Preliminary Documentation (VPD) by uni-assist
The University Application Service for International Students uni-assist e.V. processes international student applications as an external partner for the Technical University of Munich.
Be sure to check whether you need a preliminary documentation (VPD) before applying to TUM. If the document is required for your application, you need to apply for a VPD via uni-assist as well as apply to TUM directly via TUMonline.
An application for a VPD via uni-assist alone does not qualify as an application for a degree program at TUM. An application via TUMonline is always necessary.
Uni-assist performs preliminary processing and evaluation of the applicant's university entrance qualification (for bachelor's) or master qualification materials (for master's), running a check of the applicants’ certificates to determine which grades they have on the German grading system. This preliminary documentation (VPD) informs applicants whether they qualify to study all subjects (general qualification), only certain subjects (subject-restricted qualification) or postgradual studies (master's).
In addition, the VPD contains a conversion of all your credits and grades into the German grading system or the ECTS grading system.
- All applicants for a Bachelor’s or state examination degree, who did not obtain their university entrance qualification in Germany or from a school that offers the equivalent of the German Abitur exam. This also applies for applicants pursuing a spot in an advanced semester of any degree program.
- All applicants for a Master’s degree who did not obtain their qualification for postgraduate studies (usually a Bachelor’s degree) at a German university.
- All applicants with an International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) who do not yet have a Notification of the Office for Certificate Recognition.
- Applicants who have completed preparatory studies in a Studienkolleg in Germany. This also applies to applicants who were enrolled at TUM during the Studienkolleg, as well as those who already had admission to a Bachelor’s program at TUM but were unable to take it up.
On page 3 of the VPD, the average grade of your secondary school certificate from your home country is listed. Your overall average grade (averaged from the grade from your home country with the grade from the Feststellungsprüfung certificate) can be found on page 4 of the VPD under the item “Bewertung” (Evaluation). Please note that uni-assist only converts the individual grades of your secondary school certificate from your home country into the German grading system in the VPD. When processing your application, TUM will then average the individual grades from your assessment test certificate with the individual grades from your home country.
For a Bachelor’s:
- All applicants who obtained their higher education entrance qualification in Germany or their Abitur certificate (graduation diploma) from a school that applies the German Abitur examination rules.
- Students seeking admission to the Studienkolleg must apply directly to TUM, not through uni-assist!
- Graduates of European Schools: A certificate showing proof of general higher education qualification from a European School is treated as equivalent to the German certificate. Please upload your complete European School Certificate and the corresponding decision of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs issued by the German inspector for the European Schools. You will receive both documents from your school.
- AbiBac applicants: Along with their qualification certificate, these applicants must submit the “certificate of general university entrance qualification” to the TUM.
- Graduates of the German Schools system in Greece: Along with your supplementary examination certificate, please submit your Apolytirio (school-leaving certificate).
- Applicants with an International Baccalaureate Diploma who already have a Notification of the Office for Certificate Recognition
- Applicants for Double Degree Programs at TUM.
For a Master’s:
- Applicants with a qualification for postgraduate studies (e.g. a Bachelor’s degree) obtained at a German university.
Your Way to the VPD – Step by Step
You need to apply for a preliminary documentation (VPD) via the uni-assist web portal. You will need to upload all required documents to the uni-assist website.
During the online application at uni-assist, choose “Technische Universität München” and the option “all degree courses” (“Alle Fächer”). Do not choose a specific program.
Please always apply for the VPD for the first subject semester (Fachsemester), even if you want to start your studies at TUM in a higher subject semester.
You can have your documents reviewed by uni-assist any time of the year. If the portal for the desired semester has not yet been opened at uni-assist, simply select the current semester. It does not matter whether you apply for the summer semester or the winter semester at uni-assist. Please note, however, that the application deadline at TUM must be met.
Please be aware that an application for a preliminary documentation (VPD) does not count as an application to TUM. You need to apply for your desired degree program via TUMonline as well.
You must upload the documents required by uni-assist within the deadline (see below) to the uni-assist website.
If you are applying for a Bachelor’s degree program, you need
- a copy of your higher education entrance qualification in the original language (the higher education entrance qualification usually includes your secondary school certificate, e.g. A-Level, and additionally the certificate of your preparatory college assessment test, if you have completed the Studienkolleg; depending on origin and individual background, the higher education entrance qualification may also include other documents),
- a translation if the original document was not issued in German or English.
Please note that if you are admitted, you must upload all documents demanded by uni-assist for proof of your higher education entrance qualification as authentic documents to TUMonline in order to be enrolled. Here you will find detailed information on the requirements for the documents you need to upload for application and admission to TUM.
If you are applying for a Master’s degree program, you usually need
- a copy of your degree certificate (if already available),
- a copy of your subjects and grades (transcript),
- a translation if the original documents were not issued in German or English.
Uni-assist may require additional documents from you in order to issue the VPD.
Please note the special conditions that apply to applicants from China, Austria, India, Iran, Italy, Vietnam as well as to applicants with an IB (International Baccalaureate Diploma).
Please only upload documents relevant for the application for the VPD. Not required are, for example, a copy of the ID, motivation letters, essays or language certificates.
The application is not complete until all required documents have been uploaded to the uni-assist website and the handling fees have been paid to uni-assist. The documents and the payment must reach uni-assist before the respective application deadline – otherwise the VPD has not been applied for in due time.
For the evaluation of your certificates, uni-assist charges handling fees. You must pay these to uni-assist in due time. Here you can find more information about the costs incurred.
Please note that your application cannot be processed without this transfer. More information about the bank transfer
You must apply for your VPD before the deadline. The deadlines for applying for the VPD are:
- if applying for a bachelor's degree program for the winter semester, by July 15; for the summer semester, by January 15,
- if applying for a master's program, by the end of the application period for the program.
You can find the TUM application deadline for your desired degree program on our website.
If you already have a final VPD from uni-assist when applying online, please upload it.
If you do not have a final VPD yet, but are waiting for uni-assist to process it, you must confirm to TUM that you have applied for the VPD in due time and in full. Otherwise, your application cannot be processed.
Please upload the signed form “Confirmation that the application for a preliminary review documentation by uni-assist has been submitted in due form and time” in TUMonline instead of the final VPD. With this form you confirm to TUM that you have applied for the VPD in due time.
The form serves as a placeholder until you can upload the final VPD. It is mandatory to upload it until you can replace it with the upload of the final VPD.
If you have uploaded all admission-relevant documents in your application in TUMonline by the deadline, your documents will be checked.
If you have not yet uploaded a final VPD, the form will be given the status “not ok” as a placeholder so that you can replace it with the final VPD.
Please read the explanation for the status “not ok” in your TUMonline application.The status “not ok” mostly just means that you still need to replace the document with the final VPD once you have it.
If you have applied for the VPD in time and in full, you will be given a grace period. For the summer semester, this is February 15 for all applications, and for the winter semester, August 31 for Bachelor applications, and July 15 for Master applications.
Uni-assist usually needs about 4 to 6 weeks to process your application. Please plan a few extra days, as additional inquiries may delay the process.
After uni-assist has finished processing your application, the final preliminary documentation documentation will be sent to you via email as a PDF.
Your VPD will be accepted at TUM for an 3 years after issuance as long as there have been no changes to your higher education entrance qualification (in the case of an application for Bachelor's degree programs) or your Master's entrance qualification (in the case of an application for Master's degree programs), or the admission requirements.
TUM does not accept a VPD that has been applied for for another university.
Now upload the final preliminary documentation in your application in TUMonline within the grace period.
The grace period for this will only be given if all other application documents except the VPD have been uploaded correctly and completely.
As soon as you have uploaded your final VPD, your application will be processed further. Before that, participation in the aptitude assessment is not possible.
Form: Confirmation Application VPD
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