Help for international applicants
Please select a question.
Technical Problems with the Online Application Process
I have registered but not received a password.
It can take up to ten minutes for email messages to be sent from the web portal. If you still haven’t received an email with your login details one hour after
registering, please check whether the email may have been redirected to your spam folder. If the email is not there either, please contact the service desk at the University Computing Centre.
I've locked my applicant account. What can I do?
After three failed login attempts, your applicant account will be locked for ten minutes. Afterwards you will be allowed one more attempt. If this is successful, your account will be
unlocked and you can proceed. If you are still unable to log in, please contact the service desk at the University Computing Centre.
I have forgotten my password. What can I do?
You can request a new password yourself by clicking on the "Forgot password" link in the web portal and following the instructions. You will receive a confirmation link shortly
afterwards. Click on this to request a new password by email.
My applicant account already exists.
This message will appear if AlmaWeb already knows you (i.e. your first name, last name and date of birth). If you have already been a student of Leipzig University in the past,
please log in using your University login. Otherwise, use the existing applicant account you used last time.
I would like to delete my applicant account.
Please contact the service desk at the University Computing Centre, indicating your first and last name and the email address you provided
when registering.
Applying Online
Do I have to apply via AlmaWeb?
If you hold a German higher education entrance qualification (HZB), e.g. an Abitur from Germany or from a German school abroad, you will need to apply for a degree programme online via
Leipzig University's AlmaWeb portal. This requirement also applies to the following groups of people:
- Graduates of the Studienkolleg Sachsen who hold a conditional offer to study at Leipzig University
- Students originally educated abroad who are already enrolled and changing degree programmes at Leipzig University
- Doctoral applicants
- Applicants for special degree programmes.
If you hold a foreign higher education entrance qualification (e.g. International Baccalaureate Diploma, A Levels, high school diploma) or a foreign bachelor's degree, please apply via
uni-assist.
If you are an EU/EEA national or hold a German higher education entrance qualification, please apply via
Hochschulstart
for the first semester of study on the degree programmes in Medicine, Pharmacy, Veterinary Medicine and Dentistry.
How do I log in?
Eligible persons (see "Do I have to apply via AlmaWeb?") can apply for a degree programme online via Leipzig University's AlmaWeb portal.
New applicants should first register by creating an applicant account. You will be sent login details for AlmaWeb
(username and password) automatically within a few minutes to the email address you provided when registering (this email address is your username).
Leipzig University students can use their existing login details to log in via AlmaWeb.
What can I study at Leipzig University?
You can find out more about the courses offered by Leipzig University on the University website.
Where and by when do I have to apply?
If you hold a German higher education entrance qualification or a German bachelor's degree, you will apply to Leipzig University via AlmaWeb. Applications to Leipzig University must be submitted
online. The current application periods and deadlines can be found on the Leipzig University website.
Different application periods and deadlines apply to international applicants for
undergraduate degree programmes (bachelor's, Diplom, State Examination) and for master's degree programmes.
If you hold a foreign higher education entrance qualification or a foreign bachelor's degree, please apply via uni-assist.
The following periods apply for applications for
undergraduate degree programmes (bachelor's, Diplom, State Examination) and for
master's degree programmes.
Applications for doctorates are accepted via AlmaWeb from the beginning of May for the winter semester, and from the beginning of December for the summer semester.
Who can assist me?
Which semester of study should I apply for?
New students always apply for the first semester of study. Please note that very few degree programmes allow students to complete their first semester of study during the summer semester.
If you intend to apply to begin a degree programme from a higher semester of study, you will in most cases need to have past periods of study and academic achievements formally recognised ("credits form").
You will find all the information you need on the International Centre website.
What documents do I have to submit?
If your higher education entrance qualification is German, you will find information about the required documents on the Leipzig University website. If you have an international educational
background, then once you have completed the online application process via AlmaWeb, you will receive a list of required documents together with the application for admission or enrolment.
A list of the documents required for applications via uni-assist involving foreign educational qualifications can be found on the websites for
undergraduate degree programmes
(bachelor's, Diplom, State Examination) and for master's degree programmes.
Entering information about previous studies: my previous university is not listed in the list of higher education institutions. What should I do?
Under "University", please select "Sonstige deutsche Hochschule".
Checking the status of your application
After successfully entering your information and submitting your online application, you can check the status of your application at any time in AlmaWeb under "Application".
Open |
Submitted |
Received |
The application has been created and can still be edited by the applicant. Important: with this status, your application will not be considered during the admission procedure. |
The applicant has completed the application and submitted it online. |
The University has received the application online. |
I have entered incorrect information in my online application. What should I do?
If you wish to correct or delete an online application that has already been submitted, please send an email to the International Centre:
international.student@uni-leipzig.de.
Be sure to mention the corresponding application number. Your application will be reopened, allowing you to correct the information or delete the application entirely. Please resubmit the application once you have
corrected it.
Can I apply or enrol if I am still abroad?
Eligible persons who apply via AlmaWeb (see "Do I have to apply via AlmaWeb?") do so exclusively online, meaning you can also apply from abroad. If you have to apply
via uni-assist because you have an international educational background, you can also do this from abroad without any problems.
In the case of degree programmes with restrictions on admissions, you will receive a letter of admission online and then be required to declare within a specified period
whether you accept the place. You can easily accept your study place online.
You can also apply for enrolment on a degree course with unrestricted admissions from abroad. You do not have to come to the University in person.
It is best to prepare the documents that you will need to present for enrolment before you leave. International applicants will be informed in their letter of
admission about the documents they need to submit, and once again in the confirmation of receipt once their declaration of acceptance has been processed.
Do different application periods apply for Alt-Abiturient:innen?
When applying for the degree programmes in Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy, if you hold a German higher education entrance qualification or are an EU/EEA national,
please note the different application period for the winter semester for so-called Alt-Abiturient:innen (applicants who acquired their higher education entrance qualification before 16 January
of the current year).
Otherwise, the same application periods apply for Alt-Abiturient:innen and for applicants who acquire(d) their higher education entrance qualification this year. The current
application periods and deadlines can be found on the Leipzig University and International Centre websites.
Leipzig University and
International Centre websites.
Which subjects are subject to admission restrictions?
Our course overview explains which degree programmes are subject to admission restrictions.
Can I apply for more than one degree programme at Leipzig University?
You can only apply for one degree programme with unrestricted admissions, but at the same time for one or more degree programmes with restricted admissions.
However, it is not permitted to submit applications for different semesters of study on the same restricted degree programme.
If you are a foreign (non-EU/EEA) national or were educated abroad (outside the EU/EEA), then you can apply for a maximum of two degree programmes in total.
If you apply via uni-assist, you can also submit an application for a maximum of two degree programmes at Leipzig University.
I have already completed a degree and would like to study another course (second undergraduate degree).
You can only apply for a second undergraduate degree if you have already completed a course of study at a German higher education institution. This does not apply to master's degree
programmes that build on a bachelor's degree programme.
During the application process, you request admission to a second undergraduate degree programme by answering "Yes" to the question "Second degree"
in the section "Further information". You also need to upload the certificate from your first academic degree together with a justification explaining your choice of second
undergraduate degree programme, as a single PDF document, in the document upload section. A special numeric indicator is determined from the grade awarded for the degree and your written justification.
This numeric indicator is used to enter your application into the admission procedure. The general application periods
and deadlines apply.
Essential information about starting a second undergraduate degree is available on the Leipzig University website.
I would like to study on two degree programmes at the same time (double degree).
Essential information about starting a double degree is available on the Leipzig University website.
Please contact the International Centre, as your application to
study on two degree programmes may depend on legal regulations concerning the rights of non-nationals.
What does Wartezeit mean?
Your Wartezeit (waiting time) is the number of semesters that have elapsed since you obtained your higher education entrance qualification. However, semesters during which you were enrolled
at a higher education institution in Germany do not count towards this period. A maximum of seven such semesters can be credited. These semesters are only taken into account if you are an EU/EEA
national or hold a German higher education entrance qualification.
How can I have credits recognised?
If you wish to have credits recognised, then in parallel to your application to study you will need to submit a written application to the responsible examination board at the relevant Leipzig
University institutes/faculties, enclosing proof of these past academic achievements. If credits are recognised, this will only be valid for Leipzig University. For the degree programmes in Medicine,
Dentistry and Pharmacy, you can apply to have past academic achievements recognised by contacting the competent Landesprüfungsamt.
Please visit the website of the International Centre for more information.
Can I apply for recognition of a hardship case?
If you are an EU/EEA national or hold a German higher education entrance qualification, then you can apply for recognition of a hardship case if you cannot be expected to wait any longer for a
place at university due to special health, social or family circumstances. Assuming they were not offered a place based on their academic performance or waiting time, applicants whose hardship
case has been recognised can be offered a study place as part of the entry quota for hardship cases.
During the application process, you request recognition of a hardship case by answering "Yes" to the question "Hardship" in the section "Further information". You also need to upload all supporting documents, as a single PDF document, in the document upload section.
Essential information about applying for recognition of a hardship case is available on the Leipzig University website.
If you are a non-EU/EEA national and do not hold a German higher education entrance qualification, then unfortunately you are not legally entitled to apply for recognition of a hardship case.
What do "unrestricted admissions" and "restricted admissions" mean?
Unrestricted admissions (zulassungsfrei) means that there are enough study places available and therefore all applicants who meet the enrolment requirements will be admitted.
Degree programmes with restricted admissions (zulassungsbeschränkt) have only a limited number of places. Once the admission procedure is complete, you will either be offered or denied a place on the degree programme.
For degree programmes with unrestricted and restricted admissions, it is necessary to apply via AlmaWeb - unless you were educated abroad, in which case you
will apply via uni-assist.
What do I need to know about the "dialogue-oriented service procedure" (DoSV)?
For the degree programmes
- all locally restricted courses with the degree: Bachelor of Arts, first semester of study
- all locally restricted courses with the degree: Bachelor of Science, first semester of study
- Law, State Examination, first semester of study
Leipzig University participates in the "dialogue-oriented service procedure" (DoSV). This is only relevant if you are an EU/EEA national or hold a German higher education entrance qualification.
To apply, it is essential to register via the Hochschulstart application portal. Once you have registered, you will receive an applicant ID number and a so-called BAN (applicant authentication number).
You can then apply via the University's application portal AlmaWeb or, if you hold a foreign higher education entrance qualification, via uni-assist.
Detailed information on the application process can be found on the
Hochschulstart website.
Please also refer to the Leipzig University website for important information.
What do I have to consider if I want to change degree programmes or subjects?
If your desired course of study is subject to admission restrictions, you will need to apply for a place during the relevant application period. If you wish
to change to a subject with unrestricted admissions, please submit the required documents by post after submitting your online application.
More information about changing degree programmes is available on the
International Centre website.
To which address should I send the documents?
Please send documents to the International Centre, using the following address:
An die Universität Leipzig
Stabsstelle Internationales
- Bewerbung -
04081 Leipzig
It is not necessary to specify a street and house number, as this is a PO box.
Alternatively, you can also post the documents in the letter box for time-sensitive documents outside Goethestraße 6.
Admissions and Enrolment
What is the NC for my subject?
An NC (numerus clausus) is determined each semester on the basis of the current requirements of the individual applicants and can change. For this reason, it
should only be used as a guide. An admission limit expresses the grade (average grade of the higher education entrance qualification) or the number of Wartezeit semesters
(periods not enrolled since acquiring the higher education entrance qualification) of the last admitted applicant.
An overview of the selection limits in the degree programmes with restrictions on admissions at Leipzig University can be found on the Leipzig University website.
The published NC only applies to applicants who are citizens of an EU country or of Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway, or who have a German higher education entrance
qualification. For all other applicants for an undergraduate degree programme, a decision is made following a procedure involving a combination of the grade of the higher
education entrance qualification and a country quota.
By when do I have to pay the semester fee?
Where can I have copies of certificates certified?
Official certifications can be carried out by any public body that uses an official seal. For example, these might be authorities, notaries as well as parish offices, but not lawyers,
auditors and associations. Please note that German Resident Services Offices do not usually certify foreign certificates. Abroad, you can have documents certified by the issuing institutions,
German embassies or notaries, for example. Translators are not allowed to certify documents in the original language.
The official certification must contain at least:
- A note certifying that the copy corresponds to the original
- The signature of the person certifying the document
- The imprint of the official seal. An official seal usually contains an emblem. An ordinary rubber stamp is not sufficient.
Certification by the health insurance provider (without an official seal) is not sufficient.
Does Leipzig University allocate places by drawing lots?
In very rare cases, lots are drawn for restricted degree programmes if not all places were filled during the clearing phase. You can find out more about study places allocated by lot on the
Leipzig University website.
When will I receive a decision from Leipzig University?
The letters of admission or rejection for restricted degree programmes for the winter semester are uploaded to AlmaWeb from August for undergraduate degree programmes
(bachelor's, Diplom, State Examination) and from mid-July for master's programmes. They are not sent out by post. If you receive a letter of admission, you will have time within
the acceptance period to submit the declaration of acceptance and all necessary documents to us. The declaration of acceptance can be found at the end of the letter of admission.
Applications for unrestricted degree programmes and for doctorates are processed in the order in which they are received.
If you are an EU/EEA national or hold a German higher education entrance qualification and have applied for the first semester of study on the degree programmes in Medicine, Pharmacy,
Veterinary Medicine or Dentistry, you will receive your admission notice directly from Hochschulstart. You will also receive information about how to accept your study place and which documents you have to submit.
I have already enrolled at Leipzig, but now I would like to accept a place at another university. What do I need to do?
If you recently enrolled, you have the option of waiving your place before the semester begins. More information about waiving a study place is available on the
Leipzig University website.
International students should submit the appropriate form to the International Centre.
If you were educated abroad and have further questions, please refer to the information provided by the
International Centres.