FAQ for Recognition / Validation of Foreign Certificates

Where can I find the application for recognition?

You can find the application form at
German version: Anerkennung ihrer ausländischen Vorbildungsnachweise
English version: Certification of recognition / validation of foreign certificates

in the download area on the right side. If you are in Mainz, you can also obtain a paper application form from the Infodesk in the Student Service Center.

What documents do I need to submit for the recognition of my qualifications?

Please submit the following documents:

• Your school leaving certificate, including a mark sheet.
• Where applicable, proof that you have successfully completed a higher education entrance examination. (Please also see question No. 3.)
• If you have already been matriculated at a university, your university certificates or transcript (including marks).
• Translations must be provided of all certificates that are not already in German, English or French.
• A simple copy (not certified) of the passport-page stating your first and family name and your birthdate.

All certificates (original language and translation) must be officially certified. (Please see below for more information).

Please consider the country-specific requirements too.

Information on the evaluation of non-German qualifications can be found on ANABIN, the information portal for official recognition of educational qualifications from foreign countries.

Can I / Do I have to submit the originals of certificates?

In general, we do not accept originals, since we are required to retain the documents. Original documents should only be submitted where specifically requested by the International Office. Please be aware that JGU cannot assume liability for the unsolicited submission of original documents.

Where can I have my certificates officially certified (in Germany / outside Germany)?

Information on this can be found on the website Document Authentication / Certification. In addition, please see the third page of the recognition application form for information on who is authorized to certify documentation in Germany and outside Germany.

Which documents do I need to hand in as officially certified copies?

All documents necessary for the evaluation must be officially certified!

• The certificates in original language must be notarized. A simple copy, attached to a certified translation, is not enough.
• The translated documents must be officially certified or stamped by the translator.

Some public authorities do not certify foreign documents. Therefore, please check which of the documents submitted for certification have actually been certified. This is recognizable, among others, by means of the text/stamp of the certifying authority, as this may refers explicitly to the “translation of a foreign document”.

Notice: Usually, a translation contains, in addition to the translation, a copy of the certificate in original language. However, translators are only allowed to certify the document issued by themselves.

Tip: Take both the document issued by the translator (translation) and the original certificate with you to the certifying authority. This way you can ensure that both documents (translation and document in original language) can be certified. The original of a document must always be available for certification, since certified copies or scans cannot be copied and authenticated again.

The copy of your passport does not need to be notarized.

For information on the documents, you need to submit, please refer to the FAQ above. Information about which authorities are allowed to certify documents is stated on the homepage Documents authentication / Certification and on the application of recognition.

I passed a higher education entrance examination in my country, but did not receive a certificate for this. What are my options?

Please see the assessment recommendations of the Central Office for Foreign Education (www.anabin.de - in German) for more information on whether proof of passing a higher education entrance examination is necessary for admission to a university in Germany. Where there is a recommendation which explicitly requires that applicants provide proof that they have passed a higher education entrance examination (for example, in the case of applicants from Iran, Turkey, and Vietnam), then the submission of a corresponding certificate is mandatory. In all other cases it is unnecessary.

Does passing the assessment test (“Feststellungsprüfung”) make recognition of qualifications unnecessary?

No, because the official recognition procedure involves a review of the certificates from your home country. Even if you successfully complete the assessment test in Germany, validation will still be necessary for your prior educational qualifications obtained outside Germany.

Will recognition of my certificates still be necessary if I have already obtained an APS certificate (China, Vietnam, Mongolia)?

Yes. The original of your APS certificate (not a copy) must be submitted together with your other certificates when you apply for official recognition.

Do I need to provide proof of German or English proficiency when I submit the application for recognition of my qualifications?

No. Proof of proficiency in German or other languages is not required for the review of your qualifications. But you will need to submit any necessary proof of language proficiency when you apply for admission to JGU.

Can I apply for recognition of qualifications and admission to university at the same time?

No, the official recognition process must be completed before you can apply for admission. This is because you will need certain information for the admission procedure, including a conversion of your average grades to the German grading system and details of any potential subject-specific limitations related to your qualifications. An exception are applications for admission for masters studies M.Sc. Physics and M.Sc. Meteorology.

Under what circumstance do I NOT require recognition of my qualifications?

• If you have a certificate of recognition from a German Ministry of Education that shows your average grades, then you do not require further official recognition from JGU when applying for admission to a basic course of study. Applicants for Master's degree programs or doctoral programs, however, will still need to have their qualifications officially recognized by JGU.
• If you have already acquired an intermediate diploma (Vordiplom) or passed an intermediate examination (Zwischenprüfung), the First State Examination (1. Staatsexamen) or preliminary medical examination (Physikum) at a German university, you do not require official recognition of these qualifications by JGU if you wish to study the same degree program/subject.
• There are several post-graduate courses for which tuition fees are charged to which you can be admitted without the necessity for official recognition.

Applicants who do not require official recognition of their qualifications should see the "Hinweisblatt zur Gebührenerhebung" (Tuition fee information sheet) available [only in German] from the download area on the right side of the website Anerkennung ausländischer Vorbildungsnachweise (Certification of Recognition / Validation of Foreign Certificates).

In all other instances, you will require official recognition of your qualifications.

I am German, but I attended school/university abroad. Do I need to have my qualifications officially recognized?

The official recognition/validation procedure is designed to evaluate non-German qualifications, regardless of the nationality of their owner. So yes, you will also need to have your qualifications officially recognized before you can apply for admission.

How long does the recognition procedure take?

In general, you will receive your answer (by regular mail) after 6-8 weeks. Please be sure to submit your application for official recognition sufficiently early to avoid conflicts with any application deadlines. The application deadlines are listed on the website Periods and deadlines.

Can I select more than one preferred subject in my recognition application form?

Yes, that section of the application form is not intended to limit you to one precise degree program, but rather to give us an idea of your academic interests. You can also select 'Undecided' if you are not yet certain what you'd like to study. Only when you apply for admission to the university it will be necessary for you to indicate exactly what subject(s) you want to study.

Can another person sign the recognition application form on my behalf?

No, the application form must be signed by the applicant. We cannot even accept documents signed under power of attorney, as third parties cannot attest to the authenticity of the submitted documents.

Can I pay the EUR 60 fee for the recognition application procedure in cash?

No, we cannot accept cash payments. Please transfer the processing fee to our account. You'll find information about our account details here: https://www.studying.uni-mainz.de/certification-of-recognition-validation-of-foreign-certificates/

Can another person pay the EUR 60 on my behalf?

Yes, this is absolutely no problem. But in this case, please mak
e sure that the Payment Details ('Verwendungszweck') line for the bank transfer shows YOUR name and YOUR date of birth (important: in the format DD.MM.YYYY), so that we can assign the payment correctly.

Will the copies of my certificates be returned after my application for recognition has been processed?

Yes, we will return the copies of your certificates after the validation process is finished and the Certificate of Validation was uploaded into your JoGuSTINe account. When you subsequently apply to be admitted to study at our university, please submit your Certificate of Recognition together with any other documents listed in it and all other certificates required for admission.

Why does my Certificate of Recognition show multiple grades/results?

If it is possible for you to apply for admission to degrees at different levels (such as a Bachelor's or Master's degree) or different departments or degree programs, then multiple grades and results will also be shown on your Certificate of Recognition.

For each decision, an exact list of certificates upon which the respective decision is based is provided. If there are changes to certificates upon which additional decisions have been based, then the grade will also be changed.

I will only receive my school leaving certificate from abroad after I intend to begin studying at Mainz University, but I would like to initiate the recognition procedure. I do not yet have a certificate, however. What are my options?

The application for official validation of qualifications cannot be submitted until your school leaving certificate including marks is available.

I wish to apply for admission to a Master's degree program at JGU but have not yet finished my undergraduate degree. What are my options?

If you have not yet completed your degree by the application deadline, then provisional official recognition may be possible under the following conditions:

• You submit a confirmation issued by your university, stating that your course of studies will be completed no later than March 31 (for an application for admission in the summer semester) or September 30 (for an application for admission in the winter semester). This confirmation may not be issued more than 3 months ahead of the respective application deadline.
• You submit a current confirmation of your course grades that also shows your average grade to that point in time (e.g. transcript of records).
• You provide proof of your university entrance qualification (secondary school leaving certificate, university entrance exam, etc.). Please check which documents are necessary for proof of the UEQ using the database of the Central Office for Foreign Education (Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen, www.anabin.kmk.org).

You will receive a provisional Certificate of Recognition with which you are able to apply for admission to a master program. Please note that you need to hand in the final certificate of recognition at the end of the first master semester.

The final certificate of recognition can be issued after submission of the final study degree incl. the corresponding transcript of grades. For further information, please see the next FAQ 

Note: If you obtain your first study degree (Bachelor) in July or August and wish to apply for a Master’s degree for the following summer semester, JGU will not issue a provisional certificate of recognition. In this case, the application for recognition can be submitted as soon as the degree has been achieved.

I have a provisional certificate of recognition and need a final certificate. What should I do?

You can apply in JOGU-StINe by completing the application form in full and submitting it electronically. In the Application Details, select the Application for an unlimited certificate of recognition. Then print out the application form and submit it together with all required documents (see checklist of your application) to the Student Services - International Admissions Office.

Please note: You must submit all certificates of previous education that are to be evaluated in the original language and translation (except for French and English documents) as officially certified copies.

For changing your provisional certificate of recognition into an unlimited certificate of recognition, we don't charge any fee.

Can the recognition procedure / procedure for admission to Mainz University be completed through UniAssist?

No, your application must be submitted directly to Mainz University. More information on this can be found on http://www.blogs.uni-mainz.de/studiumen/?p=111 .

Can I arrange for a personal appointment with the case worker for official recognition procedure?

Yes. If you have questions relating to official validation of qualifications, please contact our case workers via e-mail at incomings@international.uni-mainz.de . Please use the following as the subject line: ZUL-T. Please indicate to us what you would like to discuss so that we can prepare for the appointment.

I am a refugee. Is there a special Treatment for my recognition of certificates?

No. The recognition procedure is the same for all applicants. Please also note the following FAQs.

I am a refugee and I lost some of my certificates and diplomas. Can I apply for the Certificate of Recognition?

Yes, please submit your application. Please enclose with your application of recognition the following documents: a complete curriculum vitae listing your occupations (all of them, not just academic), a copy of your passport or residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) stating your status as a refugee and any available documents that can help us determine your qualifications. Please note that the same formal requirements apply as for application with complete documents.
Note: To process your application for recognition with incomplete certificates, you may need to provide proof of a TestAS. This will be determined on a case-by-case decision and, if necessary, communicated to you. Therefore, please enclose a proof of your TestAS result when applying or register for the TestAS in time.

I am a refugee and I lost all my certificates and diplomas. What can I do?

Please contact us and ask for a personal consultation. If you then submit an application for recognition, please enclose the following documents: complete curriculum vitae (listing all your activities and occupations, starting from your date of birth and ending at the day you have applied for recognition) and a copy of your passport or residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel) stating your status as a refugee. Please also submit your result from the TestAS Core Test (Kerntest).

Does the TestAS have to be taken in German?

No. The language in which the TestAS is completed is irrelevant for the validation.

What is a duplicate certificate and when do I need it?

A duplicate is not a copy of your certificate of recognition, but a renewed issuance of the original certificate. You only need a duplicate in case you received your original certificate of recognition as paper version, but have lost your original certificate.

Since July 2018, we don't issue certificates of recognition as paper versions anymore. Instead, we upload the electronic certificate of recognition on JOGU-StINe.

I have lost my certificate of recognition / I did not receive my certificate of recognition (Anerkennungsurkunde). What should I do?

This affects you if you received a certificate of recognition as paper version before July 2018.

In case you have lost your certificate of recognition, you can apply for a duplicate certificate. For the issuance of the duplicate certificate, we charge a fee of 16 Euro. You can find the application form for the duplicate certificate under the following link: Application for a Duplicate
In case that the certificate got lost during the mailing route, you also have to apply for a duplicate certificate of recognition.