Least favourite word right now: beglaubigen.
My least favourite word right now is beglaubigen. It means “to legalize”, “to certify” or “to notarize”. Why is it my least favourite word right now? Because it is standing in the way of my University entrance! Let me explain…
So I received my B2 level Österreichisches Sprachdiplom Deutsch the other day and was extremely happy! It was the final piece missing from my University application kit which is comprised of my UK Passport (which I received thanks to my Scottish father and it lets me study for only 16 Euros!), High School Diploma, High School transcripts, Unversity transcripts, application forum, passport copy, etc. etc.
So I was doing one final check on the Unversity of Vienna website the other day and found this.
Documents from countries with which Austria has no agreement have to be fully legalised. A certification from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the issuing country is necessary for the required document.
What. What?!? Why??? 
My documents are all official! and signed! and stamped! and dated!
So I e-mailed the University of Vienna and asked if this could possibly be true and they told me I wouldn’t have to do this if the documents were originals (check!) and in English (double check!!)
This morning I went and waited in line at the Admissions office, super excited about finally being registered at the University of Vienna, only to be told that, well, I do need to go through the month long process of getting my already official documents legalized. I have to start by sending them back to Canada with a courier and then hoping for the best.
I’m really angry about this! I’ve been in contact with the University and they’ve never mentioned this! Maybe I just missed it, but still! I think I can still start studying this semester, but this whole thing really bugs me! Oh well. I guess I should’ve expected an eventual hiccup in the foreign University application process, but I just wanted to vent a little, and what better place than on here. 
