Statement of Comparability for Germany: How to Get Your University Degree Compared
This page looks at how, where and when to apply for a Statement of Comparability from the German Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB). Through having your university degree compared with an equivalent German qualification, a Statement of Comparability can both improve your prospects on the German job market and facilitate your visa process. Find out all you need to know below!
What is a Statement of Comparability?
First things first, it is important to know exactly what a Statement of Comparability is and why it might be important for your relocation to Germany.
📜 In short, a Statement of Comparability is a document issued by the German Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) that evaluates whether your overseas higher education qualification is comparable to a German qualification. Its primary purpose is to identify an equivalent German qualification and to detail how your overseas qualification can be used in a professional or academic setting in Germany.
Do you need a Statement of Comparability?
Whether or not you need a Statement of Comparability is largely down to where you are from (and the consequent visa requirements for Germany) and what industry you are looking to work in. In general, there are two main benefits of applying for a Statement of Comparability:
✅ It can help you find employment in Germany
When an employer is assessing your application, it can be difficult for them to assess your qualifications and skills if you have an overseas university degree. A Statement of Comparability will allow the employer to easily identify how your qualification matches up with the German education system – they will therefore be able to more easily assess whether you are qualified for the position.
✅ It is often required for securing a visa for Germany
If you are from a non-EU country and want to apply for a Job Seekers, Work Visa or EU Blue Card for Germany, you generally require a degree that is deemed equivalent to a German university qualification.
To prove that your overseas qualification is comparable to a German qualification, you can either:
🔎 Find your qualification on the Anabin database
Thousands of people have already applied for their university degrees to be compared by ZAB – each time this happens, the entry is entered into ZAB’s Anabin database. You can often use these entries to prove that your university institution, degree type and/or specific degree is already recognised as comparable to a German qualification. We have put together a guide on exactly how to search the Anabin database here.
📃 Apply for a Statement of Comparability
If no one has previously requested for ZAB to compare your qualification, then you may not be able to find your university, degree type and/or specific degree on the Anabin database. If this is the case, you will likely need to apply for a Statement of Comparability. Read on to find out how…
How do you apply for a Statement of Comparability?
Once you have determined whether you need to apply for a Statement of Comparability for visa or work purposes, the next step is to actually apply for your qualification to be compared by ZAB.
1️⃣ Collect the relevant application documents
🎓 To apply for a Statement of Comparability from ZAB, you will need to send copies of various documents in order for them to complete the assessment. The exact documents that ZAB require are determined by where you obtained your university qualification. For example, the document requirements for having a Filipino degree compared will be different to the document requirements for having a South African degree compared.
Use this tool to find the document checklist that applies to your university degree.
While the requirements vary from country to country, they will generally request:
✔️ A copy of your university degree certificate.
✔️ A transcript of your degree results and a breakdown of the subjects.
✔️ A copy of your high school/secondary school leaving certificate. This helps ZAB assess your ‘entire educational path’.
✔️ ID document (generally your passport).
✔️ Signed application form (see step 2 below).
Below is a typical checklist of documents that ZAB may request. As you can see, ZAB will specify whether they require simple copies, certified copies or translated copies of each document:
2️⃣ Complete and sign the application form
Once you have collated all the relevant paperwork, the next step is to complete ZAB’s application form for a Statement of Comparability.
You can complete the application form here.
📬 Once you have completed the online application form, click the ‘Send’ button at the bottom of the form. A PDF copy of the form will then be generated, which you are required to print, sign and post to the address on the front of the PDF form along with your other application documents. In most cases, the address where you should mail your application will be:
Note for EU Blue Card applicants
🟦 While the form is fairly self-explanatory, the section regarding the ‘Purpose of application’ is particularly important if you have already received a job offer that meets the requirements for an EU Blue Card. If this applies to you, then you should select ‘Blue Card beantragt’ and tick the box ‘Employment contract for the Blue Card is attached’:
When you send in your application, remember to include your employment contract as the processing time for EU Blue Card applicants is expedited to just 2 weeks (as opposed to 3 months for standard Statement of Comparability applications).
3️⃣ Pay the ZAB processing fee to initiate the Statement of Comparability process
💰 Once ZAB receives your complete application in the mail, they will notify you via email and provide details regarding payment for the Statement of Comparability.
If this is your first application for a Statement of Comparability, the fee is €200. For any subsequent applications, the fee is €100. Payment must be done via bank transfer.
Once ZAB receives your payment, they will send you a payment confirmation and start processing your Statement of Comparability. Note: ZAB will not start processing your application until they have received the payment. For further information about the payment process to ZAB, see here.
Useful info when applying for a Statement of Comparability
📅 In general, the processing time for a Statement of Comparability is 3 months. However, if you meet the requirements for an EU Blue Card and can supply ZAB with a copy of your employment contract proving this, then the processing time can be as little as 2 weeks.
🎉 Once processing is completed, a long and a short version of the Statement of Comparability is issued. The short version should be included in any relevant visa applications.
📬 Do not post any original documents to ZAB. ZAB only requests standard copies, certified copies or translated copies of all documents so do not send off any originals in the post.
📧 For questions regarding the Statement of Comparability process, you can contact ZAB directly at ZABService@kmk.org.
I hope this post helps you apply for a Statement of Comparability for Germany. For further information about moving to Germany, see our other blog posts and free relocation resources.