Requirements to Study in Germany for Indian Students 2026-27

  • Last Updated on: November 2, 2026 by
  • Swapna Kanchikacherla
Requirements to Study in Germany
Requirements to Study in Germany

The requirements to study in Germany for Indian students are a recognised entry qualification, an APS certificate, language proof and an admission letter. For the visa, you also need a funded blocked account and health insurance. From Winter Semester 2026/27, a Class 12 route into a bachelor’s also needs at least 70% overall, under APS India’s undergraduate eligibility update. Worried about your marks? The first table shows your route by profile. Do things in this order: APS, then a language test, then applications, then the blocked account and visa. Our study in Germany guide covers the wider picture.

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: 2026 requirements at a glance

  • From Winter Semester 2026/27, a Class 12 route into a German bachelor’s needs at least 70% overall.
  • Most Indian applicants need an APS certificate first; the fee is INR 18,000 and is not refunded.
  • Engineering, commerce, accounting, finance, economics and business graduates starting a master’s from Summer Semester 2027 may also need the dMAT, at EUR 150 (approx. INR 16,000).
  • Duolingo, PTE and TOEFL home edition scores don’t count for the visa in India.
  • uni-assist charges EUR 75 (approx. INR 8,000) for your first course in a semester.
  • The blocked account must hold EUR 11,904 (approx. INR 12.68 lakh) for your first year.
Table of Contents
Entry Routes to German Universities for Indian Qualifications Scroll here ↓ APS Verification: Fee, Exemptions and the dMAT Test Scroll here ↓ German and English Language Requirements Scroll here ↓ Application Documents, uni-assist and Deadlines Scroll here ↓ Financial and Health Insurance Requirements for Germany Scroll here ↓ Frequently Asked Questions Scroll here ↓

Entry Routes to German Universities for Indian Qualifications

An Indian Class 12 certificate does not give direct entry to a German bachelor’s degree, except with a valid JEE Advanced result. From Winter Semester 2026/27, both Class 12 routes need at least 70% of the maximum overall marks. So a 68% closes both, unless your APS application went in before 15 March 2026.

Bachelor’s Routes After Class 12

Your profileRoute into a German bachelor’sWhat you need first
Class 12 with 70% or more, no college yearStudienkolleg (a one-year foundation course in Germany), then the FSP (Feststellungspruefung, its final exam)APS certificate, German at B1-B2, Studienkolleg entrance exam
Class 12 with 70% or more, plus one passed year of a regular bachelor’s at a recognised Indian institutionDirect subject-restricted admission (same or closely related subject)APS certificate and language proof
Valid JEE Advanced resultDirect admission, subject-specific course onlyAPS certificate and language proof; a German-taught course may need a higher German level
Class 12 below 70%, no JEE Advanced result, APS applied on or after 15 March 2026No Class 12 route is openFinish an Indian bachelor’s, then use the master’s table

INR figures use the live Google-published rate captured on 2026-10-15: EUR 1 = INR 106.50. Rates fluctuate intraday; figures are indicative.

The 2026 APS update does not mention JEE Advanced, so confirm a JEE route with APS before you rely on it. With 70% and the option of one bachelor’s year in India, take that route. You stay in your subject and skip a German-taught foundation year. Passing that year does not guarantee a seat; the university still decides.

The Studienkolleg route’s downside is language. Courses are taught in German, so you need B1-B2 German and must pass an entrance exam to join. It usually takes two semesters. Passing the FSP lets you apply for courses in your Studienkolleg’s subject track anywhere in Germany, though some Studienkollegs are tied to one region or university. Public ones are generally free apart from the semester fee. Private ones often charge fees, and only a few offer a state-recognised Studienkolleg exam. Our guide to study in Germany after 12th goes deeper on the Class 12 routes.

Master’s Routes After an Indian Degree

Your degreeHow German universities treat itWhat to do first
Four-year bachelor’s (B.Tech, B.E.)At par with a German bachelor’sMeet the course’s other criteria, get APS, apply
Three-year bachelor’s (B.Com, B.Sc, B.A.)Not covered by the at-par ruleAsk the course coordinator before applying

With a three-year degree, email the coordinator before you pay any application fee. Some universities may ask for GRE or GMAT scores for a master’s, for example GMAT for economics or law, under the DAAD India master studies guidance. In an affected field, the dMAT comes on top of APS, explained below. PhD applicants can skip APS, but only if the university does not require it. Our guide to a master’s in Germany goes deeper on the master’s route.

APS Verification: Fee, Exemptions and the dMAT Test

If you studied school, some semesters or a degree in India, you almost always need an APS certificate to be admitted. APS (Akademische Pruefstelle) is the office in New Delhi that checks your Indian marksheets and degrees are genuine. It doesn’t decide your admission or your visa. Start APS before any other requirement.

  • Fee: in 2026, the APS verification fee is INR 18,000, not refunded once paid, whatever the outcome.
  • Time: no fixed processing time. It depends on file volume and how fast your school, board and university answer APS queries.
  • Sending: by post or courier only. English or bilingual documents generally need no notarisation; translations of regional-language documents must be notarised.

In 2026, you can skip APS in five cases under the German Missions’ study visa checklist:

  1. PhD or postdoc study
  2. a stipend from EU or German public funds
  3. study towards a non-German degree
  4. a foreign degree that is not Indian
  5. an international school certificate or degree, such as the IB

Exempt applicants upload an anabin confirmation (from Germany’s foreign-qualifications database) or a ZAB (Central Office for Foreign Education) Statement of Comparability instead. APS India’s exemption rules are narrower for PhD and scholarship cases, so get written confirmation before you skip APS.

dMAT for Master’s Applicants

From the Summer Semester 2027 intake, the dMAT (Digital Master Test, an aptitude test for some master’s applicants) comes on top of APS, not instead of it. You take it if your degree is in an affected field and you did both of these on or after 29 June 2026: registered for APS online, and shipped your documents. As of October 2026, the dMAT affected fields are Engineering; Commerce, Accounting, Finance and Economics; and Business or Management, and APS India says an updated list is due shortly.

In 2026, the fee is EUR 150. For Winter Semester 2027/28 starters, the next cycles are mid-January and mid-March 2027; registration dates aren’t announced yet. A low score doesn’t automatically mean refusal, but your APS certificate is issued only after the result is checked, under the APS India dMAT rules.

From our counselling desk: Register for APS the week you pick your intake, before you book a language test. APS has no fixed processing time, and the dMAT runs only in set cycles.

German and English Language Requirements

Say your English-taught master’s accepts your Duolingo score. For the visa, that score still won’t work, so book a test the embassy recognises from the start.

In 2026, Duolingo, Pearson PTE and TOEFL home edition tests are not recognised for visa applications in India under the German Missions’ study visa language rules. Goethe-Institut or Max Mueller Bhavan, OeSD (the Austrian German exam) and telc (a German language test provider) work for German, and IELTS or tests from other ALTE members (the Association of Language Testers in Europe) for English. Two bars apply: the university’s and the visa’s.

  • German-taught degrees: most need German at B2 or higher. English-taught postgraduate programmes need English proof instead, as the DAAD requirements overview explains.
  • German tests: take TestDaF (Test of German as a Foreign Language) or DSH (the German university entrance language exam). At least the intermediate level in every part (the middle grade band) meets the vast majority of German-taught programmes; the course page names the exact grade. Goethe-Zertifikat C2, telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule and DSD II (the German Language Diploma, level II) are usually recognised too, under the DAAD German language guidance.
  • English scores: each university sets its own IELTS or TOEFL score on the course page.

In 2026, the visa bar is set by your course type. For a German-taught preparatory course (a Studienkolleg or language course), you need German at least B1; for an English-taught one, English at least B2. For going straight into a bachelor’s or master’s, the embassy generally expects C1, in either language. So if your university asks for B2, prepare for C1 anyway.

Application Documents, uni-assist and Deadlines

For documents, the requirements to study in Germany for Indian students are much the same at most universities:

  • mark sheets and degree certificate, certified and translated where needed
  • passport copy, language certificate and APS certificate
  • CV and motivation letter, which the visa asks for too
  • recommendation letters, if the course asks

For the visa, you also upload proof of admission, a motivation letter and a CV in table form, in English or German. Your passport must be valid, issued within the last 10 years, with at least 2 empty pages.

Many universities use uni-assist (a central office that checks international applications for its member universities). Some universities ask instead for a VPD (Vorpruefungsdokumentation, a pre-check certificate): uni-assist reviews only some documents and gives you a certificate to send straight to the university. In 2026, uni-assist’s handling fees are EUR 75 for your first course in a semester and EUR 30 for each extra one, the same for a VPD, and due whatever the result. Our German university application process guide covers each step.

So apply to fewer, better-fitting courses, because no fee comes back. As of 12 October 2026, the uni-assist processing time for certificates from Asia is 2-3 weeks, though individual cases may take longer, so apply at least 8 weeks before the deadline. Deadlines for many, but not all, courses are often 15 July for a winter start and 15 January for summer; many universities set earlier dates for master’s courses and Studienkollegs. For an October start, see our winter intake in Germany calendar.

Financial and Health Insurance Requirements for Germany

In 2026, the blocked account (Sperrkonto, a German account with capped monthly withdrawals) must hold EUR 11,904 (approx. INR 12.68 lakh) for the first year, with no more than EUR 992 (approx. INR 1.06 lakh) released a month, under the German student visa checklist. You upload its blocking confirmation with your visa file, so fund it first.

Parents, this is your child’s own living money, released monthly, not a fee you lose. A sponsor living in Germany can replace it with a Verpflichtungserklaerung (a formal promise, made at a German immigration office, to cover all the student’s costs). At a private university that charges tuition, the visa also needs proof of the fee amount and that the first year’s fees, or a substantial deposit, are paid. Our Germany blocked account guide explains how to open one. You also need health insurance:

  • For the visa: compulsory health insurance, statutory or private, valid from your intended arrival date.
  • Monthly cost: in 2026, statutory student cover at TK’s student contribution table is EUR 141.16 a month up to age 23 without children, and EUR 146.29 from 23.
  • Age limit: the reduced student rate applies only under 30. From 30, the standard rate applies, even while studying.

The visa has its own fee and can take months, so apply the week your admission letter arrives:

  • Visa fee: in 2026, EUR 75 over 18 and EUR 37.50 under 18, paid in rupees at the exchange rate on your appointment day, under the German Missions’ national visa rules. It isn’t refunded on refusal, and the service provider adds its own fee.
  • Portal: applying on the Consular Services Portal (CSP) is obligatory, and only then can you book an appointment.
  • Waiting: processing may take several months, and status queries aren’t answered in the first three months.

Our Germany student visa guide covers the full visa file.

Get in Touch

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. The 70% Class 12 rule applies to every examining board, so a state board student and a CBSE student with the same percentage have the same options. If you already hold an APS certificate issued under the older rules, it remains valid.

Not everywhere. In 2026, Baden-Wuerttemberg’s state universities charge non-EU/EEA students EUR 1,500 (approx. INR 1.6 lakh) per semester. Under TUM’s tuition fees for non-EU students, master’s starters from Winter Semester 2027/28 pay EUR 4,600 or 6,800 (approx. INR 4.90 or 7.24 lakh) a semester. See our cost of studying in Germany guide.

Yes, if your course is taught in German, because you prove German instead. APS itself needs no German or English level. An English-taught course still needs an English test, and for the visa it must be one the embassy recognises, such as IELTS.

EUR 11,904 (approx. INR 12.68 lakh) in a blocked account for the first year. Instead, you can show a declaration from a sponsor living in Germany, or a German or EU scholarship. An education loan is extra to the blocked account and needs its own proof. An Indian affidavit of support is not accepted.

Sometimes. A stipend from EU or German public funds is on the APS exemption list, but APS India applies its own exemption rules, so get written confirmation before you skip APS. For living costs, proof of a German or EU scholarship or stipend is accepted for the visa. Our scholarships in Germany guide covers funded routes.

For the requirements to study in Germany for Indian students, the order is APS first, then language, then applications and money. AOEC India has over 10 years of experience and more than 12,000 visas, with branches in Hyderabad and Tirupati.

Sources

Official sources first, then university and insurer pages.

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