Anabin Guide: German University Recognition

German universities only accept degrees from institutions they recognize. The Anabin database tells you whether your university and degree qualify.

What Is Anabin?

Anabin (Informationsportal zu ausländischen Bildungsabschlüssen) is Germany's official database for assessing foreign educational qualifications. It is run by the Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) and used by universities, Uni-Assist, and visa offices to verify your credentials.

Check your university: anabin.kmk.org

You can also use our degree recognition tool to search by university name.

University Status: H+, H+/-, H-

Anabin assigns a status to each institution:

Both your university and your degree must meet recognition criteria. A recognized university with an unrecognized degree (or vice versa) is not enough.

How to Check Your Degree

1. Go to Anabin (or use our tool).
2. Search for your university in the Institutions (Institutionen) section. Note the status (H+, H+/-, H-).
3. Search for your degree in the Higher Education Qualifications (Hochschulabschlüsse) section. Check the assessment (Bewertung).
4. If your degree says "entspricht" or "gleichwertig" (equivalent), it is comparable to a German degree. "Entspricht Fachschule" means it is not equivalent to a university degree.

When Do You Need Studienkolleg?

Studienkolleg is a one year preparatory course for students whose school leaving certificate is not equivalent to the German Abitur (university entrance qualification).

You typically need it if:

• You are applying for a Bachelor's degree
• Your secondary education is less than 13 years
• Your school leaving certificate does not qualify for direct entry

You usually do not need it if:

• You are applying for a Master's degree (with a recognized Bachelor's)
• You have completed 1 to 2 years at a recognized university in your home country
• Your certificate is listed in Anabin as equivalent to Abitur

Check Anabin for your country and certificate type to confirm.

If Your University or Degree Is Not Listed

• Request a Statement of Comparability from the ZAB. This official assessment can help universities evaluate your qualifications.
• Contact your target university directly. They may have their own evaluation process for degrees not fully covered in Anabin.
• Uni-Assist also evaluates documents and can advise on recognition during the application process.

Next Steps

1. Check Anabin (or our degree recognition tool) for your university and degree.
2. If H+ and degree equivalent: You can proceed with your application.
3. If H+/- or unclear: Contact your target university or Uni-Assist for clarification.
4. If Studienkolleg may apply: Verify with Anabin and your target university before applying.