German as a Second and Foreign Language for Work and Specialised Studies

What you would need to do

In the order you must act, not the order things get published. Some steps depend on your nationality — tell us where you are from and this list gets sharper.

1. APS India minimum Class XII score of 70%Before you applyA hard academic floor applied at COUNTRY level, outside any university's own criteria. A student holding a university offer can still be refused the APS certificate, and therefore the visa. Announced 23 February 2026, effective Winter Semester 2026/27.Academic Evaluation Centre India (APS India) ↗
2. dMAT (Digital Master Test) — required for some Master's fieldsBefore you applyStandardised academic aptitude test run by APS India with g.a.s.t. Required as part of APS documentation for Master's applicants whose PREVIOUS degree is in Engineering; Commerce, Accounting, Finance or Economics; or Business and Management. Applies from the s · EUR 150APS India with g.a.s.t. ↗
3. German language proficiency (institution-set level)No national minimum level. The recognised EXAMS are standardised nationally (TestDaF and DSH), but the required level and any waiver are set by each institution.Individual higher education institutions; exams standardised nationally ↗
4. APS certificate (Akademische Prüfstelle) — IndiaVerification of academic documents issued by Indian institutions. Required for the German student visa. It does NOT replace a university's admission decision, and it can run in parallel with university applications.Academic Evaluation Centre India (APS India) ↗
5. Proof of financial resources (Finanzierungsnachweis / Sperrkonto)Applicants must prove funds for one year, commonly by depositing into a blocked account (Sperrkonto). Blocks the visa, not the university application. · EUR 11,904Federal Foreign Office / DAAD Study in Germany ↗
6. Health insurance (compulsory)Proof of health insurance is demanded at BOTH university enrolment and residence-permit application.DAAD Study in Germany ↗
7. Anmeldung (residence registration)Every international student moving to Germany must register at the residents' registration office, usually within one week. The written confirmation is needed to obtain the residence permit.Einwohnermeldeamt / Bürgeramt, then Ausländerbehörde for the permit ↗

Cost

tuition — EUR 0 per year (international students)DAAD International Programmes: German as a Second and Foreign Language for Work and Specialised Studies at Paderborn University — tuition fees as published: 'No tuition fees'Checked 2026-08-16 · daad.de

Entry requirements

• languageDAAD programme detail for German as a Second and Foreign Language for Work and Specialised Studies at Paderborn University — german language requirement as published: C1 required, please provide an official language certificate, e.g.: Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang (DSH): DSH-2
• otherDAAD programme detail for German as a Second and Foreign Language for Work and Specialised Studies at Paderborn University — academic admission requirements as published: A completed degree in one of the following fields is required: German as a Foreign and Second Language, German Studies (Germanistik), or a degree programme with significant linguistic components, or a combined degree including at least one of the aforementioned subjects. At a minimum, the following competencies are expected: advanced knowledge of linguistics, including elements of German studies, and fundamental competencies in foreign/second language didactics or in research on foreign/second language acquisition. German language skills C1 required, please provide an official language certificate, e.g.: Deutsche Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang (DSH): DSH-2 English language skills No m