uni-assist for Indian Students 2026-2027: VPD, Fees, Processing Time and APS

How does uni-assist work?

uni-assist is an association supported by about 160 German universities that evaluates international applicants' certificates for them. You apply online in My assist, upload your documents and pay the handling fee. uni-assist checks your certificates and either forwards an evaluation to the university or issues a VPD that you send yourself. The university then decides on admission.

1. Check the programme page. It tells you whether to apply through uni-assist, and whether it uses the standard procedure or the VPD procedure.
2. Create a My assist account and choose your programmes.
3. Upload your documents once, even if you apply to several universities.
4. Pay the handling fee and submit. uni-assist starts only after payment.
5. Wait for the result. In the standard procedure, uni-assist forwards your application to the university. In the VPD procedure, you receive a VPD and apply to the university yourself.

How much does uni-assist charge per application?

uni-assist charges €75 for the first study programme you choose in a semester and €30 for each additional programme in the same semester. Applying to three programmes in one semester therefore costs €135. The fees are the same for the standard procedure and the VPD procedure, and you pay them again if you reapply in a new semester.

Each programme counts separately, even two programmes at the same university. Any bank charges for an international transfer are yours to pay. Some universities pay the fee for their applicants; the programme page or uni-assist will tell you.

How long does uni-assist take?

uni-assist says you will usually receive your evaluation result in 4 to 6 weeks after it receives your online application. Its current estimate for certificates from Asia, last updated 26 October 2026, is 2 to 3 weeks, and individual cases can take longer. For a VPD, uni-assist advises applying at least 8 weeks before your university's deadline.

What is a VPD?

A VPD (Vorprüfungsdokumentation, preliminary review documentation) is a certificate from uni-assist that you submit directly to the university yourself. It records the certificates you submitted, the type of university entrance they give you, and how uni-assist rates your grade on the German scale. It is valid for one year from the date of issue.

uni-assist only issues VPDs for some universities. The programme page says which procedure it uses.

Does uni-assist require APS?

Yes. uni-assist's information for applicants from India lists the APS certificate as a required document, both for school leavers and for university graduates. A digitally sealed APS certificate must be uploaded to My assist as the unchanged original file. Paper APS certificates issued before 23 April 2023 can be uploaded as a scan.

uni-assist also points Indian applicants to the dMAT requirement for selected fields of study on aps-india.de. See our APS guide and dMAT guide for the details.

Can I apply to uni-assist without APS?

Not with a complete application. Because uni-assist lists the APS certificate as a required document for Indian certificates, an application without it is missing a required document. Apply to APS India first, which takes at least two weeks after APS receives your documents, and upload the certificate to My assist before your deadline.

Which documents do I need for uni-assist?

For applicants who studied at an Indian university, uni-assist lists:

1. Your transcript, also called Statement of Marks or Grade Sheets. Upload both sides if anything is printed on the back.
2. Your degree certificate, if you have finished. A provisional certificate is accepted only from a university or autonomous college, and only for 12 months after you complete your studies.
3. An official letter with the expected date of issue (convocation date), if your degree certificate has not been issued a year after you finish.
4. A grading system document showing the maximum and minimum grade for the degree. The pass marks of single courses are not accepted for this.
5. Your original APS certificate.

Your programme will also ask for its own documents, such as proof of English, a CV or a letter of motivation. Check its page.

Does uni-assist need notarised documents?

For Indian applicants, uni-assist asks you to upload your documents in My assist; its India page does not ask for notarised copies. Documents must be official, with the issuing institution's signature and stamp or a verification code. Documents not in German or English need a translation by a sworn translator or an authorised department of your university.

Your university may have its own document rules. Follow what its programme page says.

Does uni-assist refund money?

Only in some cases. uni-assist's terms say you get a refund if you paid more than the required fee, if you paid although the university covers the fee, or if you withdraw before the preliminary evaluation. A €10 administration fee may be deducted. Once processing is complete, the full fee applies whatever the result.

How do I contact uni-assist?

uni-assist asks applicants to send questions through the contact form on its website at my.uni-assist.de/hilfe. Payment requests come only from uni-assist through the uni-assist online portal, and uni-assist says it does not cooperate with commercial agencies, so be careful with anyone who asks you to pay uni-assist fees elsewhere.

What is the difference between DAAD and uni-assist?

They do different jobs. uni-assist evaluates your certificates and processes applications for its member universities. DAAD, the German Academic Exchange Service, runs scholarship programmes and the International Programmes database, and runs APS together with the German Embassy. You do not apply for admission through DAAD.

Read our DAAD scholarship guide if you are looking at funding.

What mistakes cost Indian applicants time?

• Starting uni-assist before APS. Without the APS certificate the application is incomplete.
• Leaving it to the last weeks. Results usually take 4 to 6 weeks.
• Uploading an edited or re-saved APS PDF. Upload the unchanged original file.
• Forgetting the grading system document. uni-assist needs the maximum and minimum grade for your degree.
• Sending the VPD too late. In the VPD procedure, the university's deadline applies to you, not to uni-assist.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the uni-assist fee for Indian students?

€75 for the first programme in a semester and €30 for each additional programme in the same semester.

Is uni-assist the same as APS?

No. APS India verifies your Indian documents and issues the APS certificate. uni-assist evaluates your certificates for German universities and needs the APS certificate as one of your documents.

Does uni-assist decide my admission?

No. uni-assist sends an evaluation or issues a VPD. The university decides on admission.

How long is a VPD valid?

One year from the date of issue, whichever semester you select in My assist.

Sources

• uni-assist: Profile
• uni-assist: Handling fees
• uni-assist: Status, evaluation result and admission (processing times, last updated 26 October 2026)
• uni-assist: VPD
• uni-assist: Glossary, VPD
• uni-assist: Info country by country, India
• uni-assist: Glossary, Akademische Prüfstelle (APS)
• uni-assist: Certified copies and translations
• uni-assist: Terms and Conditions (sections 2 and 14)
• uni-assist: FAQs, plan your application (contact form)

Reknown Edu Services® is a private consultancy and is not affiliated with uni-assist, APS or DAAD.