Application from non-EU citizens
When applying for bachelor’s and State Examination study programmes, non-EU citizens must submit preliminary review documentation (Vorprüfungsdokumentation – VPD) issued by uni-assist as well as recognised proof of language proficiency (e.g. a DSH 2 certificate). From the winter semester 2024/25, submission of preliminary review documentation is also expected to be mandatory when applying for master’s study programmes at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences and the Medical Faculty. Applications for PhD programmes at all faculties and master’s study programmes at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, and the Faculty of Law are exempt from this obligation.
It is essential that the VPD is issued for your application to Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. A uni-assist assessment report is not sufficient. If the university entrance assessment test (Feststellungsprüfung) has been completed, it must also be submitted to uni-assist for the VPD. Non-EU citizens with a university entrance qualification (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung – HZB) from an EU country and those who have the same status as German nationals pursuant to Art. 1 (2) of the Rules for the Allocation of Study Places of North Rhine-Westphalia (Vergabeverordnung NRW) should apply for subjects with local admission restrictions (ONC subjects)/Dialogue-oriented Service Procedure (DoSV) subjects in the same way as EU citizens/German nationals and accordingly do not need to submit preliminary review documentation (Vorprüfungsdokumentation – VPD) from uni-assist.
Uni-assist must verify your certificates from your home country before a VPD can be issued. Please contact uni-assist about this in good time (at least 8 weeks before the university’s application deadline).
The certificates from your home country no longer have to be submitted when applying for Bachelor's and State Examination degree programs at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. For doctoral and Master's degree programs (even if a VPD is required) the certificates from your home country no longer have to be submitted when applying to Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf.
The application deadlines for study programmes with restricted admission are 15 January (for the summer semester) and 15 July (for the winter semester) every year. You can find the application deadlines for study programmes with unrestricted admission here.
Please apply online via our application portal. Please note the following information when applying for DoSV study programmes. Non-EU citizens with a university entrance qualification (HZB) from an EU country should apply for subjects with local admission restrictions (ONC subjects)/Dialogue-oriented Service Procedure (DoSV) subjects in the same way as EU citizens/German nationals.
Applicants for the 1st subject-related semester for the medicine, dentistry and pharmacy study programmes are excluded from the awarding procedure if they are already enrolled as students in the selected study programme at a German university at the time of application. Applications for the 1st subject-related semester for medicine/state examinations are not possible if, at the time of application, the clinical examination has already been completed or the first stage of the medical licence examination has been credited as a result of academic performance to date. In these cases, applications can only be made for the clinical semesters.
Please note that special case requests within the framework of applications are only relevant for German nationals, EU citizens, “Bildungsinländer” (non-German applicants with a German university entrance qualification/degree from a German university) and those who have the same status as German nationals.
Which documents must be submitted?
For undergraduate study programmes (Bachelor’s/state examination) the following documents must be submitted:
Preliminary review documentation issued for Heinrich Heine University by uni-assist (see above) and recognised proof of language proficiency. The certificate from the university entrance assessment test may also serve as proof of language proficiency.
The following documents must be submitted with applications for PhD programmes as well as Master's programmes:
- Degree certificate and record of grades and subjects (original language version plus a German translation issued by a sworn translator; certificates issued in English and French do not need to be translated).
- DSH certificate (DSH 2 or DSH 3) or equivalent proof of language proficiency, unless you are applying for a foreign-language Master’s programme or doctoral studies in a language other than German.
- additionally the preliminary examination documentation (VPD) for Master's degree programs of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences and the Faculty of Medicine.
- Doctoral studies: If you are planning to start a PhD programme, you need authorisation from the Dean’s Office and confirmation of academic supervision from your doctoral supervisor.
When applying for a higher subject-related semester, a record of academic performance to date must be submitted.
Special cases
China
- Prospective students from the People’s Republic of China must upload the certificate issued by the Academic Evaluation Centre (Akademische Prüfstelle – APS), which can be contacted via the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Beijing, and submit the original on enrolment:
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany
Kulturreferat, Akademische Prüfstelle
Landmark Tower 2, Office 03118
8, Dongsanhuan Beilu
Chaoyang District, 100004 Beijing, PR China
Tel.: 0086-10-6590-7138 or -7141, (Monday to Thursday, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. Chinese time)
Fax: 0086-10-6590-0051
E-mail:
Vietnam
- Applicants from Vietnam must upload the certificate issued by the Academic Evaluation Centre (Akademische Prüfstelle – APS) at the German Embassy in Hanoi and submit the original on enrolment.
India (from the winter semester 2023/24 onwards)
- Applicants from India must upload the certificate issued by the Academic Evaluation Centre (Akademische Prüfstelle – APS) in New-Delhi (from the winter semester 2023/24 onwards ) and submit (the original) on enrolment.
Certificates must be submitted in officially certified form on enrolment.
Preliminary review documentation
If you need confirmation of your university entrance qualification before application (e.g. in order to extend your visa if you do not yet have recognised proof of language proficiency), you can get your certificates from your home country verified by uni-assist for a fee.