Admissions requirements

Studying a degree:
As long as you have the right to study a degree at the higher education level in your country, then you have the right to study it in Germany. If, in your country, after you have finished secondary education, and you need to have a diploma in order to pursue higher education, then Germany would require the same conditions if you wanted to start your studies.
The diploma awarded for the completion of the secondary education must also be equivalent to the German Abitur, in addition you must have an acceptable level of the German language that would enable you to study in Germany. If you have the German Abitur, you are a part of the Bildungsinländer (foreigners who have completed their schooling in Germany). Foreign students who have done their secondary education in Germany, although they are not German can apply to the university as normal. The Studentensekretariat of the university is in charge of applications.

Continuing your higher education studies:
If you wanted to continue your studies in Germany, you may do so as long as you would be allowed to do the same in your country. A certificate stating that you have already studied in the higher education system, of your country, would be necessary. To prove this you would need to have a certified copy of the certificate that has been awarded to you. The certificates must be legally translated into German. The education that you have received in your country must be of the same equivalence to the German education system.

Knowing the German language:
To apply to a German instituion you must have a good understanding of the language. You must take a language test to evaluate your level of German, this test is called the DSH (Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang ausländischer Studienbewerber). This language test can also be called the PNdS (Prufung zum Nachweis Deutscher Sprachkenntnisse). Each university will advise on the exams. It is advised to contact the international relations office of the university, because they arrange the date of the exam.

The following certificates are considered equivalent to the DSH:
ZOP - Central exam for a higher degree
KDS - Minor German language diploma
GDS - Major German language diploma

The Goethe Institutes can help you to prepare for the language exams. They also offer mock exams. For more information look at their website http://www.goethe.de).
Another solution is to attend summer courses at a German university to perfect your German and to prepare yourself for the DSH exam. Costs can be between DM 800 and 1100 (US$ 367 and $505).

Diploma Equivalences:
Before being allowed to start studying at a German university, additional certificates are sometimes necessary. This could be the case, for example if an applicant was educated in a system that teaches secondary education in less than 12 years. In order for the applicant to be qualified to attend a German university they would need to take supplementary courses in the Studienkolleg. Completed courses at the Studienkolleg allows a student who does not have an Abitur, to apply to a German university.
Students are evaluated according to the origin and complete education of the applicant.
The Feststellungsprüfung (the aptitude test for higher education) can be taken immediately or taken only after the applicant has completed the courses in the Studienkolleg. This exam is given twice a year: before the winter and the summer semesters. Certain courses taught at the Studienkolleg give an aptitude for studying some, but not ALL the subjects! Foreign applicants cannot choose a Studienkolleg. They are registered at a Studienkolleg in function of the desired choice of degree subject and the number of available spaces.
Any applicants that do not fit under the above mentioned category can immediately register with a university once they have successfully passed the language exam (PNdS/DSH). For example this would be the case for students from the European Union.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS
If you come from a country mentioned in the list below, you must pass an aptitude test, the Feststellungsprüfung, given by a higher education insititute in Germany before being accepted to study in Germany. In some cases you may be asked to bring proof of qualifications before being allowed to take the exam. Refer to the notes on the bottom of the table.

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Bosia-Herzegovina (2), Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria (10), Burkina Faso, Burundi, Canada (applicants with certificates from Quabec are exempt from the exam), Central African Republic, Chad, Chile (4), China (3),Colombia (1), Comoros (case by case), Costa Rica, Croatia (2), Cuba, Cyprus (2), Dominican Republic, Egypt, El Salvador, Equador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bassau, Haiti (case by case), Honduras, Hongkong (the Feststellungsprfung is only required for applicants who followed the Chinese school system), India (5), Indonesia, Iraq, Iran (1), Japan (6), Jordania, Kenya, Kuwaut, Lesotho, Liberia (case by case), Libya, Macedonia (2), Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Morocco, Mauritania (case by case), Mexico, Mongolia (7), Mozambique (case by case), Myanmar (8), Namibia, Nepal (7), Nicaragua, Nigeria (admission to exam only upon presentation of General Certificate of Education at the Advanced Level), Oman, Pakistan, Panama (1), Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines (8), Qatar, Republic of Slovenia (13), Romania (12), Russia and countries of the ex-USSR (7), Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Somalia (7), South Africa, South Korea (11), Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria (14), Taiwan (7), Thailand, Turkey (9), United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, USA (admission to the exam only for those with a high school diploma received after 12 years of secondary education), Venezuela (1), Vietnam (1), Yemen, rest of Yugoslavia (2), Zaire, Zambia (case by case).

(1) Admission to the Feststellungsprüfung is only allowed upon presentation of a certificate stating they passed the entrance exam needed for attending the higher education system in their country.
(2) The applicant is exempt from the Feststellungsprüfung upon presentation of a certificate stating they passed the entrance exam needed for attending the higher education system in their country.
(3) Admission to the Feststellungsprüfung is only allowed upon presentation of a certificate stating that they have completed one or two years of education at the higher level in their country.
(4) The applicant is exempt from taking the Feststellungsprüfung if they have received more than 600 points during their higher education studies, or if they have completed one year of higher education in Chile.
(5) Applicants are admitted to take the Feststellungsprüfung if they have done 12 years of secondary school. Admission to the Feststellungsprüfung is also allowed upon presentation of a certificate from the Indian Institute of Technology stating their participation in the insititute or a certificate stating that they have completed two years of higher education in their country.
(6) Admission to take the Feststellungsprüfung is only allowed upon presentation of a Japanese appeal for application.
(7) Admission to the Feststellungsprufüng is only allowed upon presentation of a certificate stating they have completed one year of higher education in their country.
(8) Admission to the Feststellungsprüfung is only allowed upon presentation of a certificate stating they have completed two years of higher education in their country.
(9) The applicant is exempt from the Feststellungsprüfung if they have completed 12 years of secondary school and have passed the conditions necessary to enter the higher education system in their country.
(10) The applicant is exempt from the Feststellungsprüfung if they have done 12 years of secondary school.
(11) The applicant is exempt from the Feststellungsprüfung if they passed the higher education entrance exam required in their country, with a minimum grade or upon presentation of a certificate stating that they have completed one year of higher education in their country.
(12) The applicant is exempt from the Feststellungsprüfung upon presentation of a certificate stating they have passed the entance exam needed for attending the higher education system in their country or they have a certificate stating that they have been awarded either a literature or science baccalaureate.
(13) The applicant is exempt from the Feststellungsprüfung upon presentation of a certificate stating they have passed the entrance exam needed for attending the higher education system in their country or on presentation of a certificate stating they have completed their secondary education.