Applying with Certificates Issued Abroad

Please use the DAAD’s admission database to check whether you are entitled to studying the subject of your choice at a German university with your foreign certificates. The anabin online database also provides you with more detailed information on the assessment of foreign degrees.

If you do not yet have the qualifications required to study at a university, please find further information here on the opportunities of obtaining a university entrance qualification (Studienkolleg, TestAS, ITB test, VORsprung, private university preparation programmes).

Please find an overview of all study programmes on our website. Click on the desired study programme to find out whether the programme starts in the summer or the winter semester. If there are further specific requirements for the study programme you wish to apply for, such as a completed internship, passing an entrance examination, professional experience or knowledge of the English language, you will find them under “Zugangsvoraussetzungen”. For details concerning the admission requirements, please refer to the study programme’s examination regulations in the download box on their respective website.

You are an applicant who is treated as a German national if at least one of the following statements applies to you:

1. You are a citizen of an EU or EEA country (all member states of the European Union plus Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway).
2. You live in Germany, at least one of your parents is a citizen of an EU or EEA country and works in Germany or has worked in Germany.
3. You live in Germany, your spouse or registered partner is a citizen of an EU or EEA country and currently works in Germany.
4. You have already completed a degree in Germany.
5. You have attended a German school abroad and have obtained a German university entrance qualification there.

If you are treated as a German national, you do not need a VPD certificate when applying through the university’s application portal. Please upload your proof of equal treatment in the applicant portal.

Applicants with certificates issued abroad who are not treated as German nationals must request a VPD certificate from uni-assist before they apply to HSBI.

How to request a VPD certificate:

1. Create an account at uni-assist.
2. Upload your certificates and certified translations of your documents.
   You do not have to upload any language certificates or other programme-specific certificates to uni-assist, as uni-assist only checks your university entrance qualification (HZB) or your master’s entrance qualification (MZB).
3. Pay the service charge.

Processing of the VPD request usually takes 4 to 6 weeks. A request for the VPD certificate can be made throughout the year. Please find more information on VPD here and in our FAQ.

Please note

Even if you obtain your university entrance qualification via an admission test (TestAS or ITB test), you will still need a VPD certificate for your application to HSBI. You will not need to submit your TestAS or ITB test to uni-assist when you apply for a VPD certificate, just your (educational) certificates. In this case, the VPD certificate will state that you meet the requirements for attending a Studienkolleg. You only need to submit the TestAS/ITB test when you apply to HSBI.

If you wish to apply for a restricted-admission (NC) bachelor’s degree programme, you have to register at Hochschulstart via HSBI’s application portal before applying. Hochschulstart is a central application portal in Germany through which many restricted-admission bachelor’s degree programmes are coordinated.

When registering at Hochschulstart, please create an individual account through which you will submit your application. After you have created the account, you will receive two important identification numbers:

• BID (application ID)
• BAN (applicant authentification number)

In the next step (step 6), enter your BID and BAN into the CAT portal, HSBI’s application portal.

Keep your Hochschulstart login details safe – you will need them for later steps in the application and admission process.

Please make sure to check the application deadlines, which you can find on the study programme pages.

As a rule, you need the following documents to apply:

• Proof of university entrance qualification (originals and certified translations into German or English produced by sworn translators),
• If applicable, bachelor’s degree certificate and transcript of records (originals and certified translations into German or English produced by sworn translators),
• Preliminary review documentation (VPD) from uni-assist,
  • In case of access to the university through TestAS or ITB test: preliminary review documentation (VPD) from uni-assist (for Studienkolleg) and TestAS result or ITB result,
• Recognised proof of German and/or English skills,
• If applicable, further proof necessary for your study programme (e.g. proof of passed entrance examination, proof of internship, employer’s certificate, completed vocational training etc.),
• In addition, for applicants with Chinese, Vietnamese or Indian certificates: APS certificate.

Please find further information on how to apply for work-integrated study programmes on this website.

As a next step, we will review your application documents and inform you about the result in writing.

If you are admitted, you will be able to download your admissions letter from HSBI’s CAT portal.

If you apply for a restriced-admission bachelor's degree, you will receive your letter of admission via Hochschulstart.

Afterwards, please submit your request for registration with the university through the CAT portal – please make sure to do so before your personal registration deadline. If necessary, you will be asked to submit additional documents such as a passport copy, a CV, a certificate of deregistration and a proof of eligibility for taking exams. In order to ensure a smooth start to your studies, we kindly ask you to submit the requested documents in good time.

After successfully submitting your request for registration through the CAT portal, you must:

1. Transfer the semester contribution to the university’s bank account within 14 calendar days. You will find the bank details and your individual reference number in your enrolment application form. (Please note: the reference number must be used exactly as stated in your enrolment application form. Otherwise, your payment cannot be allocated.)
2. Ask your health insurance provider to send a digital proof of your health insurance status (M10) to HSBI.

Students in Germany must have health insurance during their studies. Without proof of valid health insurance, you cannot enrol at HSBI. Please find more information on health insurance in our FAQ.

You will not be fully registered until the contribution has been booked in HSBI’s account and we have received all the required documents (including the digital proof of your health insurance).

After we have fully registered you, you will receive a letter with the credentials for our online campus by letter to the address recorded in the CAT portal. It may take a few days for you to receive the letter. Students who were already registered at HSBI in the past or still are keep their student ID number and thus their credentials for HSBI’s online services.

On our website you will also find information on the Welcome Weeks, our orientation weeks for international freshers in German-language study programmes at HSBI.