Step by step guide to apply for the APS certificate in 2024

What’s an APS certificate? Why?

An APS certificate is a document that the German Embassy issues to confirm the legitimacy of your academic records from school and university. It was initially implemented in India in 2022 as a result of the large number of fraudulent certificates that students were submitting. Before 2022, getting an APS certificate was not necessary; however, now, both the university and the German Embassy ask for it.

Applying for and waiting for the APS certificate can seem like a huge challenge, but if we know what to do and don’t do when applying, this suffering can be reduced. Thus, we will cover what you need to know about APS in this article.

What do you need to apply?

First and foremost, you require A4-sized colored photocopies of the original documents. Typically, the documents consists of your birth certificate, educational records, TestAS certificate and score, and a current passport-size photo. The prerequisites might change based on your qualifications. Remember to have a look at the list on their official website.

Some things to keep in mind while sending the documents:

• Both sides of the documents should be photocopied.
• You should not send your original documents.
• If your document is not in English, you need to get it translated and notarized.
• When showing your language proficiency (in which you will have your course), you will have to show certificates from German-government-recognized institutions such as Goethe Institute, Max Mueller Bhavan, ÖST, DSD, IELTS, and TOEFL.
• You should notify your college, university, or teacher when you apply for the APS certificate since the APS office may get in touch with them about you. The procedure may be sped up if these institutions were informed beforehand.
• You should also have Rs. 18,000 ready in your account to pay for the processing fees for the APS certificate. 

How to apply?

Create an account

In the first step, you have to create an account by providing a username and password. After you create your account, you can proceed to fill out the form. (You can check your status afterwards by logging in to your accounts.)

Filling the form

Filling out the form is very easy. Let’s walk through the form step by step.

In the second step after creating your account, you have to fill in your personal details and upload a passport-size photo. The photo should be in.jpg format, and the size should not be greater than 30 KB. After that, you have to enter all your personal details, like your name, gender, date of birth, address, etc., as given. 

The third step is about your education. You need to enter your board marks, along with JEE Main or advanced numbers, only if it applies to you (this field is optional).  Fill these fields as they apply to you.

In the fourth step, they ask you about your bachelor’s and master’s details. This section is only for those who have completed a bachelor’s or master’s. Fill in the details as given in your university documents. One thing to keep in mind is that if you have a student login portal, you should also fill those out here, as it will speed up the process of verifying your documents. While entering your professor’s email, keep in mind that it should end with.edu.in or.ac.in. 

The next section is for those students who are applying for bachelors. Others can skip this section. Bachelor’s students should fill in the details as required.

In the 6th part, you need to select the language. Here you can select: English, German, and Both (English and German). Then you will have to select your language certification. Keep in mind that a language certificate is not mandatory for applying for an APS certificate. 

Making the payment

After you fill out the form, you will have to make the payment. You can either pay offline or use their online portal, CCAvenue. In the second option, you can use a debit card, a credit card, net banking, wallets, and even UPI. This method is recommended by APS India, as through it, the whole process becomes easy and your application will be processed quickly. 

Submitting the documents

After you have filled out the form, you have to download and print the application form and sign it. Then you have to attach proof of your payment. If you have made a UPI payment, you can attach a transaction number page. Then you have to collect all the photocopies of your documents and send them to the APS India office address, which is Academic Evaluation Centre Gate No. 3, DLTA Complex, R.K. Khanna Stadium 1 Africa Avenue 110029 New Delhi, India, according to their website.

What not to do?

• Don’t send too many emails asking for the status of your certificate because you might get blocked. Once you have submitted your documents, it will take around 4 to 6 weeks.
• To optimize the process, submitting the documents in person is now not possible. So, you can only send your documents by letter, post, or courier.
• Because it can take a little bit of time to get your APS certificate, you should not wait to apply for APS at the last moment. You should do it 2-3 months before your VISA appointment or as soon as possible. Applying it at the last moment may lead to a stressful situation.

Who are not required to apply?

Some students don’t require to apply for the APS certificate. Here’s the list:

• If you are going for a PHD or a post-doc,.
• If you have studied at a non-Indian school board like the IB board,.
• Students who are only going to attend language courses in Germany are not required to apply for the APS certificate. But when you want to attend the university, you will have to get your APS certificate.