u/LonelyEmploy8868

There are still so many questions coming up around the new dMAT.

Do I actually need it?
How does it work with APS?
When should I start APS?
How should I prepare?
And how does all of this fit into university applications for Summer Semester 2027?

So starting 28 August, we’re planning a series of 5 free webinars every Friday until 25 September.

The first few sessions will focus mainly on dMAT and APS, and later we’ll also talk about university selection and the application process for Summer 2027.

The idea is simply to go through the whole journey step by step and leave enough time for questions.

We’ll share the registration details here shortly.

In the meantime, if you’re applying for Summer 2027, what is the one dMAT or APS question you’re still confused about?

Drop it below and we’ll try to include the most common ones in the sessions.

For transparency: the webinars are being organised by the Naavora team.

Seeing a lot of housing panic every intake, so writing down what may work. This got long, but housing is the thing that goes wrong most often, so bear with me.

The mistake most people make

Trying to find a permanent room from your home country. Landlords on WG-Gesucht get 50-100+ messages per listing, and they strongly prefer people already in Germany who can view the room in person. You're competing from thousands of kilometres away. Some people send 200 messages and get 2 replies. That's normal, not a you problem.

The strategy that could work instead

Book a verified short-term room (2-3 months) from home, land with a legal address, do your Anmeldung, then hunt for the cheap long-term WG from inside Germany where you can reply to listings in minutes and view rooms in person. Your response rate changes once you're in the country.

Where to book that first room from abroad:

• HousingAnywhere - book online, holds your first rent for ~48h after move-in so you can report if the room doesn't match
• Wunderflats - furnished mid-term flats, shows directly in the listing whether Anmeldung is possible
• Spotahome - verified listings with video tours, so you see the actual room before paying
• Habyt - co-living, room + bills + internet in one price, fully online sign-up

These cost more than a WG, but you're paying for 2-3 months of safety, not forever.

Where to hunt once you've landed:

• WG-Gesucht - the standard for WG rooms, free, English interface
• Kleinanzeigen - good for sublets and direct-from-landlord rooms, but zero verification, so be careful
• ImmoScout24 - better for full apartments than WG rooms, more useful once you have documents

Student halls are the cheapest option in Germany, but it's a waiting list, not a search. You can apply THE DAY you get your admission letter, before visa, before anything. Waiting lists in Munich or Berlin run multiple semesters, so every week you delay matters. D

Underrated channels:

• City-specific Facebook groups ("WG & Wohnung [city]") - fast, real sublets appear here first, but also the highest scam density
• Telegram/WhatsApp groups of student associations from your country - rooms get passed down when seniors graduate, often never publicly listed
• University noticeboards and the international office - some unis keep verified landlord lists for internationals
• Ask graduating seniors directly if you can take over their room as Nachmieter - skips the entire competition

Before you pay for ANYTHING, ask one question

"Kann ich mich hier anmelden?" (Can I register my address here?) No Anmeldung means no residence permit, no possible bank account, no proper SIM. If a landlord dodges this question, it's usually an illegal sublet. Walk away.

Scam red flags (please read this part):

• Rent way below market - a €350 room in central Munich doesn't exist, it's bait
• "I'm abroad, I'll post you the keys" story
• Payment via Western Union, MoneyGram or some "agent"
• Pressure to send deposit before any viewing or video call
• Refuses Anmeldung or a written contract
• Photos look too good - reverse image search them, stolen photos are the most common trick

Simple rule: on WG-Gesucht, Kleinanzeigen or Facebook, never pay before a live video viewing plus contract. Paying before viewing is only okay on platforms that hold the money.

Happy to answer questions. And if you've already been through the housing hunt, drop what worked for you and which country you came from, this thread can become a proper resource.

A lot of people in India will sit for the dMAT test for the first time, and the official info is spread across g.a.s.t. pages and the PDF, so I went through it all and pulled out what actually matters. Mainly posting because I keep seeing people worry about a "pass mark" that doesn't exist.

When and where you get results

From 12 October 2026, in your g.a.s.t. participant portal only. You download the certificate as a PDF. They do NOT send results by email or phone. 'If anyone calls or messages claiming they can share or "improve" your result, it's a scam'

How to read the certificate

Three numbers on it:

• A score for each module on a 0 to 200 scale, where 100 is the average. Important: scoring around 100 means you did averagely among all test takers. It is not "half marks".
• A total score (both modules added together).
• A percentile rank. Percentile 80 means you scored equal to or better than 80% of everyone who took it, across all centres and dates.

Is there a pass mark?

No. No pass, no fail. APS India has also stated that a low score does NOT automatically lead to APS refusal. Your APS verification still runs on your documents like before. The dMAT result just gets recorded on your APS certificate.

Submitting to APS

One rule people miss: your APS document package must already be complete before you submit the dMAT certificate. You cannot add new or updated academic documents along with it later. 'The certificate is the only thing allowed to come in last'.

Validity

Indefinite. The certificate never expires, so there's no pressure to apply in a specific intake.

How German universities will use the score?

Nobody knows yet, and I mean that literally. Each university decides on its own, and so far none has published how it will weight the new General Academic Module result in admissions. g.a.s.t. says universities can use the percentile as a cut-off. A couple of programmes (RWTH Aachen and Göttingen) already use older dMAT subject modules for selection, but that's separate from this. Anyone telling you "the score you need" right now is guessing.

If something went wrong

Two separate procedures with two separate deadlines. Don't mix them up:

• Problem on test day (unfair treatment, test centre issues): written complaint to the g.a.s.t. Examination Board within 5 working days of the exam.
• You think your grade is wrong: objection within 4 weeks of the result. Costs €30 for one part or €60 for both, refunded if your grade gets changed.

Two more rights worth knowing: if part of your exam couldn't be evaluated because of a technical fault on g.a.s.t.'s side, you're entitled to retake at a later test date for free. And you can request to inspect your exam papers after results (max 30 minutes, no notes, no phones).

For all of the above, the contact is g.a.s.t. (kontakt@gast.de), not APS India.

Everything here is from the official g.a.s.t. terms and APS India's statements, but rules can change, so verify before acting. Happy to answer questions in the comments.

Source:

• g.a.s.t. official dMAT page: https://www.d-mat.de/en/
• APS India dMAT page: https://aps-india.de/dmat/

Fintiba, Coracle and Expatrio are probably the three names most students come across when opening a blocked account for Germany.

But recently I’ve been seeing quite a few complaints around Fintiba and Coracle, especially about:

• Money arriving but the blocking confirmation taking too long
• Emails not getting answered quickly
• Problems with payouts or account activation
• Refunds taking longer than expected

To be fair, there are also many people saying everything worked perfectly fine, and Expatrio has its own complaints too.

That’s why I’m more interested in hearing from people actually using them.

Which one did you choose: Fintiba, Coracle or Expatrio?

How has your experience been so far?

Did you face any issue with the blocked account, confirmation, payout, refund or support?

If yes, share it below. Maybe someone here has faced the same problem and can help.

This is something I remember worrying about when travelling to a new country.

You land in Germany, you need Google Maps, you want to message your family, maybe check your train… but you don’t have a German SIM yet.

The good thing is that airports like Frankfurt and Berlin have free Wi-Fi, so you won’t suddenly be completely offline after landing. (but be careful after you get out of the airport you still would need internet to travel to you destination)

But another option that I think newcomers should know about is a travel eSIM.

If your phone supports eSIM, you can buy one for Germany before leaving your home country, install it, and then turn it on when you arrive.

For example, Airalo currently offers a Germany data eSIM that doesn’t require identity verification. Saily and Holafly also have Germany options. (I personally have used Saily multiple times when I go outside Europe)

Most of these are data-only though. So you can use WhatsApp, Maps, Uber, DB Navigator etc., but you normally won’t get a German phone number.

Then once you’re settled, get a proper German prepaid SIM. Telekom, Vodafone CallYa and O2 are good places to start. You’ll need to verify your identity for a German prepaid SIM, but you don’t need to immediately lock yourself into a long contract.

So if you’re landing in Germany soon, internet is probably one thing you really don’t need to stress about :)

For people already living here: which SIM/provider are you using and would you recommend it to a newcomer?

If you’re coming for Winter Semester 2026, you’ve probably already read this everywhere:

“You must do your Anmeldung (city registration) within 14 days of arriving in Germany.”

That’s actually not quite the right way to understand it.

The 14-day rule generally starts when you move into your actual residence, not simply when your flight lands in Germany.

And in real life, the first few weeks can be messy.

• Maybe you’re still staying in a hotel or temporary accommodation.
• Maybe you haven’t found a proper room yet.
• Maybe you already have an apartment, but there are no Bürgeramt appointments available.

So yes, once you have moved into your proper accommodation, try to register within the two weeks. That is the official rule.

But if you cannot get it done exactly within 14 days, don’t immediately panic and think you are in massive trouble. Book the earliest appointment you can and keep proof of it.

I’ve personally registered late in Frankfurt once, around 2.5 months after moving. In my case, they simply asked me why and I had to pay a €15 fine. That was just my experience though, and it can differ from city to city.

One more important thing: once you find proper accommodation, make sure you get the Wohnungsgeberbestätigung, because you normally need it for Anmeldung.

Are you coming to Germany in the next few months?

Do you already have accommodation sorted?

If not, maybe mention your city below. Someone already living there might have a useful tip, WG lead or accommodation suggestion for you.

Germany is a very attractive option for Indian students, especially because many public universities have little or no tuition fees.

But the upfront costs are slowly adding up.

For many Master’s applicants, there is now:

• ₹18,000 for APS
• €150 for the new dMAT
• €75 for the first uni-assist application and €30 for every additional one
• Application fees at some universities
• €75 for the visa
• Blocked account providers have drastically increased their fees
• Plus IELTS, document translations, courier charges and other small costs

The new dMAT stands out because it does not replace APS. For students from selected fields, it is another test and another €150 to pay before admission is even guaranteed.

Of course, the blocked amount itself is your own money, not a fee. But all the charges around the process can still become expensive.

For Indian students applying now: is this starting to worry you?

Do you still feel Germany is affordable, or are these upfront costs making you apply to fewer universities or reconsider your plans?

Many students spend months preparing their university application, blocked account and visa, but leave accommodation until the last moment.

Then they arrive in Germany and realise that finding a room can be one of the hardest parts.

You may face:

• Very few replies to WG applications
• Landlords asking for SCHUFA or German payslips (which ofcourse you won't have)
• Rooms where Anmeldung (city registration) is not possible
• Expensive temporary accommodation
• Fake listings and people asking for money before showing the room

So try to start searching as early as possible. Apply for student dorms immediately, keep some extra money for temporary accommodation and never send a deposit before properly checking the room and contract.

For students already in Germany: how long did it take you to find a proper place?

And what is one accommodation mistake newcomers should avoid?

Germany has now moved student visa applications to the Consular Services Portal in both Pakistan and Bangladesh.

On paper, the process sounds better. You can upload your documents online, get them checked before the appointment and correct anything that is missing.

But has it actually made the process faster?

For Pakistan, from what I read the German mission says more applications are now being completed, but they are still receiving more applications than they can handle.

For Bangladesh, the situation still seems difficult from what I understand. The embassy says the old waiting list has to be cleared first, and regular students may still face very long waiting times.

So I wanted to ask people who are applying right now:

• Which country did you apply from, and when did you register?
• How long did it take to get an appointment?
• Did the CSP make things easier, or are you still waiting without any clear update?

Would be helpful to hear recent experiences from both Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Germany has now moved student visa applications to the Consular Services Portal in both Pakistan and Bangladesh.

On paper, the process sounds better. You can upload your documents online, get them checked before the appointment and correct anything that is missing.

But has it actually made the process faster?

For Pakistan, from what I read the German mission says more applications are now being completed, but they are still receiving more applications than they can handle.

For Bangladesh, the situation still seems difficult from what I understand. The embassy says the old waiting list has to be cleared first, and regular students may still face very long waiting times.

So I wanted to ask people who are applying right now:

• Which country did you apply from, and when did you register?
• How long did it take to get an appointment?
• Did the CSP make things easier, or are you still waiting without any clear update?

Would be helpful to hear recent experiences from both Pakistan and Bangladesh.

This is something many international students and people coming through the Chancenkarte often ask.

Java, Python, JavaScript, C#, C++ and SAP seem to come up quite often in German job listings. But the demand probably depends a lot on the field.

For people already working in tech in Germany:

Which programming language do you use in your job?

And which language or tech stack do you think currently offers the best opportunities?

This question comes up a lot, and the honest answer is: it depends.

When extending your student residence permit in Germany, you still need to prove that you can support yourself financially. However, this does not automatically mean opening another blocked account.

Depending on your city and personal situation, the Ausländerbehörde may also accept things like:

• German bank statements
• Regular income from a part-time job
• A scholarship if available
• A formal declaration of commitment

Different cities may ask for different documents or in some cities they still require a blocked account.

So it is better not to rely only on what happened to a friend in another city. Check your local Ausländerbehörde’s website and start preparing early.

For students who have already extended their permit:

Which city did you apply in, and what financial proof did they accept? Were you asked to open a blocked account again?

Your experience could really help someone applying in the same city.

My experience: I studied at Wismar in MV, and there they always asked me for a blocked account for visa extension.