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German universities are delivering a growing number of degrees in the English language, making the country an appealing study destination for Indian students. Germany, in the heart of Europe, also provides a unique research ecosystem, with direct connections between universities and industries and competitive institutes of applied sciences.

Germany is attracting an ever-growing number of international students – around 35,000 from India alone, making Indians the second largest group of international students. This trend shows the scope of the scientific ties between Germany and India. Many Indian Ph.D. students contribute to cutting-edge research at German universities and research facilities.

The expanding number of applications for German student visas developed new managerial challenges. In the past, the visa application procedure has not been as quick as we wanted it to be, at times causing understandable anger on the side of applicants, says German Ambassador Philipp Ackermann. He added that among the student visa applications, we witnessed a number of fraudulent applications.

Therefore, each and every international student application has to be screened in-depth and this would delay the process for all applications. Streamlining and simplifying the visa application procedure and the verification of academic credentials became a condition which is why (APS) the Academic Evaluation Centre was introduced to India on October 1, 2022.

The Academic Evaluation Centre is a service provider of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, New Delhi, in collaboration with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) -Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst. It enables a hassle-free admissions procedure for Indian students to German universities/colleges by authenticating their documents.

The successful completion of a document verification permits the APS to issue a certificate, which is a requirement for the visa application procedure when applying for studies in Germany.

With an APS certificate, applicants can prove the authenticity of their documents as well as their eligibility for studies in German universities.

Applicants holding a degree from an Indian higher educational institute or an Indian school board should follow new guidelines when applying for a student visa to Germany.

German Ambassador Philipp Ackermann said we suggest starting the entire process from your APS application to the beginning of your studies in Germany at least a year in advance.

He informed that a number of applications that reach us are incomplete or have little mistakes, leading to a hold in the processing time. In order to smoothen the process and to ensure your application is complete, we recommend visiting the APS official website.