Germany

Anabin Check: Will Germany Accept Your Indian Degree? (2027 Guide)

Pratik Jain7 min readLast updated 25 October 2026

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Indian student checking a university's anabin rating before applying to Germany

Last Updated: October 25, 2026

QUICK ANSWER: How do I check if Germany recognises my Indian degree? Use anabin, the free official database at anabin.kmk.org. First, your university needs the rating H+ (or H+/- with your programme listed in its comments). Second, your degree type should be rated "entspricht" or "gleichwertig". Third, check the Master's programme page, because each programme sets its own subject and ECTS rules. If your university is not listed, get a ZAB Statement of Comparability.

Some strong applicants do everything right, IELTS, SOP, LORs, CV, and then find out Germany does not rate their degree the way they assumed. This is checkable for free, in minutes, before you spend anything on APS or applications. This guide shows the three-step anabin check, what each rating means, and what to do if the answer is unclear.

What is anabin?

Item	Detail
What it is	The German information portal on foreign qualifications
Published by	The Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) under the KMK, the education ministers' conference
Who points you to it	The German Embassy in India, for checking your university and degree
Cost	Free to search
What it does not do	Decide your admission. Each programme still decides
Address	anabin.kmk.org

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Step 1: Is my university rated H+?

Search your university by name and open its entry.

Rating	What it means	What you do
H+	Your university meets the requirement	Go to Step 2
H+/-	Only some programmes are recognised	Your degree programme must be listed in the comments for your university. If it is not, the check fails
H- or other	Not recognised as equivalent	Get advice before building a plan on this degree
Not listed	No entry yet	Apply for a ZAB Statement of Comparability (see below)

Step 2: Is my degree rated "entspricht" or "gleichwertig"?

Inside your university's entry, find your degree type, for example B.E., B.Tech or B.Sc.

Degree rating	Meaning
entspricht	Corresponds to a German degree
gleichwertig	Equivalent to a German degree
Neither shown	A warning sign. Get advice before paying for tests or applications

3-year and 4-year degrees: a 4-year B.E. or B.Tech is generally treated as a qualifying first degree. A 3-year B.A., B.Sc., B.Com or BCA is often not treated as directly equivalent, and many programmes ask for more credits. Read your own entry and see our guide on 3-year degrees in Germany.

Step 3: Does the programme accept my subjects?

A good rating clears the national gate. It does not override the programme's own rules. For example, the University of Oldenburg's M.Sc. Data Science and Machine Learning lists a Bachelor's of at least 180 ECTS in Data Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Computer Science, Business Information Systems or a closely related field, plus specific subject knowledge, and it has a local admission restriction.

On each programme page, check:

Check	What to look for
Subject match	Is your Bachelor's field on the "related field" list?
Credits in named subjects	Some programmes ask for a set number of credits in maths, programming or another area. Compare your transcript
English proof	Which test, which score, and whether it is needed at application or enrolment
Admission type	Open (meet the rules and you are in) or restricted (ranked competition)

For the full order of steps, see our German university admission timeline, and use the credit table check for subject matching.

What if my university is not on anabin?

The German Embassy's guidance is to get a Statement of Comparability from ZAB.

Item	Detail
Issued by	ZAB (Central Office for Foreign Education)
Fee	€208 for a regular application
Time	About 3 months. It cannot be expedited
Where	zab.kmk.org

Warning

Start this early. Three months can cost you an intake if you only find out after applying. Check the current fee and timing on the ZAB site before you apply.

Are Indian credits converted to ECTS?

Not by a fixed formula. Universities assess your degree as a whole, using its recognised status. Credits are matched module by module only when you apply for credit transfer, and only where the content matches. If a programme asks for 180 ECTS in a related field, you meet it through your recognised degree and a real subject match, not by multiplying your Indian credits.

📄

Free Guide: SOP Skeleton & 10 Critical Errors

Download our free 1-page PDF SOP framework we use with our students.

What mistakes do students make?

Mistake	Fix
Applying first and checking anabin later	Check before you pay for APS or uni-assist
Assuming credits convert by a multiplier	Match subjects, not numbers
Treating H+ as a guarantee	Read every programme's own requirements
Ignoring H+/- comments	Your exact programme must be listed

A worked example (fictional)

An applicant has a 4-year B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from a state university, CGPA 7.4, aiming for Winter 2027/28.

University: rated H+. Gate cleared.
Degree: B.Tech rated "gleichwertig". The CGPA converts to about 2.3 with the CGPA to German GPA Converter.
Programmes: one asks for control engineering basics, which the transcript shows. Two others want programming credits the applicant does not have, so they drop them before paying application fees.

Result: ten well-matched applications instead of twenty random ones.

Download the checklist

Download the one-page Anabin Check checklist (image) and keep it next to your shortlist.

Unclear anabin result?

We check your university, degree rating and transcript against your target programmes before you spend on applications.

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Frequently Asked Questions

My university is not on anabin. Am I ineligible?

Not necessarily. Apply to ZAB for a Statement of Comparability. It costs €208 and takes about 3 months for a regular application, and cannot be expedited. Ask your target university whether it needs the statement.

What does H+/- mean on anabin?

Only some programmes at your university are recognised. Your degree programme must be listed in the comments for your university. If it is not listed, the check fails.

Does an H+ rating guarantee admission?

No. H+ only says your university is recognised. Admission also depends on your degree rating, the programme's subject and credit rules, your grades, and whether places are restricted.

Are 3-year Indian degrees accepted in Germany?

It depends on the degree rating and the programme. A 3-year degree is often not treated as directly equivalent to a German Bachelor's, and many Master's programmes ask for more credits. Check anabin and each programme page.

Is anabin free?

Yes, searching anabin is free. Only the ZAB Statement of Comparability has a fee, €208.

Is anabin the same as APS?

No. Anabin is a database that rates institutions and degrees. APS checks that your own documents are genuine. Indian applicants usually need both checks to come out well.

Sources

anabin.kmk.org: institution and degree ratings
ZAB: Statement of Comparability (fee and processing time)
German Missions in India: Holders of academic degrees
Hochschulkompass: programme requirements

Reknown Edu Services® is a private consultancy, not affiliated with anabin, ZAB or KMK. Only ZAB and each university's examination board can make binding decisions.

Related tools

German University Shortlister: Safe, Target and Ambitious programmes for your profile
CGPA to German GPA Converter
APS certificate guide

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