An English Guide to Using Anabin
This page provides a straightforward guide to navigating Anabin, the German government’s database of recognised and accepted foreign university degrees.
What is Anabin?
The German Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) is responsible for assessing and recognising foreign educational institutions and qualifications. In short, they assess how a foreign university degree matches up to an equivalent qualification in the German education system.
Each time ZAB completes an assessment of an overseas institution or qualification, they add their assessment to a database called Anabin. You can then access this database to see how your foreign institution or qualification is recognised in Germany.
While this all sounds simple enough, the Anabin database is highly confusing and entirely in German. It is both infuriating and non-sensical in equal measure, which is why we have created this simple English guide to help you navigate your way around the database.
Why is Anabin important?
In short, you need to prove that you are a ‘skilled worker’ in order to apply for a work-related visa for Germany, whether this is a Job Seekers Visa, Work Visa or EU Blue Card. By ‘skilled worker’, the German immigration authorities really just require that you have a suitable university-level education.
The quickest way to prove that you have a suitable university-level education is to find your institution and qualification on the Anabin database. Once you have navigated to the required information on Anabin, you can then download the necessary documentation from the database to demonstrate that you have suitable qualifications to be approved for a work-related visa.
Therefore, successfully navigating the Anabin database is extremely important as it can make or break your chances of obtaining your visa for Germany.
How do I use Anabin?
Now that you know what Anabin is and why it is important, it is time to explore how to actually use the database.
1️⃣ Finding your university institution on Anabin
First up, you need to check how your university institution is recognised in Germany:
Open the Anabin database here and select Institutionen (Institution) in the left-hand column.
Toggle to the Suchen (Search) tab.
Click on Länderauswahl öffnen and select the country where you obtained your university degree.
Once you have selected the country where you obtained your university degree (e.g. USA), you can then filter your search by Orte (City) or Institutionstypen (Institution type).
Alternatively, you can enter a keyword to find your university (e.g New York).
In the example above, I have decided to search for all institutions in the United States related to the keyword ‘New York’. This brings up a long list of relevant search results.
Navigate to your institution (e.g. New York University) and click on the + sign next to the name of your institution.
Once you click on the + sign, you will be shown a pop-up window with further details about your university. In the pop-up window, the most important section is marked ‘Status’. Here your university will be classified as H+, H+/- or H- (see below for what these different classifications mean).
You will need to print this pop-up window to show as proof that your institution is recognised in Germany when applying for your visa. To print the pop-up window, just click the printer icon in the top right-hand corner.
What do the university classifications on Anabin mean?
As mentioned, your university ‘Status’ on Anabin will be either H+, H+/- or H-. Here is what these mean:
H+
Great news! Your university is fully recognised in Germany. Print the pop-up window and proceed to STEP 2 below.H+/-
Your university is only partially recognised in Germany. Print the pop-up window and proceed to STEP 3 below.H-
Unfortunately, your university is not recognised in Germany. Sadly, this also means that none of the qualifications from your university are recognised either.
2️⃣ Finding your degree type on Anabin
Once you have confirmed that your university is fully recognised (H+ status), you now need to use Anabin to prove that your degree type is deemed comparable to an equivalent degree in the German education system.
❗ By ‘degree type’, we mean the overarching title of your degree (e.g. Bachelor of Arts in Accounting) from your country of study.
Here are step-by-step instructions for finding your degree type in Anabin:
Open the Anabin database here and select Hochschulabschlüsse (University degrees) in the left-hand column.
Toggle to the Suchen nach Abschlüssen (Search for degree) tab.
Click on Länderauswahl öffnen and select the country where you obtained your university degree.
Once you have selected the country where you obtained your university degree (e.g. Great Britain), you can then filter your search by Abschlusstypen (degree type) or Studienrichtungen (study field).
Alternatively, you can enter a keyword to find your degree (e.g Accounting).
In the example above, I have decided to search for degrees from Great Britain related to the keyword ‘Accounting’. This brings up relevant search results. If you do not immediately see your degree type in the search results, we recommend playing around with the search fields.
Navigate to your degree type (e.g. Bachelor of Arts in Accounting) and click on the + sign next to the name of your degree.
Once you click on the + sign, you will be shown a pop-up window with further details about your degree. In the pop-up window, the most important section is marked Bewertung (Rating).
In order for your university to be deemed equivalent or comparable to a German degree, this section should list your degree as Gleichwertig (Equivalent) or Entspricht (Comparable).
As a minimum, your degree should be equivalent or comparable to a German 3-year Bachelor's degree (Bakkalaurereus/Bachelor 3j).
You will need to print this pop-up window to show as proof that your degree is recognised in Germany when applying for your visa. To print the pop-up window, just click the printer icon in the top right-hand corner.
✔️ Congratulations, at this stage you have successfully navigated the Anabin database and now have the necessary proof to apply for a Job Seekers Visa, Work Visa or EU Blue Card for Germany! At your visa appointment, you will need to show:
A printout from Anabin showing your university is H+ rated.
A printout from Anabin showing your university degree is classified as Gleichwertig (Equivalent) or Entspricht (Comparable).
3️⃣ Finding your specific degree on Anabin
If your university is only partially recognised (H+/- status) in step 1 above, you need to use Anabin to prove that your specific degree from your specific university is deemed comparable to an equivalent degree in the German education system.
Here are step-by-step instructions for finding your specific degree in Anabin:
Open the Anabin database here and select Hochschulabschlüsse (University degrees) in the left-hand column.
Toggle to the Suchen nach Abschlüssen (Search for degrees) tab.
Click on Länderauswahl öffnen and select the country where you obtained your university degree.
Once you have selected the country where you obtained your university degree (e.g. Canada), you can then filter your search by Abschlusstypen (degree type) or Studienrichtungen (study field).
Alternatively, you can enter a keyword to find your degree (e.g German).
In the example above, I have decided to search for degrees from Canada related to the keyword ‘German’. This brings up relevant search results. If you do not immediately see your degree type in the search results, we recommend playing around with the search fields.
Navigate to your degree type (e.g. Bachelor of Arts in German) and click on the + sign next to the name of your degree.
Once you click on the + sign, you will be shown a pop-up window with further details about your degree. In the pop-up window, the most important section is marked Bewertung (Rating).
In order for your degree to be deemed equivalent or comparable to a German degree, this section should list your degree as Gleichwertig (Equivalent) or Entspricht (Comparable).
As a minimum, your degree should be equivalent or comparable to a German 3-year Bachelor's degree (Bakkalaurereus/Bachelor 3j) or higher.
❗ Because your university is only partially recognised (H+/- status), you also need your university to be listed in the section titled Verleihende Institutionen. This confirms that your specific degree (e.g. Bachelor of Arts in German) from your specific institution is deemed comparable or equivalent to a German degree.
You will need to print this pop-up window to show as proof that your specific degree is recognised in Germany when applying for your visa. To print the pop-up window, just click the printer icon in the top right-hand corner.
✔️ Congratulations, at this stage you have successfully navigated the Anabin database and now have the necessary proof to apply for a Job Seekers Visa, Work Visa or EU Blue Card for Germany! At your visa appointment, you will need to show:
⚠️ If your university is classified as H+/- and is not listed in the section titled Verleihende Institutionen, you will need to have your specific degree individually assessed by ZAB. Instructions for having your specific degree assessed by ZAB can be found here.
FAQs on how to use Anabin
Q. What do I do if my university institution is not on Anabin?
The Anabin database is far from complete.
If your university institution is not listed on Anabin, then you need to have your institution and degree individually assessed by the German Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB). Specifically, you need to apply for a Statement of Comparability from ZAB – details of how to do this can be found here.
Q. What do I do if my degree is not on Anabin?
The Anabin database is far from complete.
If your degree is not listed on Anabin, then you need to have your degree individually assessed by the German Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB). Specifically, you need to apply for a Statement of Comparability from ZAB – details of how to do this can be found here.
Q. What do I do if my degree is classified as Bedingt vergleichbar on Anabin?
If your degree is classified as Bedingt vergleichbar (Conditionally comparable) this essentially means that the German authorities cannot be sure that your degree type is equivalent or fully comparable to a German qualification.
To check this, it is recommended that you have your specific degree individually compared by the German Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB). Specifically, you need to apply for a Statement of Comparability from ZAB – details of how to do this can be found here.
Q. What do I do if my degree is classified as comparable with a Fachschule qualification on Anabin?
If your degree is classified as equivalent or comparable with a Fachschule qualification on Anabin, then this means that your degree is not comparable with a suitable German qualification:
If you plan to apply for a Job Seekers Visa, Work Visa or EU Blue Card, your degree should be equivalent or comparable to a German 3-year Bachelor's degree (Bakkalaurereus/Bachelor 3j) or higher:
I have a question about Anabin. Who should I contact?
If this guide has not answered all your questions on Anabin, then we recommend that you contact the German Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) which manages the Anabin database. You can reach ZAB via their contact form.
We hope you have found this guide helpful for navigating the Anabin database. For further useful guides on how to move to Germany, including advice on visas, insurance, banking, jobs and accommodation, see our other blog posts.