In order to study in Germany, Indian students now will have to present an APS certificate along with their visa application. The candidate’s academic records will be evaluated by the Academic Evaluation Centre, and a certificate (authenticity certificate) will be issued.

What is an APS Certificate? 

It is a certificate used to prove the authenticity of degrees and students’ eligibility to pursue studies at a German university. The certificate is not required for students who have received German or EU-funded scholarships, or for Ph.D. applicants whose thesis mentors do not require it for enrollment.

Beginning November 1st, an APS certificate will be required as part of the paperwork submitted for a German student visa. As a result, candidates will be unable to submit visa applications without their APS certificates. APS will begin accepting submissions for evaluation on October 1.

Students chosen for European-funded scholarships and Ph.D. applicants whose thesis supervisors do not require an APS certificate are exempt from the verification process. Furthermore, people applying for short-term courses (programmes lasting less than 90 days) do not require a certificate.

How to apply for an APS certificate?

To apply for an APS certificate in Germany, you can follow these steps:

• On the website www.aps-india.de, register. Print the application form, then sign it. inaccurate or incomplete information in your application form may lead to its rejection.
• Transfer the 18,000 INR process fee to the APS bank account.
• Send the necessary paperwork, including the printed and signed application form, through courier or deliver it in person to the APS India reception desk.
• The APS will do our document verification. Only applications that are complete will be handled.
• Your online profile will be updated with the verification results after the document verification is finished. Five authentic APS certificates will be sent by courier to the chosen candidates.
• Successful applicants may use service specialists to apply for a student visa.

Process time for the APS certificate?

To process your APS application, APS India will need 3–4 weeks to review your submitted documents, determine whether they are valid, and then issue the certificate. As soon as they receive your application, they will go to work on it. Your account on the APS India website will get information about your APS application.

The APS certificate application process

Below we have mentioned a step-by-step process involved in the processing of the APS application:

• You need to register online first to download the form. Fill complete and sign the form.
• The APS charge is INR. 18,000 must be transferred to APS’s bank account.
• Submit the prerequisites, along with the completed APS form, through courier or at the APS India desk.
• APS will verify the prerequisites and only full applications will be processed.
• Following the completion of the verification, the candidates online profiles will be updated.
• Candidates that are accepted can apply for a German student visa through VFS.

Summarizing the process, students must first register online at the APS India website before applying for APS certificates. After completing the form, they should print and sign it before delivering it to the APS India reception desk, either by courier or in person. The INR 18,000 application fee should be deposited to the APS bank.

Note: The processing of the APS certificate application requires a period of two weeks.

APS certificate timeline?

For short-term (less than 90-day) courses, an APS certificate is not necessary. An APS certificate is mandatory for courses with a duration of more than 90 days.

When educational profiles and the associated educational certificates are verified by the APS, certificates are provided if their results are favorable. To apply to a German university from these nations, you must have an APS certificate in Germany. APS Germany is one of the German Embassy’s institutions. The German Embassy and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) jointly operate the APS. Apart from India, it is present in Vietnam, and China. 

The documents required to be attached with the APS application have been mentioned below:

1. An application form duly filled and signed along with a passport-size photo
2. A Copy of the APS fee transfer receipt 
3. A Copy of the Aadhar card with a linked mobile number 
4. Copies of passports
5. Copies of all your Mark sheets and degree certificates 
6. Proof or Language certificate for German or English

It is important that you make sure that you apply for the APS certificate well in advance, with all the documents that are required failing to which applications can be rejected. According to a press release, during the document verification process Applications that are incomplete or contain inaccurate information will not be processed.

Lastly, we’ll quote that an APS certificate is valid indefinitely once awarded to a candidate. If the candidate’s qualifying criteria change, he or she may be required to apply for an updated APS certificate under a new category.

Is the APS certificate mandatory for masters in Germany?

An APS certificate for Germany is required for all applicants for Master’s, and Bachelor’s in Germany or any other degree programs to which a candidate applies to German universities. Indian students must first have their academic records examined by the Academic Evaluation Centre (APS) and get authenticity certificates to qualify for student visas in Germany. For students to receive their authenticity certificates, APS certificates will be a required component of the documentation that must be supplied with your visa application as of November 1, 2022.

Are there any exemptions from the APS certificate requirements?

Students receiving financial support from the EU or Germany do not need to apply for an APS certification. For students who have obtained scholarships supported by Germany or Europe, this certificate is not necessary. If their thesis mentor is not required to be admitted, Ph.D. students are excused from the APS Certificate requirement. They do not require an APS Certificate if the course lasts fewer than 90 days.