An international exchange

International applicants who have not acquired their higher education entrance qualification in a German-speaking country or who have gained the qualification abroad must have educational certificates for higher education entrance in accordance with the assessment proposals of the Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen (ZAB – Central Office for Foreign Education), which thus correspond to a higher education entrance qualification for the intended degree program. You can find out about the assessment of your educational certificates in the database 'anabin' ('Schulabschlüsse mit Hochschulzugang' / 'School-leaving qualifications with access to higher education') (see below in the downloads and links section).

The following application documents must also be submitted to the EHB as part of the application procedure:

• Certificate of higher education entrance qualification from the home country with the corresponding lists of grades or certificate of the assessment test from the Studienkolleg (preparatory college courses) and the foreign educational certificates listed on the certificate as well as the corresponding official German translations, Diploma Supplement
• Proof of sufficient German language skills.

Foreign applicants from a member state of the European Union or another state party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area and foreign applicants who have acquired a German higher education entrance qualification (Bildungsinländer*innen – foreign students with a German education), i.e. a higher education entrance qualification acquired on the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany or at a German school abroad, take part in the application procedure in the same way as German applicants do.

Foreign applicants who do not fall under the above-mentioned group of applicants are asked to follow the detailed instructions noted in the application and information material within the download area of the respective degree program.

If your application is based on a higher education entrance qualification obtained abroad, you must also submit proof of sufficient German language skills for admission to a degree program, latest by application deadline.

Proof is provided, for example, by passing:

• the 'Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang ausländischer Studienbewerber*innen Ebene-2 oder Ebene-3' (DSH-2 or DSH-3 / German Language Examination for the Admission of Foreign Applicants to Higher Education),
• the test result of the Test 'Deutsch als Fremdsprache für Studienbewerber*innen' (TestDaF / German as a Foreign Language for University Applicants) with a performance level of 'four' (TDN 4) or 'five' (TDN 5) in all four sub-tests,
• the successfully passed 'Goethe-Zertifikat C 2: Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom' (GDS – Goethe Certificate C 2: Advanced German Language Skills Diploma) or
• a certificate confirming that you have passed the examination 'telc Deutsch C1 Hochschule' (telc German C1 for Universities).

(see below, Downloads and Links, TestDaf Institute, Goethe Institute, telc).

The language certificate must be submitted latest by the application deadline!

Please note: For the undergraduate degree programs (Bachelor's degree programs) it is possible to apply with the language level B 2 (completed) of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and to provide one of the certificates listed above after successful enrolment. In these cases, admission is subject to the proof that you have provided.

The EHB does not conduct its own language examinations.

TestDaF, for example, is offered worldwide at licensed test centres and can therefore also be taken in the home country if necessary. You can find up-to-date information on TestDaF on the website of the TestDaF Institute. Further information on the language examinations and diplomas of the Goethe Institute can be obtained from the Goethe-Institut Berlin.

See also our information brochure under the downloads section.