Checked 12 October 2026. Validity is quoted from APS India's DigZert leaflet (Sept 2024) and the current FAQ; the new-application rule for the dMAT from the dMAT page (13 July 2026). APS may change these; check aps-india.de before relying on an old certificate for a new procedure.
Applicants who get their APS certificate and then defer an intake, add a Master's, or apply to more universities all ask the same thing: is it still valid? APS India's own answer is short and reassuring, with a few exceptions worth knowing before you plan around an old certificate. This guide quotes the rules, explains when a new evaluation is needed, and covers the practical side of keeping the digital PDF usable.
Sources: APS India DigZert leaflet (Sept 2024) and FAQ.
What APS says about validity
APS India's leaflet on digitally signed certificates ("DigZert", Sept 2024) answers the question directly: candidates generally need to apply for APS certification only once, as the certificate is valid indefinitely once issued. The same leaflet says that, because it is an electronic document, you can use it to apply to as many German universities as you wish.
Where other pages get this wrong
The APS certificate does not expire after a year or an intake.
Commonly published instead: Some pages say an APS certificate must be renewed for every intake or is valid for a fixed period.
APS India's DigZert leaflet says the certificate is valid indefinitely once issued and that candidates generally need to apply only once.
When you do need a new evaluation
The current FAQ adds the exception. APS certificates are issued on the basis of the qualifications completed and documented when the application is processed. APS cannot keep applications open while you wait for later results, and if you complete further qualifications that change your admission category, a new evaluation may be required. A new evaluation requires a new payment and follows the criteria in force at the time of the new application.
| Your situation | New APS needed? (our reading of the official text) |
|---|---|
| Same degree, later intake | No — the certificate is valid indefinitely once issued |
| Applying to more universities | No — use the same digital certificate for as many as you wish |
| Certificate issued during your Bachelor's, now graduated, same intended pathway | Usually no — the DigZert leaflet says final degree certificates may be provided at enrolment |
| A new qualification changes your admission category (e.g. a Master's completed after a Bachelor's-level certificate) | A new evaluation may be required, with a new fee |
The DigZert leaflet speaks to students who apply before finishing their Bachelor's: it advises applying to German universities with certified grades from the 5th or 7th semester respectively, as provided by APS, and providing the final degree certificate during enrolment at the German university. Your university will tell you what it needs at enrolment.
The dMAT and an older certificate
The dMAT page answers the case that worries most current certificate holders. Applicants who have already completed the APS procedure and received their certificate are not required to take the dMAT for that completed procedure. But if a new APS application is submitted later, the rules applicable at the time of the new application apply — so a new procedure for a Master's from the summer semester 2027 onward in an affected field would include the dMAT, unless an exemption applies.
More cases
| Case | What applies |
|---|---|
| You deferred from winter 2026/27 to winter 2027/28 | Same qualifications, so the same certificate; validity is indefinite (DigZert leaflet) |
| You applied for a Bachelor's in Germany after Class XII, and now want a Master's | A completed Bachelor's may change your admission category, depending on your intended pathway; a new evaluation may then be required, with a new fee (FAQ) |
| Your APS certificate is a paper one from before 23 April 2023 | uni-assist accepts older paper APS certificates as a scan; digital ones must be the unchanged original PDF |
| You need the certificate for the visa as well as admission | The FAQ says the APS certificate is generally required for the student visa procedure; the digital PDF goes to uni-assist and universities, and a printout may accompany the VFS visa appointment (DigZert leaflet) |
| A university asks for "a new APS" | Ask it what has changed. If your qualifications have not changed admission category, APS's own guidance is that one certificate suffices |
Two older documents still turn up. Paper APS certificates were replaced by digital ones for procedures completed after 24 April 2023, according to the DigZert leaflet, and uni-assist still accepts a scan of an older paper certificate. If yours is paper, keep the original safe and upload a clear scan. If yours is digital, never print and re-scan it: a scan of a digital certificate loses the signature that makes it verifiable.
If you are unsure whether something counts as a change of admission category, ask APS India through its contact form before you register a new procedure. A new evaluation costs a new fee and is assessed under the criteria in force at the time, including the dMAT where your field and intake are covered.
Before you start a new APS procedure
Starting a second procedure is expensive and resets the rules, so it is worth being sure it is needed. Three questions settle most cases. First, has a new qualification been completed since your certificate was issued, and does it change your admission category, for example from Bachelor-level to Master-level entry? If not, the existing certificate is APS's answer. Second, is the request for a "new APS" coming from APS, from a university or from an agent? APS, the university or uni-assist, and the visa authority each set requirements for their own step, so ask whoever made the request what has changed. Third, if a new procedure is genuinely needed, does the dMAT now apply to you? A new application follows the rules in force at the time, and from the summer semester 2027 intake that includes the dMAT for affected fields unless an exemption applies.
If the answer to all three is clear and a new evaluation is needed, prepare it like a first application: the current leaflet's checklist, a complete file, online payment, and an early word to your college that APS may write to it again. The fee is charged again and is non-refundable.
Keeping the digital certificate usable
Validity is only useful if the file still verifies. APS and uni-assist both insist on the unchanged original PDF.
Rules for the PDF
- Do not rename, edit, modify or merge it with other documents (APS FAQ and News). Its digital signature must be verifiable.
- Upload the original file to uni-assist: it asks for the digitally sealed certificate as an unchanged original file; paper certificates issued before 23 April 2023 may be uploaded as a scan.
- Do not use a printout for university applications. The DigZert leaflet says it is for digital communication; a printout may accompany the visa application at VFS.
- Keep the email and two copies of the untouched PDF. APS says certificates are issued digitally and you should keep the original file safely.
- Open it in the latest Acrobat Reader or digiSeal Reader to see the signature; a browser will not show it.
A 2026 APS News notice explains that some certificates issued during a technical update of the digital seal may show warnings in certain PDF readers, such as "signature validity is unknown". APS says these refer to the technical validation status of the seal, and that universities, uni-assist, VFS and visa sections may continue to accept valid APS certificates; institutions in doubt can contact APS India.
Keep your certificate usable
Our checklist for the day the certificate arrives.
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Changed details after issue
| Change | What APS says (DigZert leaflet) |
|---|---|
| New passport | Book the VFS appointment with the old passport number from your APS form; carry both passports |
| A mistake on the certificate | Email info@aps-india.de with "DigZert Mistake" in the subject; APS reissues if there is an error |
| Lost the PDF | The FAQ: certificates are issued digitally and you should keep the original file safely — so keep copies from day one |
Do it in one evening
If you still need your first certificate, the free planner gives your target courier date and the kit has the full checklist and templates.
The free APS planner counts back from your university deadline to a target courier date. The APS Certificate Kit is seven printable pages built on the June 2026 leaflet: the checklist by degree, the dMAT rule, a deadline plan worked for three cases, five templates and a tracker. Page 1 is free to read.
Frequently asked questions
Does the APS certificate expire?
No. APS India's DigZert leaflet says the certificate is valid indefinitely once issued and that candidates generally need to apply only once.
Do I need a new APS certificate for a later intake?
Not for the same qualifications. A new evaluation may be required only if later qualifications change your admission category, and it needs a new payment.
Can I use one APS certificate for many universities?
Yes. The DigZert leaflet says you may use the digital certificate to apply to as many German universities as you wish.
I got my APS before 29 June 2026. Do I need the dMAT now?
Not for that completed procedure. (Separately, a procedure where you completed registration, or shipped complete documents, before 29 June 2026 is exempt too.) If you submit a new APS application later, the rules at that time apply, including the dMAT where your field and intake are covered.
Can I print the APS certificate for my university application?
No. The DigZert leaflet says it is an electronic document for digital communication; upload the unchanged PDF. A printout may accompany the visa application at VFS.
What if my passport changes after the APS certificate?
APS's DigZert leaflet says to book the VFS appointment with the old passport number from your APS registration form and carry both passports to the appointment.
Can I get another copy of my APS certificate?
APS certificates are issued digitally and the FAQ asks you to keep the original PDF safely; save copies of the untouched file when it arrives.
Sources
- official — APS India — "DigZert": digitally signed APS certificates, leaflet (Sept 2024)
- official — APS India — Frequently Asked Questions
- official — APS India — News and Updates
- official — APS India — Digital Master Test (dMAT) for selected Master's applicants in India (last updated 13 July 2026)
- official — uni-assist — Details country: India
official = a document published by the conducting body. reported = a news or coaching site we could not check against an original. Where sources disagree this page says so rather than picking one.
