Anabin Check: Is Your University Recognized in Germany?
Search the anabin database to check your university's German recognition status (H+, H+/-, or H-) in seconds. Anabin is Germany's official recognition database, synced here daily, with an honest explanation of what your status means for university admission, the Opportunity Card, or a work visa.
Type at least two letters. Pick your exact institution from the list, the name and city help when several look alike.
Not seeing your university?
Not being listed does not mean your university is unrecognized. It might be an affiliated college listed under its parent university, recorded under a different or older name, or simply not entered in anabin yet.
Try the parent university or an alternative spelling, search the official anabin site directly, and consider requesting an individual ZAB Statement of Comparability for your degree.
Search the official anabin site
See your full Germany plan
Recognition is the first gate. Here's the rest of the plan for studying, training, or working in Germany, built around where you are now.
What is anabin?
Anabin is the German government's official database of foreign higher-education institutions and qualifications. It is maintained by the Central Office for Foreign Education (the ZAB) under the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (the KMK), and it is free and public.
For each institution, anabin records whether Germany treats it as comparable to a German Hochschule (a higher-education institution). That verdict is shown as an H-status, H+, H+/-, or H-, and it is the upstream gate for almost every German pathway: university admission at bachelor's and master's level, the Opportunity Card, and the EU Blue Card, job-seeker, and skilled-worker routes.
This checker searches a copy of the official anabin institution list, synced here every day, so you can find your university's status in seconds. Anabin classifies the institution, not your individual degree, and entries can change, so the result always links straight to the official anabin entry for you to confirm.
How to check your university in anabin
- 1Type your university or college name in the search box above. Use its official English or local name; two letters are enough to start.
- 2Pick your exact institution from the list. The city and country shown alongside each result help when several names look alike.
- 3Read its anabin H-status and what it means for studying, the Opportunity Card, or a work visa, then open the official anabin entry to confirm your specific degree.
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Frequently asked questions
What does H+ mean in anabin?
H+ means anabin (the German government's recognition database) treats the institution as comparable to a German Hochschule, a recognised higher-education institution. It clears the institution-level gate that almost every German pathway starts from. H+ is about the institution, not your specific degree: your individual qualification still has to be confirmed as equivalent (gleichwertig) for whatever you are applying for.
What is the difference between H+, H+/- and H-?
H+ means the institution is recognised as equivalent to a German higher-education institution. H+/- means recognition is decided case by case: some qualifications from that institution are treated as equivalent and some are not, depending on the programme. H- means the institution is not (or not yet) rated as equivalent to a German higher-education institution.
Where do I actually need my university to be anabin H+?
It is the upstream gate for almost every German pathway, not just a master's. You need your home institution recognised (H+ or H+/-) for university admission at bachelor's and master's level, for the Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte), where a recognised degree makes you a skilled worker straight away, and for the EU Blue Card, skilled-worker and job-seeker visas, which all need your degree shown comparable to a German one. It also matters for having your degree recognised for a job, and it supports family reunification and permanent residency later. For dual (company) Ausbildung the employer usually decides rather than anabin, but school-based vocational training needs your prior schooling officially recognised.
My university is not listed in anabin. Does that mean it is not recognized?
No. Not being listed does not mean your university is unrecognized. It may be an affiliated college that anabin lists under its parent university, it may be recorded under a different or older name, or it may simply not be entered yet. Try the parent university or an alternative spelling, search the official anabin site directly, and if it is still not there you can request an individual ZAB Statement of Comparability for your degree.
Is an H+ institution enough on its own?
It is necessary but not on its own sufficient. H+ confirms the institution is recognised, but the outcome you want also depends on your specific degree being assessed as equivalent, plus that pathway's own criteria: grade conversion and language for study, or salary thresholds for a Blue Card, for example. uni-assist, the university, or the relevant German authority makes the final equivalence decision for your degree.
How current is this recognition data?
We sync our database daily from anabin's official public source, and every result shows the date it was last synced. anabin classifications can still change and have subject-specific exceptions, so the result links straight to the official anabin entry. Always verify there before you rely on a classification for a visa or admission decision.
What should I do if my institution is H- or H+/-?
Read the official anabin note for the conditions, then confirm your specific qualification with uni-assist, your target university, or the German authority handling your case. A ZAB Statement of Comparability gives you an official, individual assessment of your degree. For H- institutions a study place or a recognized qualification can still be possible in some cases, often through an individual ZAB evaluation, or for study a Studienkolleg route.