Applying for a undergraduate program as an international student

Source: https://www.fau.eu/studying/international-students/application-and-enrollment-for-international-applicants/prospective-international-students-applying-for-undergraduate-programs/ Parent: https://www.fau.eu/

Applying for Bachelor’s, teaching and State Examination degree programs

For prospective international students (if you do not have German citizenship or a university entrance qualification obtained in Germany), the next step of the application process is also dependent on which subject you would like to study.

Normally, you have to apply directly to FAU via the campo application portal for all undergraduate degree programs. As of winter semester 2026/27, application fees will be charged for certain groups of applicants (100 euros per application).

The majority of undergraduate subjects can only be started in the winter semester; that means that enrollment for the summer semester is only possible for higher semesters. However, this is dependent on whether any previous course and examination achievements have been accredited.

Application dates and process Documents required for application Exceptions in the application procedure Special groups of applicants

Application dates

Application process for international applicants

1. Apply online in the applicant portal (max 3 applications)
2. For degree programs without admission requirements: Upload the required documents to the portal.\ For degree programs with admission restrictions: Send the signed application form (from the portal) along with the following documents by post to our Admissions Office.\ (Mailing address: FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Zulassungsstelle, Freyeslebenstraße 1, 91058 Erlangen)

Documents required for application

Certificates and final academic record

Certified copies of foreign certificates that are not issued in German, English or French must be submitted along with a certified translation.

If documents do not meet the required format or supporting evidence is missing the application will be rejected.

Information on document certification and translation

• CV (without photo)
• School leaving certificate: all pages of the certificate
• Proof of German language skills (in this instance, a simple copy is sufficient if the proof of proficiency was obtained in Germany).

Further documents may be necessary depending on the desired degree program, your country of origin and your previous education.

• If applicable: proof of pre-university year (Iran)
• If applicable: university entrance examination certificate from your home country
• If applicable: assessment examination (Feststellungsprüfung) for the degree program in question (certified copy)
• If you have completed previous periods of study: complete academic report/transcript of records
• If you have completed a previous degree: degree certificate (e.g. Bachelor’s degree, Diplom)
• Applicants who have completed previous periods of study in China, India and Vietnam: APS certificate (original)
• Applicants from DSDI/DSDII schools in China: confirmation of identity from the German embassy (original)
• Applicants for Food Chemistry, Medicine, Pharmacy, or Dentistry must submit proof of passing the Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang ausländischer Studienbewerber (DSH 2) or an equivalent examination. In the case of an application for a higher subject semester, course achievements must be accredited by the state examination office (Landesprüfungsamt).

All required documents must be attached directly to the application.

Applications will only be processed if all required documents are submitted in full. Incomplete applications with missing documents or certificates must not be submitted.

Exceptions in the application procedure

International Business Studies, International Economic Studies, Food Chemistry, Molecular Medicine, Psychology (DoSV programs)

In addition to submitting your application via campo, please note that for some Bachelor’s degree programs you will also have to apply via the dialog-oriented service procedure (DoSV) managed by the Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung. This concerns:

• Foreign students who have attended a school in Germany and therefore all foreign applicants and stateless persons who have attained a German university entrance qualification or have completed a degree in Germany that qualifies them to apply for the degree program.
• Citizens from an EU member state
• Spouses of German citizens
• Citizens from contracting states for the Agreement on the European Economic Area that are not members of the EU (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway).
• Other family members of citizens of another EU member state or of a contracting state of the Agreement on the European Economic Area who live in Germany, provided these citizens are employed in Germany. The term “other family members” includes spouses.

This applies to the following degree programs in winter semester 2026/27:

• International Business Studies (BSc; taught in English)
• International Economic Studies (BSc; taught in English)
• Food Chemistry (State Examination)
• Molecular Medicine (BSc)
• Psychology (BSc; full time and part time)

Further information about the dialog-oriented service procedure (DoSV) is available at hochschulstart.de. A checklist on DoSV can also be found in the Downloads section on that website.

Medicine, Medicine in ER-N/Bayreuth, Dentistry, Pharmacy

For degree programs in Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy, please apply to the Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung (Foundation for University Admissions (SfH)) if you are:

• an applicant from a European Union (EU) state
• an applicant from an EEA country not in the EU (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway)
• a “BildungsinländerIn” (foreign students at German universities who have attended a school in Germany)
• an international applicant living in Germany with relatives who are EU/EEA citizens and work in Germany (e.g. husband, wife, parents).

Artificial Intelligence (BSc), Autonomy Technologies (BSc) and Clean Energy Processes (BSc)

Applications for the degree programsArtificial Intelligence (BSc), Autonomy Technologies (BSc) and Clean Energy Processes (BSc) should be filed nearly entirely online. \ Only the signed form for your application for admission must be sent in by post without any further documents. We will not process any applications that are sent by email.

The application deadline for Artificial Intelligence (B.Sc.) for international students is May 31.

Doctoral degree

Prospective doctoral candidates have to submit the permission form (“Promotionsgenehmigung”) approved by the respective Faculty along with their transcripts/certificates to start a doctoral degree. You will only receive this permission if your degree from abroad is considered equivalent to the required German qualifications. You also need a note of acceptance (“Betreuungszusage”) from your supervisor. More information (including the application requirements) is available on the Graduate Center’s website.

German language course or Studienkolleg

Please ensure you find out whether you can apply directly for the degree program you have chosen or whether you must first complete the Studienkolleg or pass the assessment examination (Feststellungsprüfung). More information is available on our page about the Evaluation of international qualifications and “Studienkolleg”.

Applications for a German course or the pre-entry program (Studienkolleg) should be filed online only.

Special groups of applicants

Exchange students and scholarship holders

If you want to spend one or two semesters at FAU as an exchange student (e.g. ERASMUS/SOKRATES program) or a scholarship holder (e.g. DAAD), please contact International Affairs.

Applications from non-EU states (subject to a fee)

As of winter semester 2026/27, FAU will be charging a processing fee of 100 euros per application for applicants from non-EU states.

Further information is available on the page Fees for applications from non-EUstates.

Applying with an Indian APS certificate

For applicants with qualifications from India, the APS certificate must be submitted when applying for admission to a degree program (Bachelor’s degree, State Examination and Master’s degree), for the German course, or the Studienkolleg for the Free State of Bavaria, provided that the application is based on a secondary education certificate and/or course achievements from India.

Please note the following exceptions:

An APS certificate is not required for application if one of the following conditions is met:

• The highest educational qualification originates from a country other than India, China or Vietnam. The first degree is relevant for the application for a Master’s degree program. If applicants gained their Bachelor’s degree in India and a Master’s degree in another country, an APS certificate is still required. In this case, the university degree relevant for the application is the Bachelor’s degree and the Master’s degree is secondary.
• The applicant has passed an assessment examination (Feststellungsprüfung) in Germany.
• The applicant has been awarded a scholarship from Germany or the EU.

For more information, please visit the APS India website: aps-india.de

Applying as a "BildungsinländerIn"

Irrespective of your nationality, you are considered a “BildungsinländerIn” if you have obtained your university entrance qualification in Germany or at a German school abroad. The same application conditions apply to you as those for prospective students from Germany.

Applying as a graduate of a German school abroad

Graduates of German schools abroad who want to start a degree program at FAU receive particular support. The application procedure is based on the school-leaving qualification obtained.

• Application procedure with a German “Abitur”\ If you have obtained the German general university entrance qualification Abitur at a “Gymnasium” secondary school or a German secondary education certificate at a German school abroad, you are entitled to start a degree program at any German university, irrespective of your nationality. This means you are a “BildungsinländerIn”. You can therefore apply to and enroll at FAU just like any German prospective student. Detailed information is available on the website: Application and enrollment
• Application procedure with the school-leaving qualification obtained in your home country\ If you have obtained a non-German school-leaving qualification at a German school or partner school in your home country or if you have obtained the International Baccalaureate and the Deutsches Sprachdiplom DSD II, you can apply for a degree program at FAU via the application procedure for international students.

Advice and support for applications from graduates of German schools abroad

FAU is part of the Bavarian support initiative for German schools abroad and partner schools abroad (Bayerische Betreuungsinitiative Deutsche Auslands- und Partnerschulen – BayBIDS). As part of this initiative, we visit German schools abroad to introduce pupils there to the university. We also organize and support visits to FAU for pupils of German schools abroad.

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School leavers who apply for a degree program at FAU can also apply for a one-year scholarship from 425-450 euros per month. Further information on these support programs is available.

Applying after passing the assessment examination (Feststellungsprüfung)

Graduates of a preparatory college in Germany who have passed an assessment test that also grants them admission to all universities in the Federal Republic of Germany for degree programs in the corresponding subject area and who wish to enroll in a degree program without admission restrictions (without NC) do not need to apply to the Admissions Office and go through an admission procedure.

They can enroll during the regular enrollment period.

The prerequisite is that they have submitted an application for admission via the campo portal by July 15 (winter semester) or January 15 (summer semester).

Exception: For degree programs that require an aptitude assessment procedure (EFV) for enrollment, a letter of admission, i.e., a prior application to the Admissions Office submitted by the deadline, is required.

Applying with an International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB)

Prospective students who have already acquired the IB (and do not have German citizenship) should follow standard application procedures for prospective international students. Applicants who are at an international school and will gain the IB this year will not usually have their final certificate in time for the application deadline.

The following applies to applications for decentralized subjects with admission restrictions:

If you would like to apply for a degree program with admission restrictions at FAU directly after completing your examinations for the IB Diploma, and before the deadline of July 15 applicable at Bavarian universities, you must send the following documents by post to the Office for the Recognition of Certificates (Zeugnisanerkennungsstelle) by the end of April:

1. A simple photocopy of your ID card or passport
2. An overview in tabular form (similar to a CV) detailing which school year you completed each grade
3. German contact address
4. A certified photocopy of the original of your final report card for the 10th grade
5. IB Results Summary covering all four semesters, issued by the school attended

Additionally, you have to apply to the IBO (not your school!) for an official transcript of grades that is transferred to the Office for the Recognition of Certificates online by the IBO when grades are announced on July 5 of the year of the examination. The Office for the Recognition of Certificates then sends a letter of notification to your contact address in order to ensure you can apply in time. You can attach your provisional confirmation of accreditation and your IB grade certificate to your application or submit them at a later date, once you receive them. If you intend to submit them at a later date, please attach a note to your application stating that you have obtained the IB and that you have asked the Office for the Recognition of Certificates for a provisional notice of accreditation.

These documents are provisionally accepted as proof of obtaining university entrance qualification. If you are granted admission, you can also use these documents to enroll. You should submit your final certificate to the Student Records Office by the start of the lecture period at the latest.

This and further information on the IB is available as an information sheet on the website of the Bayerisches Landesamt für Schule.

Important information

Please also note that you must also provide proof of sufficient proficiency in German. This is not necessary if your IB certificate includes at least 6 points for German A at higher or standard level or at least 7 points for German B at higher level,

Registration and enrollment for a degree program.

If your application for a place has been successful, you will receive an admissions letter (“Zulassungsbescheid”) and you must then enroll for the degree program you would like to study at FAU. You will then receive information on how and when to enroll and which documents are required in the admissions letter.

Detailed information is available under Application/Enrollment.

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