Akademische Grade, Titel und Bezeichnungen von ausländischen Hochschulen führen

If you have the academic degree of a foreign university, then you can use it without permission under certain conditions.

Do you have an academic degree from a foreign university that you would like to hold in Germany (e.g. licencjat, inzener, kandidat-nauk)? If this has been duly awarded by a recognized university, you can use it without permission under the conditions specified in the State Higher Education Act. You must then use it in the awarded form and indicate the awarding university. If your degree has not been awarded in Latin script, you may translate it into Latin written form (transliteration). You can also add the literal German translation in parentheses. You may also use the foreign degree in short form (with addition of origin) if the use of the short form is permitted or customary in the country of origin.

You can waive the indication of the awarding university if you have acquired the degree:

• within the European Union (EU)
• within the European Economic Area (EEA)
• from the European University Institute Florence
• from the Pontifical Colleges

Equivalence agreements and the Regulation may contain other favourable special arrangements. However, equivalence agreements concluded with other states and the Ordinance on the Regulation of the Management of Foreign Higher Education Degrees (HSchulGrV ST) must be observed. This applies in particular to certain doctoral degrees from Russia, Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada and the USA.

A conversion or transfer of the foreign degree into the corresponding domestic degree is excluded.
 
These regulations also apply accordingly to university titles and university activity titles.

As a holder of a degree or title, you are responsible for the legally compliant management of the degree, title or university activity title. Consequently, you must independently check whether the legal requirements for the feasibility of your degree, title or university activity designation according to the HSG LSA are met. You are also responsible for maintaining the academic degree, title or university activity title in the permitted form.

As explained above, they do not require any state approval or confirmation for the use of foreign degrees, titles or university activity titles.

However, you may need written information about the management of your degree and the relevant legal bases, e.g. for submission to

• Residents' registration and registry offices,
• Professional Chambers and
• Professional associations.

In Saxony-Anhalt, the Ministry of Science, Energy, Climate Protection and the Environment, which is the competent authority in accordance with § 19 paragraph 6 of the Saxony-Anhalt Higher Education Act (HSG LSA), can provide information on the title and title management as well as on university activity titles and honorary degrees or titles.

• officially certified copy of the original language certificate, diploma and award certificate
• officially certified copy of the translation of the original language certificate, diploma and award certificate made by a generally sworn translator/interpreter
• Copy of identity card or passport
• in case of name change: appropriate proof (e.g. copy of the marriage certificate, declaration of the name change)
• Curriculum vitae in tabular form

• Degree from a recognised university abroad
• Place of residence in the state of Saxony-Anhalt

A general legal information on the degree guidance is free of charge, but an individual legal information is subject to a fee. This is determined depending on the time required. The fees are usually about 115.00 euros.

Submit an informal application to the Ministry of Science, Energy, Climate Protection and the Environment and submit the necessary documents.

There are no deadlines to be observed.

The use of academic degrees and titles acquired abroad falls within the legislative competence of the Länder and is governed by the land law of the federal state in which the holder of the degree or title is domiciled.

Please contact the Ministry of Science, Energy, Climate Protection and the Environment.