What is Anabin and why does it matter for your German university application?
Anabin (Anerkennungs- und Informationsdatenbank) is the KMK (Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder) database that categorises foreign universities and their qualifications by their equivalency to German degrees.
Your university’s Anabin status affects how your degree is evaluated — but regardless of status, a certified German translation of your degree and transcripts is always required for university applications in Germany.
uni-assist and the translation requirement
Most German universities process international applications through uni-assist. Their standard requirement: certified translations of all academic documents not already in German. This includes the degree certificate and the complete academic transcript.
What the certified translation must include
- Complete translation of the degree certificate — institution name, degree title, date of award, names of signatories, official seals
- Full translation of the academic transcript — all module names, credits, and grades, preserving the table structure
- Sworn translator’s stamp and certification statement on every page
Recognition for employment: Berufsanerkennung
If you hold a foreign professional qualification — as a doctor, nurse, engineer, teacher, lawyer, architect — you may need formal recognition (Anerkennung) in Germany. This process requires certified translations of your degree, transcript, and any professional licences. The evaluation body (Anabin, anabin-Datenbank, or the relevant professional body) will assess equivalency; our role is accurate, complete translation.
The Blue Card and Fachkräftezuwanderungsgesetz
The EU Blue Card (for highly qualified workers) and the German Skilled Worker Immigration Act both require certified translations of academic qualifications. For Blue Card applications, the Ausländerbehörde requires certified translations of your degree and transcript alongside your employment contract.
Practical timeline: when to order your degree translations
University application deadlines in Germany are strict. Missing a document submission deadline can mean waiting an entire year for the next intake. Plan your translation orders with this timeline:
| Application type | Typical deadline | When to order translations |
|---|---|---|
| Winter semester (uni-assist) | 15 July | Latest 5 July (standard), 13 July (Express) |
| Summer semester (uni-assist) | 15 January | Latest 5 January (standard), 13 January (Express) |
| Blue Card (Ausländerbehörde) | Appointment date | At least 7 business days before appointment |
| Berufsanerkennung (recognition) | Varies by body | Allow 2–3 weeks from document request to submission |
One order for degree + transcript
Most German university applications require both the degree certificate and the complete academic transcript. You can add both documents to a single Transzlate order — they are translated together, delivered in the same PDF, and covered by a single Stripe. This is more convenient than ordering separately and ensures both documents have consistent name transliteration and formatting.
Anabin status: what each category means for your application
| Anabin status | Meaning | Action |
|---|---|---|
| H+ | Equivalent to German university | Proceed normally with certified translation |
| H- | Not considered equivalent | Additional documentation or assessment may be needed |
| Not listed | Not yet evaluated | Individual assessment — provide detailed documentation |
| Degree type unlisted | Institution listed but degree not evaluated | Contact recognition body directly |
German recognition bodies by profession
- Medicine: State Ă„rztekammer of the Bundesland where you will practice
- Nursing: State Pflegekammer or Gesundheitsamt
- Engineering: State Ingenieurkammer or employers directly
- Teachers: State Kultusministerium
- All professions (initial guidance): anabin.kmk.org and anerkennung-in-deutschland.de
What to do when your degree is in a language German universities cannot read
German universities and recognition bodies process documents in English and German as standard. For degrees in other languages (Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Russian, Portuguese, etc.), a certified German translation is always required. Even for degrees written in English, many German institutions prefer a certified German translation alongside the English original.
For degrees in non-Latin scripts (Arabic, Cyrillic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Devanagari, etc.), the translation serves an additional function: it renders the institution name, degree title, and all content in a script and language that German officials can verify and process. A certified translation of a Chinese degree that preserves the Chinese characters alongside their German translation provides more context than a translation that simply ignores the Chinese text.
- Our translators render both the original script and the German translation for non-Latin documents
- Institution names are given in both the original language and an accepted German transliteration or translation
- Grading scales are explained in footnotes with German equivalents
My university name in Chinese characters translates literally to something that sounds odd in German. How is this handled?
After your degree is recognised: ongoing translation needs
The degree recognition process is not necessarily the end of your translation needs. Once your qualification is recognised and you are working in Germany, additional documents may need certified translation:
- Continuing professional development certificates (CPD): some German professional bodies require certified translations of CPD certificates from abroad
- Publication records: for academic positions, certified translations of publication titles and abstracts may be requested
- Professional licence renewals: if your foreign professional licence has a renewal or revalidation component, the renewal certificate may need certified translation
- Reference letters and employment certificates: for career progression in Germany, prior foreign employment references may need certified German translation
Transzlate provides certified translations for all post-recognition professional document needs. If you are uncertain whether a specific document requires certified translation, contact us — we will advise based on the specific authority’s requirements.
Submitting your degree translation to German institutions
Once you have your certified German translation of your degree and transcripts, you are ready to submit. Key practical points:
- uni-assist requires certified translations to be sent by post — digital submissions are not accepted for certified translations
- Keep digital copies of all certified translations — you may need them for multiple submissions to different universities
- If the original degree was issued in a non-Latin script, attach the original document to the translation for verification purposes
- For Anerkennung applications, submit to the relevant Kammer or recognition body alongside all other required documents
Transzlate delivers your certified translation as a high-resolution PDF suitable for printing and postal submission. The translation includes a copy of your original document attached, as required by German recognition bodies. If you need additional printed copies, contact us.