Which applicants are exempt from the VPD requirement?
Generally, a VPD is mandatory for applications with foreign certificates. However, prospective students are exempt from the VPD requirement if they belong to the following specified applicant groups:
Applicants who have successfully completed a state-recognized Studienkolleg in Germany are exempt from the VPD requirement, but must upload the following documents to the Freie Universität Berlin application portal:
- Certificate of the assessment exam
- An evaluation of the prior education that led to admission to the preparatory college (VPD or assessment report from uni-assist, evaluation by the Central Office for Foreign Education (Zentralstelle für ausländisches Bildungswesen) or one of the certificate recognition offices of the federal states (Zeugnisanerkennungsstellen der Länder))
If you already have a letter of recognition from the ZAB, a certificate recognition office, or a comparable office in which your educational qualifications are recognized, you are exempt from the VPD requirement. However, you must upload the following document to the application portal of Freie Universität Berlin
- Official letter of recognition from a certificate recognition office
Please note: If this letter of recognition does not show a grade converted to the German grading system, the educational qualifications can only be considered with a procedural grade of 4.0. You can still decide to apply for a VPD to have your true grade evaluated.
If you are currently enrolled in an undergraduate program at Freie Universität and would like to switch to another undergraduate program, you do not need to apply for a new VPD.
- Please upload your old VPD/examination report from uni-assist to the Freie Universität Berlin application portal, which you used to apply for the undergraduate program in which you are currently enrolled.
For subject specific university entrance qualifications: If a subject specific qualification is marked on your old VPD, you must check whether this subject specific qualification also applies to your new desired degree program.
Please note: If you have obtained new foreign certificates in the meantime that were not checked by uni-assist back then and that you want to use for the change of undergraduate degree program, you must apply for a new VPD.
If you are currently enrolled in a master's program at Freie Universität and would like to switch to another master's program, you do not need to apply for a new VPD.
- Please upload your old VPD/examination report from uni-assist to the Freie Universität Berlin application portal, which you used to apply for the master's program in which you are currently enrolled at Freie Universität Berlin.
Please note: If you have obtained new foreign certificates in the meantime that were not checked by uni-assist in the past and that are required for the change of master's program, you must apply for a new VPD.