Requirement for certificate evaluation after visa-free (!) entry and for the 1st application for residence for graduates of non-German universities

Visiting academics from non-EU countries who are allowed to enter Germany without a visa must apply for their residence permit within 90 days at the Foreigners' Registration Office in the "Hochschulbeteuungsstelle" (Academic Immigration Office). To do so, you must have your foreign university degrees recognized by the Central Office for Foreign Education (see 1st link) if they are not stored in the anabin database (see 2nd link). This also applies to all foreign graduates who come from third countries (outside the EU) - regardless of whether they obtained their degree in an EU country or not. This requirement is furthermore independent of whether you are employed at the University of Augsburg during your stay, receive (have received) a scholarship or are doing research "at your own expense".

https://zab.kmk.org/de/zeugnisbewertung

https://anabin.kmk.org/no_cache/filter/hochschulabschluesse.html

The processing time for a certificate evaluation takes currently at least 6 months. The residence permit can only be applied for once the certificate assessment has been completed and the statement of comparability has been issued. Especially for stays of one semester (or less), this time is by no means sufficient, as this process takes another 2-3 months. (In such cases, we advise you to apply for a research visa for entry - even if this would not be formally necessary for nationals of some countries. More information below).

During this period, we advise against traveling abroad (even within the Schengen area) as soon as the first 90 days of your stay have elapsed, otherwise you may be refused re-entry by the border authorities. Travel to and from your home country and travel to other European countries (e.g. during the Christmas and semester breaks) is also not possible during this period (even in an emergency). The immigration authority can only issue a one-time valid border crossing certificate for a permanent departure in an emergency.

If the degree required for the job (usually the highest academic degree achieved) is not stored in anabin, the certificate evaluation should be applied for at the ZAB from your home country already. There is no need to wait until after your arrival in Augsburg. The application for certificate evaluation has been possible online since the beginning of the year:

https://www.kmk.org/zab/zeugnisbewertung/antrag.html

Visa as an alternative

As an alternative to a residence permit, which may be preceded by a certificate evaluation, you can always apply for a visa for a research or teaching stay. No certificate evaluation is required to apply for a visa at the German embassies and consulates. The degree does not have to be listed in anabin either. These requirements only need to be met if the planned stay is extended beyond the duration of the visa.

Brief note on proof of livelihood

As far as the so-called proof of subsistence is concerned - provided that the visiting researchers are not employed by the University of Augsburg and do not receive any third-party funding for their stay with us - the ongoing salary statements from the home country can be accepted by the immigration authorities, provided that these are in German or English (translated if necessary) and converted into EUR. If salary payments are suspended in the home country, the immigration authority can impose a blocked account. The amount depends on whether only the applicant or also the spouse and children are traveling and, if applicable, the age of the child/children. It is therefore not possible to give a general amount at this point.

If spouses and children are traveling with you, it should also be noted that a residence permit must also be applied for if the planned stay is longer than 90 days. In addition to proof of livelihood (see above), various documents such as marriage or birth certificates are also required. Copies of these documents must be officially certified in the home country (similar to the German "Apostille") in order to be accepted by the immigration authorities.