Studying in Germany can make an unforgettable experience for students. German Universities have more Degrees in English, which makes them an attractive destination for Indian Students. This country is in the heart of Europe and provides a unique research ecosystem. 

It directly connects universities and industries and competitive universities of applied sciences. Germany has attracted a lot of international students, close to 35000 from India alone. This makes Indians the second largest group of foreign students. 

Many Indian Ph.D. students research at German Universities and research facilities. Therefore, the increasing number of German Visa applications has created new administrative challenges. In the past, the visa application process wasn't swift as it is now. 

Nowadays, they are witnessing a significant number of fraudulent applications. Consequently, every student's application must be screened thoroughly, which would slow the visa application process. Streamlining and facilitating the visa application process has become necessary, which is why the Academic Evaluation Centre (APS) was introduced on October 1, 2022. 

The Academic Evaluation Centre cooperates with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). This provides a hassle-free admission process for Indian students to German Universities by thoroughly verifying their documents. 

Once the application is successfully verified, the APS will issue a certificate, which is one of the prerequisites for the visa application process when a student applies to study in Germany. With the help of an APS certificate, students can prove the authenticity of their academic documents and their eligibility criteria for studying in German Universities. 

Students having a degree from a higher educational institution or an Indian school board should follow new guidelines for applying for a student visa to Germany. To ensure the visa process is completed on time, starting the entire procedure from APS to studying in Germany at least a year in advance is recommended. 

Since the number of applications that reach them is incomplete or contain small mistakes, it delays the processing time. Follow the steps below to smoothen the application process and complete the process on time. 

Visit the APS Website (www.aps-india.de)

Start by visiting the official website of APS. You can take their eligibility quiz if you are still determining your eligibility. This will tell whether you are qualified to study in Germany with your current educational and academic background. 

Sometimes students will have questions like whether they should apply for an APS certificate or apply directly to the German University and how to submit the documents? Answers to these questions can be found in their FAQs section. 

It will contain answers to general questions regarding the application and verification process. Also, check their news section, which provides time-critical information on the application and verification process.  

Required Documents

Once you complete the eligibility quiz, it will tell you which verification procedure you should follow. For more detailed information, like preparing for the various application procedures, you have to visit their checklist section on the website. 

Online Registration and Payment

The registration process has seven steps. Each step will ask for detailed information regarding your personal details, language abilities, and educational background. Ensure that you have all the information with you at the time of submitting your online application. 

In the final step, you have to provide the payment details. You can choose the online payment mode through their website or wiring the fee to them via your own online banking portal. But try to make the payment through their website's online payment mode so that the payment will match and your account will get activated automatically. 

If you choose your own online banking portal, make the payment before submitting the registration form and keep the wiring details, like the IFSC code, account number, etc., ready. 

Duration of the Verification

More than 1500 applicants received their certificates last week. Due to many applications, it will take some time for them to get to your application and start the individual verification process. 

They receive 200 applications per day. They are striving to bring the individual processing time to 4 weeks. Because of the high number of applications, they couldn't avoid some delays. 

Patience is very much required from the applicant during the verification process. They are trying to issue the certificates as fast as possible by meeting the German universities' deadlines.