FAQ General Information Students Study Abroad in Germany

The Anabin Guide for Undergraduate and Bachelor’s

harsh.raiAugust 31, 2022

317 2 minutes read

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The Anabin Guide for Undergraduate and Bachelor’s

Anabin is a database run by The Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB). ZAB is an organization that assesses credentials against those that are most closely related to the German degree equivalent. All foreign students who want to study in Germany must complete this formal, legally required process.

The database is a highly helpful resource for students to determine whether their academic credentials match the requirements of the German higher education system. All major German cities are home to agencies qualified to certify foreign academic certificates.

How to use the Anabin database?

This database is essential for making sure that academic credentials are accepted by German institutions. You will likely find it on the site if your qualifications are acceptable because the database is extensive and regularly updated. You can search for your academic qualification in 3 easy steps:

Select a Country

You can use the tab labelled Suchen nach Schulabschlüssen (search by academic certificate) under the Schulabschlüsse mit Hochschulzugang section. You can choose the nation in which you finished your academic degree under Bitte wählen Sie ein Land (please select a country).

Select the Type of Degree

Secondly, choose Schulabschlüssen (type of degree). You should now see a list of titles for education completion certificates below the nation drop-down box. Locate the one that fits your qualifications and choose this alternative.

Check Acceptance

You ought to see a pop-up box after choosing your qualification. As there will be various elements at play, scroll down to the “XXX-BV01” column on the left and look for the certificate that corresponds to you. However, the “Weitere Bedingungen” heading on the right-hand column will list (in German) the conditions under which that certification is acknowledged (if recognized) by the German Academic System. If this box is empty, the corresponding qualification does not meet the requirements of the German system.

Anabin results

After using one or more of the aforementioned approaches to locate your study plan, you must now evaluate your findings. While It’s critical to understand whether the German academic system will accept your foreign degree. However, the results of the academic qualification search are as below:

- Direct: You are free to begin your degree immediately.
- Indirect: You must complete a Studienkolleg course before starting your degree program, and you must pass the Feststellungsprüfung exam that is given after the course.
- General: Any subject is available for study
- Subject-specific: Only topics in a certain discipline may be studied. While the subject you have studied for or through which you have passed the appropriate tests at your native university determines the field. Further, they split into 5 groups:

1. 1. Languages and the humanities (G and S)
  2. Economic and Social sciences (W)
  3. Scientific and Technical subjects (T)
  4. Medicine
  5. Biology or closely related fields (M)

The Anabine Database partakes in additional courses in Germany for the students who do not receive Statements for comparability for Foreign Higher Education Qualifications. However, all international students who want to study in Germany must complete this formal, legally required process. It’s crucial to understand that professional recognition differs from academic recognition.