General documents
You will need to present different documents and personal records on several occasions and to several institutions. It depends on the circumstances what document or record is needed in what situation.
In general, you have to make sure the following:
All documents that have not been issued in English or German in your home country have to be submitted in translations. The correctness of the translation has to be confirmed by a German diplomatic or consular authority in your home country or a certified translator in Germany.
All photocopies have to be officially authenticated documents. Copies and translations should be authenticated by the corresponding German embassy abroad.
Please check with the appropriate representatives for Germany in your country in order to find out what kinds of documents are required to be eligible for a visa application.
In general you will need to submit translated and officially authenticated copies of the following documents:
- credentials
- degrees
- Ph.D. certificate
- birth certificate
- marriage certificate (if applicable)
- insurance documents
Please be aware that you have to submit all these documents (if necessary translated and notarized) for your family as well.
You will get information on authentication and certification of documents on the homepage of the German Foreign Ministry: German Foreign Ministry/ Consular services: www.auswaertiges-amt.de.
People who speak German can also check at the following website for state approval by the German Central Office for Foreign Education, specifically for the degree at their home university: www.anabin.de
