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District Government Dusseldorf (Status: 03/23/2023)
Department 48
Certificate Recognition Office
Important information about
Recognition of foreign certificates as university entrance qualifications
in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia
A. Subject-related
responsibility B. Local
responsibility C. Application for recognition of
higher education
entrance qualification
D. Application documents E. Original
certificates
F. Certifications and
translations G. Costs H. Processing
times I. Certificate of
recognition J.
Recognition criteria K. Conversion of
grades L.
Subjects/country
information sheets M. Contact N .Guidelines O. Appendices
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A. Subject Jurisdiction
The Certificate Recognition Office in Department 48 of the Düsseldorf District Government
is responsible for the formal recognition of the equivalence of foreign educational
qualifications with the German higher education entrance qualification (possibly also the
advanced technical college entrance qualification) for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Our certificate recognition office is not responsible for • the
recognition of equivalence with a general education intermediate level
German school leaving certificate
• with a German university degree (university diploma, bachelor's/master's degree)
or • with a German
vocational school leaving certificate.
In the Federal Republic of Germany and in North Rhine-Westphalia, these responsibilities
are distributed among a large number of different recognition bodies, authorities and
chambers, in addition to the permits to practice a profession and to use professional
titles or academic degrees. You can find a multilingual guide to the right recognition
office on the website www.ankennkennung-in-deutschland.de.
For the recognition of the equivalence of foreign certificates with a general German
middle school certificate
Westphalia, the district government of Cologne is responsible:
Cologne District Government, Department 48, Recognition Office for Secondary
Education Qualifications, Zeughausstr. 2-10 in 50667 Cologne, Tel.
0221/147-0, e-mail:
[email protected], Internet: www.brk.nrw.de.
B. Territorial Jurisdiction
Our recognition office is locally responsible for the recognition of the higher education entrance
qualification (including the advanced technical college entrance qualification) in the following cases:
- for German nationals with foreign educational qualifications who
want to study or work in North Rhine-Westphalia;
- for foreign nationals with foreign educational qualifications who have their main
German residence or place of work in North Rhine-Westphalia and are applying
for recognition of their higher education entrance qualification for purposes
other than taking up university studies (e.g. for professional purposes such as
vocational training or employment).
Foreign nationals with foreign educational qualifications and wish to study should
contact the German university of their choice directly for advice and application.
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C. Application for recognition of university entrance qualification
Applications for recognition of the equivalence of foreign qualifications with the German higher
education entrance qualification can be submitted to the district government of Düsseldorf by post.
When submitting the application by post, you do not need to enclose any return postage, a return
envelope or an international reply coupon.
If you are making an application on behalf of someone else who is not their legal representative, we
need a written power of attorney from the represented (ie signed by the represented).
Our postal address is:
District Government Dusseldorf
Department 48
- Certificate recognition office -
P.O. Box 30 08 65
40408 Dusseldorf
The website can be found under the link: https://
www.brd.nrw.de/themen/schule-bildung/schulrecht verwaltung/
zeugnisanzugang
Further contact options can be found under “M. Contact"
D. Application Documents
If you submit an application for recognition of the equivalence of foreign
If you would like to provide proof of educational qualifications with the German higher education
entrance qualification, please submit the following documents:
1. Written application for recognition of university entrance qualification (our
application form can be found at the end of this information),
2. If there is an admission restriction in the desired subject: Application for determination of an
overall grade for admission to a degree in Germany (preferably directly in our application
form; proof e.g.
B. by printing out the desired course of study from the university’s website, which shows
the admission restrictions),
3. Tabular education curriculum vitae (list of all educational stations from school, training and
studies with dates, location and names of the institutions attended),
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4. Copy of ID card (front and back) or passport,
5. If there is a difference between the current name and the name on the
certificate: a copy of proof of a name change (e.g. marriage certificate),
6. when changing the school system between countries: copy of the
certificate of an intermediate educational qualification (grade 10) or, if
applicable, the most recent German school certificate,
7. Copies of educational certificates (and translations, if applicable):
a) Foreign secondary school leaving certificate and/or school-leaving certificate,
b) foreign university entrance exam*,
c) Subject and grade overview of previous university studies* abroad
(Please state the complete address of the university! You can also
attach a printout of the university from the ANABIN database to your
application; see point “J. Recognition criteria”),
d) Certificate of completion* of the foreign degree program with the associated
Enclosure (overview of subjects and grades).
(*as applicable)
If you have already received recognition in another federal state, please enclose
a copy of this certificate with the application.
E. Testimonials
Certificate documents and name change certificates only have to be submitted
as a copy of the original.
In any case, the original foreign certificates must also be kept ready.
They must be able to be presented on request! In these cases, the originals will
be returned by registered post after verification.
F. German translations
A translation is not required for certificates that are written entirely in German
or English. For certificates in other languages, a German translation of a public
certificate is required in addition to the foreign language certificate
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authorized/sworn translator for the respective language. A copy of the original is
sufficient.
Publicly authorized translators are usually appointed by courts in Germany. A
"state-certified translator" must also be publicly authorized. An overview of the
officially authorized translators/interpreters in Germany can be found online at
www.justiz-dolmetscher.de.
Evidence of an official appointment of the translator in individual cases, for
example by an authority or a notary of the foreign country in which the translator
works, is also sufficient as public authorization.
G. Costs
No fees are charged for the recognition procedure; the recognition of certificates
is free of charge.
All disbursements and expenses incurred by an applicant e.g. B. for the issuance
of certificates, making copies, further certificates, for translations to be submitted
or as travel expenses, are to be borne by him/herself.
H. Processing Times
Applications for recognition are generally processed as quickly as possible.
Completely submitted applications may require a shorter or longer processing
time depending on the work situation. The current processing time can be up to
one year from receipt of the application due to the high volume of applications.
In individual cases, especially in the case of expert inquiries, the processing can
also take a long time. Applications are generally processed in the order in which
they are received.
You can help shorten the processing time by using the information provided
under "D. Submit all of the documents referred to in “Application Documents”
and use our application form as well as provide a current and regularly used e-
mail address for contact purposes!
We would like to ask you to refrain from inquiring about the processing status in
the specified processing time after the application has been submitted, as every
inquiry about the status delays the actual processing of the application.
Application deadline for German nationals residing in North Rhine
want to study Westphalia:
• 31.05. for the respective winter semester
• 30.11. for the respective summer semester
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The final certificates, if they are not yet available, will follow immediately
to submit receipt
Timely processing is only possible if the application is submitted on time.
I. Certificate of Recognition
We issue an original paper certificate of the recognition of the certificate and send it by post to the
address you specified in the application. The certificate of recognition issued is only valid in
connection with the evidence of previous training mentioned in it.
The certificate is an original document and is only created once. Please keep the original carefully
and only send copies for application purposes.
Shipping, collection and forwarding:
Decisions and certificates are always issued by us in writing.
If you do not wish to receive the original documents back by post, you can also ask for them to be
picked up in person at our office building; in this case we will inform you at short notice (preferably
by e-mail) that the processing has been completed.
You must submit further applications to other authorities, universities or other matters independently
and independently of our application process. We always forward our answers (and submitted
original certificates) back to the applicant, but not to third parties.
J. Eligibility Criteria
For the nationwide recognition of foreign certificates, the Standing Conference of the Ministers of
Education in the Federal Republic of Germany (in short: Kultusministerkonferenz or KMK) has
created a database for the recognition and evaluation of foreign educational certificates (in short:
ANABIN).
This ANABIN database is publicly accessible on the Internet at http://anabin.kmk.org/ . How to
research on ANABIN:
ÿ Follow the link "School qualifications with university entrance" on the left side and then
select the "Search" function
ÿ Find your certificate country under "Please choose a country" and choose
then get your school or university degree there
ÿ Here you can read whether you
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• be able to study directly in Germany (“direct access”) or • have
to take an assessment test before starting the course
(“Feststellungsprüfung/preparatory college”) or •
have to provide evidence of periods of study in the country of certification in ad
ÿ If the assessment of your certificate says "subject-oriented access", then
you can only study the subject in Germany that corresponds to the
subject of your previous (university) school education.
The requirements specified in the ANABIN database are directly applicable in North
Rhine-Westphalia in accordance with Section 7 (3) of the GlVO - Ordinance on the
equivalence of educational certificates with the university entrance qualification
and the advanced technical college entrance qualification (Equivalence Ordinance
- GlVO) of 08.07.2014 and represent the binding The legal basis for the recognition
of foreign educational certificates with the certificate of the German higher
education entrance qualification, provided that there are no deviating state law provisions in No
K. Grade Conversion
Written or oral information and information from our recognition office on the
conversion of grades are not legally binding. They are only intended to show the
conversion in a comprehensible manner. A binding grade is only determined in
specific individual cases as part of the formal recognition of certificates. The
grades are always determined according to the legal situation applicable at the
time of processing!
Total grade conversion:
According to the current legal situation, we only recognize the equivalence of
foreign qualifications with the German university entrance qualification for study
purposes for German nationals.
As part of this recognition, an overall grade is determined if this is necessary for
admission to a desired university degree in Germany and an admission restriction
for the desired degree program can be proven. For example, you can enclose a
printout of the desired course from the university's website with your application,
which shows the admission restrictions.
No individual grade conversion:
If German universities require converted individual grades in courses with local
admission restrictions, please contact the admissions office of the university
concerned directly. In principle, our recognition office does not convert individual
grades.
If such individual grades are given by you in the central admission procedure of
the Foundation for University Admissions (in short: SfH, formerly ZVS) at
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is required, you can mark the input field "I cannot provide any information" in the
online application process 'AntOn' if there are conversion problems. In this case,
please also contact the admissions office of the relevant university directly to have
the individual grades converted.
No conversion of grades for professional purposes:
In principle, we do not issue an overall grade for purposes other than admission to a
course of study at a German university. Recognitions for professional purposes are
therefore always granted without determining grades.
If an employer uses a grade to select applicants and cannot interpret this grade in
the foreign educational certificate, we can provide information on converting grades
upon request. The employer would then have to convert the grades himself in the
specific case.
L. Subject allocation/country leaflets
We ask for your understanding that the Certificate Recognition Office does not
provide individual selection advice on the composition of the teaching or examination
subjects and cannot provide any further advice on the school career.
Subject choice:
If there are doubts when choosing a school subject in a foreign school system as to
whether it is a general school subject required for the recognition of the certificate,
the principle applies that all subjects that are taught as part of the curriculum in the
German Gymnasium upper level of public schools also are considered to be of
general education if they were chosen in the foreign school system.
For the education systems of some countries with a large variety of subjects, you
will find binding representations and lists of recognized and non-recognized school
subjects in Germany in our country information sheets. We also have information
sheets available for the following school systems to make it easier to check whether
a certain combination of subjects – possibly under additional conditions – is
recognized as a higher education entrance qualification:
- England, Wales, Northern Ireland
- International Baccalaureate
- Canada
- New Zealand
- Republic of Ireland
- Scotland
- United States of America (USA)
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Further information - also on other school systems - can be found in the ANABIN
database at "http://anabin.kmk.org/".
Confidence protection regulation:
A formal confirmation of the choice of subject prior to entering a foreign course
is not required in individual cases, since the combination of subjects that is
required for recognition in this course according to the current legal situation
will later be recognized independently of such a confirmation.
Should the legal situation in North Rhine-Westphalia worsen after the subject has
been selected at the foreign school, the more favorable regulation applicable at
the time the subject was selected will be applied.
M contact
Please refer to the following table for the availability of the recognition of
certificates.
Department 48
Certificate Recognition Office
Recognition of foreign certificates as university entrance qualification
Telephone central 0211 475-5664 Tuesday & Thursday 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m
District Government Dusseldorf
Department 48
postal address - Certificate recognition office -
P.O. Box 30 08 65
40408 Dusseldorf
N. Guidance
1. The information portal Recognition in Germany (www.ankennständigung in-
deutschland.de) provides orientation on the various recognition bodies in
Germany.
In Germany, a distinction is made between regulated and non-regulated
professions. A regulated profession is a profession for which legal
requirements for professional qualifications have to be met. Pursuing
regulated professions in Germany is only permitted after a state
examination or state recognition.
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An overview of regulated professions can be found online at "http://anabin.kmk.org/
ÿ Recognition and advice centers in Germany ÿ Searching for jobs for professions".
If you would like your foreign university degree to be classified for a profession that
is not regulated in Germany, you can apply for a so-called "purpose-free assessment"
at the Central Office for Foreign Education.
This "purposeless evaluation" can be requested for a fee and exclusively online at
http://www.kmk.org/zab/zeugnisbewertungen.html. This assessment does not
constitute formal recognition of your qualifications, but will make it easier for your
future employer to classify your qualifications.
2. For background information, you can also read the general legal basis for the
thethe calculation of average grades in North Rhine-
recognition of certificates and
Westphalia:
Ordinance on the equivalence of educational certificates with the higher education
entrance qualification and the advanced technical college entrance qualification
(Equivalence Ordinance - GIVO) of 08.07.2014
Agreement on determining the overall grade for foreign higher education entrance
qualifications (resolution of the Conference of Ministers of Education dated March
15, 1991 in the version dated September 12, 2013)
O. Attachments:
- Application form for the recognition of the higher education entrance qualification
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When submitting later, please be sure to state the file number:
48.01.40.________________
District Government Dusseldorf
Department 48
- Certificate recognition office -
P.O. Box 30 08 65
40408 Dusseldorf
Recognition of foreign qualifications as university entrance qualification (Abitur)/
University entrance qualification for North Rhine-Westphalia
Gender:
feminine masculine various
Name first Name; Maiden name if applicable: E-mail address:
Street, house number: Nationality/s:
Postcode City: Date of birth Place of birth:
Alternatively, please send the notification to the following address:
c/o_________________________________________________________________
(Name Address)
I hereby apply for the recognition of my foreign
Evidence of previous experience
___________________________________________________________________
(school system or state)
as equivalent to the German higher education entrance qualification.
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I need recognition for:
the commencement of a course of study
(note: according to § 10 para. 1 sentence 3 GIVO NRW at the Düsseldorf district government only possible for German nationals.
According to § 10 paragraphs 2 and 3 GIVO NRW, foreign nationals should contact the university of their choice.
The following deadlines apply for submitting this application: winter semester 31.05. / summer semester 30.11.
Certificates that are not yet available when the application is submitted must be submitted immediately upon receipt.
In this context, I would like to ask you to determine an overall grade for the application for a
restricted-admission subject (NC subject). Proof (e.g. printout) is attached.
Name and location of the preferred North Rhine-Westphalian university:
Date of study start:
Field of study/field of study:
the start of a professional activity, an apprenticeship or a dual course of study in North Rhine-
Westphalia.
There is an employment/training contract. I have attached a simple copy of the signed
employment contract.
I already have one from another certificate recognition office in Germany
Obtain a certificate of recognition:
Yes. I have attached a simple copy of the certificate.
No.
Privacy notices:
I acknowledge that the information I provided in the application is required to process the
application and will be stored for this purpose.
My details may be passed on to the Central Office for Foreign Education in Bonn, insofar as this
is necessary for processing the application.
I can revoke the consent I have given here at any time, but I am aware that the application
cannot then be processed.
_____________________________ ___________________________
(Date) (Signature)
Checklist of documents to be
attached: Completed and signed application form
Identity card/passport (simple copy) Tabular
educational curriculum vitae High
school diploma/secondary school leaving certificate
(simple copy) Marriage certificate/proof of name change (simple
copy) If necessary, proof of study
(simple copy) If necessary, translations by an authorized translator
(simple copy ) If applicable, employment/training
contract (simple copy) If applicable, written power of attorney for third parties (with handwritten signature)
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A notice:
You will not receive the documents you have sent back. Therefore, please do not send us any
original documents. The district government of Düsseldorf reserves the right to request original
proof on a random basis. You will of course get this back.
Further information on the application process can be
found here: https://www.brd.nrw.de/themen/schule-bildung/schulrecht-verwaltung/zeugnisanzugang
As of 03/23/2023
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