Competence check at VFS Global

You have completed your previous education in one of the following countries and are interested in pursuing a master programme at the University of Salzburg?

India pakistan bangladesh nigeria sri lanka nepal

India | Pakistan | Bangladesh | Nigeria | Sri Lanka | Nepal

Starting from winter semester 2026/27, you need to take a competence check at VFS Global before submitting an application for admission to a degree programme. You can find all the relevant information on this page.

  • Important information about the competence check

    The competence check by VFS Global…

    • … takes place in person and on site at the VFS Global locations.
    • … is mandatory for all prospective students who have completed their previous education in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Nepal or Sri Lanka and wish to begin a master programme at the University of Salzburg in winter semester 2026/27 or thereafter.
    • … does not replace the formal and content-related review of your application by the Admission Office.
    • … does not replace successful participation in the entrance exam/aptitude test or selection procedure.
    • …is intended for the following master degree programmes: Ecology and Evolution, Medical Biology and Molecular Biology.

  • Step 1: Inform yourself about the admission requirements

    Find out in advance which requirements you must meet with documents from your country in order to fulfil the admission requirements at the University of Salzburg. The competence check only makes sense if you meet all the requirements.

    Prospective students who do not fulfil all requirements cannot be admitted to a degree programme at the University of Salzburg.

    Also check the specific requirements for your desired degree programme, such as proof of German and/or English language proficiency and further required documents. You can find information on this on the page for the respective degree programme.

    Please also ensure that your documents are correctly legalised and translated.

    • Documents from Bangladesh

      Your documents have to be legalised by full diplomatic certification and must be translated into either German or English afterwards. 

      Your steps in the admission procedure depend on the degree programme of your choice. 

      • Bachelor/diploma programme

        Secondary-school leaving certificate from Bangladesh

        The secondary-school leaving certificate from Bangladesh (Higher Secondary Certificate) is not is not adequate as proof of the general university entrance qualification. The differences to a secondary-school leaving certificate from Austria are too large. Your application for admission will therefore be rejected. This applies regardless of your result in the competence check!

        Secondary-school leaving certificate from Bangladesh AND proof of at least two years of studies:

        Your application can be processed if you

        • have a secondary-school leaving certificate from Bangladesh AND
        • have studied for at least two academic years at a recognised university in Bangladesh AND
        • have achieved a CGPA of at least 3.75 (out of 4) in your degree programme.

        Each application must be reviewed individually.

        Completion of a bachelor programme of at least four years in Bangladesh:

        If you have already completed a bachelor programme at a recognised university with a stipulated duration of at least four years (full-time), your application can be processed. Each application must be reviewed individually.

        Detailed information about admission to a bachelor or diploma programme

      • Master programme

        Bachelor programme of at least four years from Bangladesh:

        Your application can be processed if you

        • have completed a bachelor programme with a stipulated duration of at least four years (full-time) at a recognised university in Section 1 (according to ENIC NARIC AUSTRIA Credential Evaluation) AND
        • have achieved a CGPA of 3.5 (out of 4.0) during your degree programme.

        Each application has to be processed individually. 

        If you have a lower CGPA OR have completed your degree programme at a university in Sections 2, 3 and 4, you do not meet the requirements for admission to a master programme at the University of Salzburg. Your application will therefore be rejected. This applies regardless of your result in the competence check.

        Completion of a bachelor programme with a stipulated duration of at least four years AND a master programme of two years:

        Your application can be processed if you: 

        • have completed a bachelor programme with a stipulated duration of at least four years (full-time) at a recognised university AND
        • have achieved a CGPA of at least 3.5 (out of 4.0) in your bachelor programme AND
        • have completed a master programme with a stipulated duration of at least two years (full-time) at a recognised university AND
        • have achieved a CGPA of at least 3.5 out of 4.0 in your master’s programme.

        Detailed information about admission to master programmes

    • Documents from India

      Your documents have to be legalised by apostille and must be translated into either German or English afterwards. 

      Your steps in the admission procedure depend on the degree programme of your choice. 

      • Bachelor/diploma programme

        If your secondary-school leaving certificate (12 years of education) is from India and you have achieved at least 85% of the maximum possible marks, your application can be processed. Each application must be reviewed individually.

        Detailed information about admission to a bachelor or diploma programme

      • Master programme

        Your application can be processed if:

        • You have completed a bachelor programme with a stipulated duration of at least three years (full-time) at a recognised university AND
        • your university is classified as Section 1 or 2 (according to ENIC NARIC AUSTRIA Credential Evaluation) AND
        • you have achieved at least 60% of the maximum points available in your studies.

        OR, if:

        • You have completed a bachelor programme with a stipulated duration of at least three years (full-time) at a recognised university AND
        • you have completed your bachelor programme at a state university, which is classified as Section 3 (according to ENIC NARIC AUSTRIA Credential Evaluation) AND
        • you have achieved at least 70% of the maximum points available in your studies.

        Each application must be reviewed individually.

        Detailed information about admission to master programmes 

    • Documents from Pakistan

      Your documents have to be legalised by full diplomatic certification  and must be translated into either German or English afterwards. 

      Your steps in the admission procedure depend on the degree programme of your choice. 

      • Bachelor/diploma programme

        Secondary-school leaving certificate from Pakistan:

        If your secondary-school leaving certificate (12 years of education) is from Pakistan and you have achieved at least a result between 990 and 1.100 points, your application can be processed. Each application must be reviewed individually.

        If you have achieved a lower percentage, you do not meet the requirements for admission to a bachelor programme at the University of Salzburg. Your application will therefore be rejected. This applies regardless of your result in the competence check.

        Secondary-school leaving certificate from Pakistan AND proof of at least two years of studies:

        Your application can be processed if you:

        • have a secondary-school leaving certificate (12 years of education) from Pakistan AND
        • have studied for at least two academic years at a recognised university in Pakistan AND
        • have achieved a CGPA of at least 3.2 (out of 4.0) in your studies.

        Each application must be reviewed individually.

        Completion of a bachelor programme of at least four years in Pakistan:

        Your application can be processed if you

        • have completed a bachelor programme with a stipulated duration of at least four years (full-time) at a recognised university in Pakistan AND
        • you have achieved a CGPA of at least 3.2 (out of 4.0) in your degree programme.

        Each application must be reviewed individually.

        Detailed information about admission to a bachelor or diploma programme

      • Master programme

        Your application can be processed if you 

        • have completed a bachelor programme with a stipulated duration of at least four years (full-time) at a recognised university AND
        • your university is classified as Section 1 (according to ENIC NARIC AUSTRIA Credential Evaluation) AND
        • you have achieved a CGPA of at least 3.5 (out of 4.0) during your degree programme.

        Or, if you:

        • have completed a bachelor programme with a stipulated duration of at least four years (full-time) at a recognised public university (not private!) AND
        • your university is classified as Section 2 (according to ENIC NARIC AUSTRIA Credential Evaluation) AND
        • you have achieved a CGPA of at least 3.5 (out of 4.0) during your degree programme.

        Each application must be reviewed individually.

        If you have a lower CGPA OR have completed your degree programme at a Section 3 or 4 university, you do not meet the requirements for admission to a master programme at the University of Salzburg. Your application will therefore be rejected. This applies regardless of your results in the competence check.

        Detailed information about admission to master programmes 

    • Documents from Nigeria

      Your documents have to be legalised by full diplomatic certification  and must be translated into either German or English afterwards. 

      Your steps in the admission procedure depend on the degree programme of your choice. 

      • Bachelor/diploma programme

        Your application can be processed if you:

        • have a West African Senior School Certificate (WASSCE) issued by WAEC or NECO with at least six general education subjects graded “Credit” or better (A1–C6). The subjects must include two languages, mathematics, one science subject, one humanities subject and one further general education subject. AND
        • in addition, proof of one examination-active academic year at a recognised post-secondary educational institution may be required.

        OR, if:

        • you have completed a study programme of at least three years at a recognised post-secondary educational institution in Nigeria with a positive overall result.

        Each application must be reviewed individually.

        Detailed information about admission to a bachelor or diploma programme

      • Master programme

        Your application can be processed if you:

        • have completed a regular full-time bachelor programme of at least four years at a CEP Section 1 institution.

        OR, if:

        • your degree was completed at a CEP Section 2 institution (a regular full-time bachelor programme of at least five years is required).

        Each application must be reviewed individually.

        Detailed information about admission to master programmes 

    • Documents from Nepal

      Your documents have to be legalised by full diplomatic certification  and must be translated into either German or English afterwards. 

      Your steps in the admission procedure depend on the degree programme of your choice. 

      • Bachelor/diploma programme

        Your application can be processed if you:

        • have completed Grade XII / School Leaving Certificate Examination.

        First, the required subject canon must be reviewed in accordance with § 64 para. 2 of the Austrian Universities Act.

        If the subject canon is fulfilled and you have achieved at least 85% of the maximum attainable score, admission to a bachelor/diploma programme may be possible, provided that you can also submit proof of one successfully completed academic year at a recognized post-secondary educational institution.

        If these requirements are not fulfilled, proof of two examination-active academic years at a recognized post-secondary educational institution may be required.

        Each application must be reviewed individually.

        Detailed information about admission to a bachelor or diploma programme

      • Master programme

        Your application can be processed if you

        • have completed a bachelor programme of at least four years at a recognised post-secondary educational institution.

        Direct admission may be possible with a result of at least 90%. If you achieved between 80% and 90%, or a CGPA of at least 3.5 out of 4.0, supplementary examinations may be prescribed.

        Three-year bachelor programmes from Nepal do not qualify for admission to a master programme!

        Each application must be reviewed individually.

        Detailed information about admission to master programmes 

    • Documents from Sri Lanka

      Your documents have to be legalised by full diplomatic certification  and must be translated into either German or English afterwards. 

      Your steps in the admission procedure depend on the degree programme of your choice. 

      • Bachelor/diploma programme

        Your application can be processed if you

        • have completed the GCE O-Levels and GCE A-Levels.

        The A-Levels should include the Common General Paper Test with at least 30 points.
        The six general education subjects completed in the O-Levels and A-Levels must be reviewed individually.
        In all completed A-Level subjects, at least grade “C” is required.

        Admission to a bachelor/diploma programme is not possible on the basis of GCE O-Levels alone.

        Each application must be reviewed individually.

        Detailed information about admission to a bachelor or diploma programme

      • Master programme

        Your application can be processed if you

        • have completed the GCE A-Levels and a bachelor programme from an accredited post-secondary educational institution and degree programme.

        For bachelor degrees of at least three years with bachelor equivalence, direct admission may be possible with a CGPA of at least 3.75 out of 4.0.

        If you achieved a CGPA between 3.5 and 3.75 out of 4.0, supplementary examinations may be prescribed.

        Each application must be reviewed individually.

        Detailed information about admission to master programmes 

  • Step 2: Book an appointment for the competence check

    You fulfil the admission requirements? Book an appointment for the competence check at VFS Global and pay the fee of around € 100 directly to VFS Global.

    When booking your appointment, you have to indicate which Austrian university you would like to study at and which degree programme you are interested in.

     Book the appointment here

  • Step 3: Participate in the competence check

    VFS Global will check the following during your personal appointment:

    • Your identity (passport)
    • Your documents (depending on your chosen degree programme)
    • Your general competence in the following areas
      • German (for degree programmes instructed in German)
      • English
      • Mathematics
      • Biology
      • Chemistry
      • History/Geography
      • Physics

  • Step 4: Submit your application for admission to the degree programme

    Follow the steps in the admission procedure, depending on your desired degree programme and send all required documents, including the completed application form

    Don’t forget: Application deadlines

    Different application periods apply to bachelor programmes with entrance exam procedure and to master programmes with selection procedure. So make sure you find out in good time whether your desired degree programme has an entrance exam/selection procedure.

    VFS Global will send the results of your competence check directly to the University of Salzburg.

    Once you have submitted your application for admission to a degree programme, we will review your documents and the results of your competence check from VFS Global. This may take several weeks. We will send our admission letter to the e-mail address you have provided your application.