German qualifications in France, French qualifications in Germany: recognition and translation
A German school leaver applying to a university in Paris, a French engineer hired in Munich, an Austrian graduate starting a master's in Lyon: sooner or later, they all ask whether their qualification will be recognised and whether it needs translating. There is no single "equivalence" stamp that works everywhere between France and Germany. Everything depends on what the qualification is for: further study, a job in a non-regulated field, or a regulated profession.
Studying in France with a German Abitur
In France, recognition of a foreign qualification for study purposes is decided by the receiving institution itself, at enrolment. As service-public.gouv.fr points out, the final decision rests with the institution. The application route depends on the level and on your nationality:
- First year of a licence (bachelor's): European students apply through the Parcoursup platform, just like French school leavers (Campus France);
- Master's degrees: applications go through the Mon Master platform;
- Non-EU applicants with a foreign secondary-school diploma generally have to file a prior admission request (demande d'admission préalable, DAP) for a first year of licence.
Each programme sets its own list of documents: typically the Abiturzeugnis (certificate of the Allgemeine Hochschulreife), school reports from the final years and proof of French language skills. For a master's, add the bachelor's certificate, the Transcript of Records and, where available, the Diploma Supplement. When the institution asks for a translation, a certified translation by a court-appointed expert translator settles any question about its reliability.
The ENIC-NARIC statement of comparability
The ENIC-NARIC France centre, part of France Éducation international, issues an attestation de comparabilité: an opinion placing the foreign qualification against a French level of study. Applications are made online and a fee applies, except for asylum seekers and refugees. Two points matter:
- the statement has no legal force and is not compulsory. For study, the institution decides; for a job in a non-regulated field, the employer assesses your qualifications, although it may ask for the statement;
- only qualifications recognised by the issuing country can be assessed.
Regulated professions (health, law, teaching and so on) follow their own procedures, profession by profession. Before ordering any translation, check the centre's current list of documents and language requirements, which may differ depending on the language of your documents.
Using a French qualification in Germany
On the German side, three bodies come up in almost every case:
- uni-assist processes international applications on behalf of many universities. For documents issued in French, it requires a certified translation into German or English in addition to the French originals: the relevé de notes for the baccalauréat, and for a licence the degree certificate plus a complete transcript (see uni-assist's country information for France). Translations must come from persons authorised to translate under oath or admitted by the courts; non-certified translations from ordinary agencies are not accepted.
- anabin, the database of the Standing Conference of Education Ministers (KMK), shows how foreign qualifications and institutions are classified in Germany. It is a guide, not a decision.
- The ZAB (Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen) issues a Statement of Comparability for higher-education degrees. It is issued in German only and is valid throughout Germany, but it is not enough for a regulated profession, which requires professional recognition (ZAB FAQ). A translation may be required in addition to the original-language document, never instead of it.
Which documents need translating?
- From German: Abiturzeugnis, school reports (Zeugnisse), bachelor's or master's certificate and degree certificate (Urkunde), Transcript of Records, certificate of enrolment (Immatrikulationsbescheinigung), and the Diploma Supplement if it is not available in a language the recipient accepts;
- From French: baccalauréat certificate and relevé de notes, licence or master's diploma, transcripts for each year of study, certificates of successful completion (attestations de réussite).
The translation must be complete, including stamps, signatures, handwritten notes and grading scales. Degree titles with no exact counterpart are rendered faithfully, with the original term in brackets, rather than "localised" in a way that would suggest an official equivalence. See translation of degrees and transcripts.
Good to know: a certified translation reproduces the grades exactly as they appear on the document (0 to 15 points in the Abitur, grades 1 to 6, marks out of 20 in the baccalauréat). Converting them is the job of the institution or assessment body, not the translator. For German public documents presented in France, the French Foreign Ministry's summary table lists an exemption from legalisation and apostille (Franco-German convention of 1971). For Austrian or Swiss documents, if an apostille is required, it is obtained in the issuing country before the translation is made.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to send the original of my diploma?
No. A legible scan or photo is enough to produce the translation. The receiving body may, however, ask to see the original or a certified copy.
Will uni-assist accept a translation certified in France?
uni-assist accepts translations by persons authorised to translate under oath or admitted by the courts, without specifying a country. If in doubt, check with your chosen university before ordering the translation.
Can my German documents be translated into English?
Yes, in collaboration with David Ameisen, sworn English ↔ French translator: see German ↔ English translation.