What actually gets your uni-assist documents rejected
Most applicants worry about their grades. The real reason files fail is usually paperwork: a wrong translation, a missing grading scale, an incomplete file. This is the checklist our advisors run before an application is submitted.
uni-assist.com Guide · Last reviewed: 01/08/2026 · 5 min read
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Yes. Documents can fail before your grades are ever reviewed, and the reasons are usually formal: an uncertified translation, a grading scale sent as an anabin or Wikipedia link instead of an official document, or a file left incomplete at the deadline. Because uni-assist charges its fee whatever the result, a formal slip costs money as well as the semester. Most of these cost nothing to fix before you submit, which is the part our advisors handle.
International applicants submitting documents to uni-assist for a German university.
Documents stop more applications than grades
A file fails on its form, an uncertified translation or a missing official grading scale, before the grades are even read.
Translations have one strict rule
Only a sworn or court-authorised translator, or the university itself, is accepted. A standard agency is not.
Cheap to fix before you pay
Most document problems cost nothing to fix before you submit. After you pay the non-refundable fee, they get expensive.
The three things our advisors check first
Each of these decides whether your file is even assessed. Confirm each against uni-assist's own rule before you submit.
| The document | uni-assist's rule | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Grading scale | An official document from your university, such as the examination regulations. A link to anabin or Wikipedia is not accepted. | Official doc [1] |
| Translations | The original plus a German or English translation, only from a sworn or court-authorised translator or the issuing institution. Not a standard agency. | Certified only [2] |
| A complete file | All documents in your My assist account before the deadline. uni-assist advises applying at least 8 weeks early. | Before deadline [3] |
The handling fee (75 € for the first course, 30 € for each additional) is charged whatever the result, so a formal slip costs the fee as well as the semester. Some countries have extra formal requirements, for example a result verification; check your own country page. The final decision is the university's.
At the document stage, the defects that stop a file are formal: a grading scale proven the wrong way, a translation from the wrong source, or a file finished too late. Every one is knowable in advance. [1][2][3]
uni-assist requires an official grading document, a certified translation and a complete file by the deadline, and it charges the fee whatever the result.
Before you submit, confirm the grading scale is an official document, the translation is from a sworn or court-authorised translator or the university, and the file is complete at least eight weeks early, or have our advisors check all three.
Documents stop more applications than grades
The usual reason a file fails is not a low grade. uni-assist checks the form of your documents first, and a formal defect ends the file before your grades are read.
Three things are easy to get wrong: how you prove your grading scale, who translated your certificates, and whether the file was complete by the deadline. None is about ability, and all three are what our advisors check before an application goes in. [1]
The grading scale must be a document, not a link
No, an anabin or Wikipedia page is not accepted. uni-assist needs an official document from your university, such as the examination regulations.
This catches anyone whose transcript does not print the scale. It still has to come from the university, as its own document. If yours does not issue one, solve that before you submit, because your German grade cannot be converted without it. [1]
Translations: a sworn translator or the university, never an agency
A standard translation agency is not accepted. uni-assist takes translations only from a translator sworn or admissible in court, or from the issuing school or university.
Upload each certificate in its original language with a German or English translation. You skip this only if your country issues certificates in German or English. Otherwise the wrong translator is a formal defect, cheap to avoid and expensive to find after the deadline. [2]
Complete by the deadline, and the fee is gone either way
Your complete file must be in your My assist account before the deadline; a late document is not considered. uni-assist evaluates in about four to six weeks, longer in some cases, so it tells you to apply at least eight weeks early. That buffer is what lets it warn you a document is missing while you can still fix it.
Here is the part that stings: the fee, 75 € for the first course and 30 € for each additional, is charged whatever the result. Most document problems cost nothing to fix before you submit. After you pay, they cost the fee and the semester, which is why our advisors check the file first. [3][4]
Not sure your documents will pass?
These defects are cheap to fix before you submit and expensive to find after the non-refundable fee. Before you pay, our advisors check your documents against uni-assist's current rules.
- Grading scale: an official document, not a link
- Translations: sworn or court-authorised, not an agency
- File complete, on time, in the right order
- Country-specific requirements flagged for your case
One item you are unsure about is reason enough to check first.
Before you submit, check
- Your grading scale is an official university document, not an anabin or Wikipedia link
- Your translations are into German or English, from a sworn or court-authorised translator or the issuing institution
- The original-language document is uploaded next to each translation
- Your file is complete in My assist at least eight weeks before the deadline
- You have checked your country page for any extra formal requirements
Frequently asked questions
Does uni-assist accept an anabin or Wikipedia link for my grading scale?
No. uni-assist requires an official document on your university's grading system, such as the examination regulations. A link to anabin or Wikipedia is not enough.
Can I use a standard translation agency?
No. uni-assist accepts translations only from a translator sworn or admissible in court, or from the issuing school or university. Non-certified agency translations are not accepted.
Do I need to translate my certificates?
Only if your country does not issue them in German or English. When you do, upload the original next to the certified translation.
If uni-assist rejects my documents, do I get the fee back?
No. uni-assist charges the fee whatever the result. That is why checking the formal requirements before you submit matters, and why our advisors check them first.
How early should I apply?
uni-assist advises applying at least eight weeks before the deadline. It evaluates in about four to six weeks, but says it can take longer, and the buffer lets it flag a missing document in time.
How current is this information?
It rests on uni-assist's own document, translation, deadline and fee pages, checked on 1 August 2026. Requirements can vary by country, so also check your country page.
Sources
- [1] uni-assist e.V., educational certificates (grading-system document required) · Last reviewed: 01/08/2026
- [2] uni-assist e.V., translations of certificates · Last reviewed: 01/08/2026
- [3] uni-assist e.V., deadlines and processing time · Last reviewed: 01/08/2026
- [4] uni-assist e.V., handling fees · Last reviewed: 01/08/2026