What is APS Certificate Germany?

In Germany, the APS certificate (Arbeitsmarktprüfung) plays a crucial role in the process of hiring non-EU/EEA citizens for employment. Issued by the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit, BA), this certificate verifies that a job offer extended to a non-EU/EEA national complies with German labor market regulations. Its primary purpose is to ensure that the job position cannot be filled by qualified candidates from Germany or other EU/EEA countries, thereby safeguarding local job opportunities. Employers initiate the APS process by submitting detailed information about the job offer to the local Employment Agency where the position is located. This includes specifics such as the job description, salary offered, required qualifications, and efforts made to recruit within the EU/EEA.

Who Requires an APS Certificate?

All Indian students who are pursuing or have acquired educational qualifications from any of the recognised Indian school boards or universities and are planning to study undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Germany are required to apply for APS Certification before they begin their application process to German Universities. The APS Certificate is also a mandatory requirement for a German Student Visa.

Who Does Not Require an APS Certificate?

• Indian students who have been sponsored by German or EU-funded scholarships need not apply for an APS certification.
• Indian students who are going to study the German language without attending a university and/or without attending any pre-university preparatory classes are not required to apply for an APS Certificate.

APS Application process

• Candidates would be required to register online at www.aps-india.de
• Candidates would be required to print and sign the completed application form. Kindly ensure that the entered data is correct and that the form is personally signed by the applicant. Incomplete and incorrect information will invalidate your application.
• Candidates would be required to transfer the APS verification fee of 18,000/- INR to the APS bank account. (NON-REFUNDABLE)
• Candidates would be then required to submit the required documents, including the printed and signed application form via courier or in person at the reception desk of APS India. Kindly keep a record of your courier tracking details. Note: Documents must be in Legible A4-sized coloured photocopies of all original documents and both sides of all the documents must be photocopied. Candidates are not required to courier original documents.
• Candidates should note that document verification will be conducted by APS India. Only complete applications will be processed. For Undergraduate students applying for an APS Certificate, there could be an interview involved in the process. The same has been mentioned below.
• Upon successful completion of the document verification, students enrolled in a Bachelor’s program at an Indian university but have not yet completed their course of study might be asked to appear for a personal interview. These candidates will be notified via telephone or email 10 to 14 days before the interview date. The date shall not be changed.
• The interview will last around 20 minutes. It will focus on the candidate's academic history and achievements in India. The interviews will be conducted in English and/or German.
• Within 5 days of the interview, your online profile will be updated with your verification result. Successful candidates will receive five original APS certificates via courier within two weeks.
• On completion of the document verification, your online profile will be updated with a verification outcome. Successful candidates will receive five original APS certificates via courier.