Students from German Schools Abroad

The Abitur is the German equivalent of a secondary school leaving certificate. If you obtain this qualification at a German school abroad, you are considered equal to German applicants and do not need to provide further proof of your German language skills. You apply via the online application portal and your application will be processed directly by the Admissions Office. It does not matter whether you hold German citizenship or not.

However, you should definitely get in touch with the International House, as this is where you’ll find all the services available to international students, and the staff will of course be able to advise you on visa and residency matters.

By the way: if you’re applying with an Abitur, you won’t, of course, have to pay a fee for the assessment of foreign school reports or academic qualifications.

If you are applying with an International Baccalaureate (IB), your online application will be forwarded directly to the Incoming Office at the International House, as the IB is a Swiss school-leaving qualification, regardless of the country in which it was obtained.

Most applicants with an IB must provide evidence of German language proficiency for their studies. If you have obtained a bilingual IB, you are exempt from this requirement. If German was taken at Higher Level in the IB and is an examination subject, we can assess on a case-by-case basis whether further evidence is required.

It is always important to ensure that the requirements of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK) for the IB are met. You can find the currently valid KMK resolution on this page: IB Requirements

Important: Make sure you find out in good time (before starting upper secondary school!) which subjects at which level are required for your intended degree programme, as you must take them in your final two years of school.

If you get a graduation certificate from a German school abroad that is equivalent to the country’s normal diploma, you’ll be treated like any other international applicant. The steps to apply are the same. See the “Applying as an international student” pages for full details.

You can also look up your certificate in the DAAD admissions database or the anabin database. That will tell you if you qualify for direct university admission (either general or subject-specific) or if you first need to attend a preparatory college.