Applying for recognition of academic degrees, titles and designations of ethnic German repatriates
The following applies to university degrees obtained at a recognised university abroad:
You may use the awarded degree, such as "inzener-mechanik" or "ekonomist", without permission, in the form in which you received it. However, if you have obtained degrees outside the European Union, you must add the university at which you obtained the degree.
You can present the academic degree in the following forms:
- translated into Latin script
- use the abbreviation approved or customary in the country of origin
- add a literal English translation in parentheses.
If you are recognised as a late repatriate, you can apply for a conversion to the German degree that corresponds to your foreign one. This also applies to your spouse and children.
If the foreign degree is equivalent to the German one, this conversion takes place.
Process flow
You must submit an informal application. You must submit this together with the required documents to the competent authority.
Recognised ethnic German repatriates as well as their spouses and descendants who hold a certificate in accordance with § 15 BVFG may, upon application, be permitted to use a degree awarded before the resettlement in the form of the corresponding domestic university degree, provided that this is equivalent. For this purpose, the submitted documents will be forwarded to experts from the Central Office for Foreign Education with a request for expert opinion.
Who should I contact?
Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture, Department 27, Leibnizufer 9, 30169 Hannover
Requirements
- Graduation from a recognised university in the resettlement area before entering the country
- Equivalence of the degree with a German degree
- Main residence in Lower Saxony
Which documents are required?
The application must be accompanied by the following documents: (please do not send original documents!)
- (a) an officially certified copy of the original certificate of award of the academic degree;
- b) an officially certified copy of the translation of the above-mentioned document by an interpreter who is generally sworn in at a German court; Information about the college/university and the academic degree must also be translated into Latin script in the case of Cyrillic script (phonetic writing);
- c) an officially certified copy of the list of subjects and grades (annex to the diploma);
- d) an officially certified copy of the translation of the document to c) by an interpreter who is generally sworn in at a German court;
- e) an officially certified copy of the certificate of higher education entrance qualification or the school-leaving certificate that entitles the holder to study;
- f) an officially certified copy of the translation of the document to e) by an interpreter who is generally sworn in at a German court;
- g) an officially certified copy of the certificate pursuant to Section 15 (1) or (2) of the Federal Expellees Act;
- h) an officially certified copy of the declaration on the use of the name in accordance with Section 94 of the Federal Expellees Act or the certificate of the registry office on the change of name;
- (i) a declaration signed by the person stating whether an application for authorisation has already been submitted in Lower Saxony or another Land of the Federal Republic of Germany at an earlier date;
- (j) a curriculum vitae in tabular form;
- k) a current registration certificate of residence in the State of Lower Saxony. No copy of the registration confirmation!
Official certifications and a registration certificate can be obtained from the municipal or city administration
Technically approved by
Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture
Author
The text was automatically translated based on the German content.
