, then compare it with each programme’s stated grade.

Yes, on the same terms as any Indian board: APS India applies the 70% Class 12 threshold regardless of board. CBSE Class 12 alone doesn’t give direct entry, so without JEE Advanced or a college year you go through a Studienkolleg; those at state-funded universities charge no tuition.

Yes. On uni-assist you can choose several courses in the same semester, and some universities pay their applicants’ fees, making that application free. Universities with their own portal, such as TUM through TUMonline, need a separate application there, so track each deadline on its own.

Start APS first: every later step waits on it.

AOEC India has over 10 years of experience and more than 12,000 visas, with offices in Hyderabad and Tirupati. Before any Germany file is posted, our counsellors check each document against the APS India, uni-assist and German Missions in India checklists.

Sources

Official sources first, then reputable third-party.

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