Background
- Location
- Berlin, Germany
- Languages
- German (native), English (native-equivalent), Russian (advanced — CIS market)
- Specialization
- APS certificate · €13,092 blocked account · DAAD scholarships · Anabin degree recognition · TestDaF / DSH · Chancenkarte §20a · Aufenthaltstitel · Anmeldung & health insurance
- At Birlay
- Senior Education Consultant — Germany (Berlin desk)
- Editorial role
- Lead author on the Germany content series
What I cover
Thirteen years of hands-on experience cover the full non-EU student journey from APS pre-check through the post-study Chancenkarte. Recurring focus areas:
What I do at Birlay
I lead Birlay's Germany operations from our Berlin desk, working directly with prospective non-EU students. My role covers:
- APS certificate as step zero — confirming whether an Indian, Pakistani, or Chinese applicant needs the APS pre-check before any university application or visa appointment, and booking it early because lead times are long
- Anabin recognition check — verifying the applicant's prior degree appears in the Anabin (KMK) database as H+ recognized before a single deposit is paid
- Blocked account setup — preparing the €13,092 blocked account via Fintiba, Expatrio, or Deutsche Bank and timing it so the visa file is complete
- Language & DAAD routing — matching applicants to TestDaF/DSH requirements or English-taught programmes, and flagging DAAD scholarship windows
- Post-arrival steps — the 14-day Anmeldung registration, TK/AOK statutory health insurance enrolment, and the Aufenthaltstitel and Chancenkarte §20a job-seeker route after graduation
Editorial principles
All Germany-focused articles published under my byline on Birlay.com are reviewed for accuracy against current German consulate requirements, the Anabin database, DAAD programme rules, and BAMF procedures. Legal claims are independently verified by Birlay's Germany reviewer — Klaus Müller, German Rechtsanwalt (Germany Bar #8341), student visa, Aufenthaltstitel and immigration-law practitioner in Berlin.
Independent verification
Birlay's editorial policy requires all author profiles to be independently verifiable. Author bios are not generated content. If you would like to confirm credentials before relying on Germany-related guidance published under my byline, contact Birlay's editorial team at editorial@birlay.com, or verify the Germany reviewer's credentials via the German Bar (Rechtsanwaltskammer) public register (Germany Bar #8341).
Published on Birlay — Germany series
The Germany knowledge base for non-EU students — APS, blocked account, DAAD, visa, and the Chancenkarte:
Contact me
For Germany admissions consultations, APS guidance, Anabin recognition checks, blocked account setup, or student visa application support:
- Email: franziska@birlay.com
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/franziska-weber-birlay
- Editorial inquiries: editorial@birlay.com
Free 30-minute initial consultations are available via video or in-person at Birlay's Berlin desk (by appointment).