Study Guide · 03

Admission requirements

International students need a recognised school-leaving certificate (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung, or HZB). Depending on your background, you may need a Studienkolleg foundation year — or you can qualify directly via TestAS.

The German higher education system uses the concept of Hochschulzugangsberechtigung (HZB) — university entrance qualification. Whether your existing school certificate counts as an HZB depends on your country and the type of certificate you hold. This is the first thing we check for every student.

Key information
UAE / Gulf (12-year schooling)
Often recognised
Most UAE secondary certificates (Tawjihi, CBSE, British A-levels) are recognised for direct admission to FH or Uni, sometimes with specific grade thresholds.
Egypt, Jordan, Syria
Partial recognition
School-leaving certificates are usually recognised for FH entry or after one year of home country university.
Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria
Case by case
French Baccalauréat is well-recognised. Arabic national certificates require assessment by Anabin (the official HZB database).
TestAS qualification
Direct route
A strong TestAS result can bypass the Studienkolleg requirement — the most direct path to university for many MENA students.
Studienkolleg
Foundation year
A one-year state or private preparatory course leading to the Feststellungsprüfung (FSP) — full university entry qualification.
We run a free eligibility check for every enquiry. You will know within 48 hours whether you need a Studienkolleg, can apply directly, or should pursue the TestAS route.