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Generally, you can do a doctoral degree program at all German universities, as well as at most Technical Universities. Universities of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschulen) do not award doctoral degrees. As a rule, you may be admitted to a doctoral program once you have already successfully completed at least one academic degree at an accredited university.
A German doctoral title has a highly-acclaimed reputation worldwide.

In Germany, there are two forms of completing a doctoral degree:

A) Traditional doctoral study in Germany (called “Promotion” in German) allows you plenty of free time and freedom to design your research project. On the other hand, it also requires a considerable amount of self-motivation, perseverance, and independence. When creating your own research project, you write your thesis under the support of a so-called thesis supervisor – referred to as a Doktorvater or Doktormutter in German – that is, a professor with whom you want to work together. Everything begins with the choice of this thesis supervisor. Make sure that you have selected a person who is a real expert in your field of research, and that you will be well-guided and supported throughout the duration of your doctoral research project. A question you may want to consider is whether there are regular research-related colloquia for the supervisor’s doctoral students? Write to the professor you would like to work with and convince them of the relevance of your project to their research. A generic email is insufficient! When applying to work with the Professor or Associate Professor whom you wish to work with, your application must demonstrate that you are highly motivated and that you have the will and energy to work on a specific topic for a period of 4-6 years. In the traditional doctoral course of study, there is no obligation to attend lectures and no statutory curriculum.
In order to be accepted as a doctoral candidate, you must have a very good academic standing in your chosen field of study. There are no universal rules for this. The final decision with regard to your admission will be determined by the research group with whom you are applying. By the time your proposed research project is to begin, you should have successfully completed a degree program of at least 8 semesters at an accredited university, and have achieved a Master’s degree or equivalent.

The theme of your doctoral dissertation is determined by you, and you are required to work on it completely independently. The goal of the project is for you to write and publish a written doctoral thesis (German = Doktorarbeit), which is also referred to as a dissertation. Most usually, this is your first published academic book. It’s generally up to you whether you finish your doctoral research in 2 or up to 6 years. In order to finance yourself over this period of time, you can either apply for a research position at the institution where you are studying or for a doctoral grant or scholarship through a funding organization.
For more information, take a look at the doctoral research regulations for the faculty in Germany where you would like to complete your doctorate.

B) Structured doctoral study is a model that is becoming increasingly common at German universities and research institutes. Around 600 of these structured programs are currently available in a number of different subject areas, and this number continues to grow. Structured doctoral programs usually take place in graduate schools, DFG Graduate Colleges, and the International Max Planck Research Schools. There are particularly a large number of structured doctoral programs offered in math and natural science related fields, as well as in law, business, and the social sciences. A set curriculum with individual supervision by multiple professors, set research or lab hours, and (usually) a set financial scheme offer many advantages to doctoral candidates. Often, the duration of the research period is shorter than with traditional doctoral study, usually lasting about 3 years. The positions in structured doctoral programs are highly sought after. Often, applicants are required to go through a number of steps throughout the process of their application. There is not much free time, as the program schedules tend to be very busy. The variety and selection of thesis project themes may also be more limited than those in a traditional study program, as your research project must fit within the guidelines of the graduate school.
In many cases, doctoral students may also complete research within the context of an industrial or business-related project. Many well-known and internationally-recognized German companies cooperate with universities and offer related research projects. As a general rule, young researchers will receive fixed-term contracts, which is how they are able to finance their doctoral research period. As part of their contract, they are required to work for the respective departments where they conduct the research.

Finding a PhD position

Find your position on this brandnew PhDGermany platform.

Or make use of  the Research Explorer, a guide which helps you in your search for German research opportunities.

To look for relevant graduate schools or colleges, and research schools, visit:

DAAD International Doctoral Programs: www.daad.de/international-programmes

DFG Graduate Colleges: www.dfg.de

Graduate Schools: www.dfg.de

Helmholtz Association (Jobs & Careers): www.helmholtz.de

Max Planck Institute Research Schools: www.mpg.de

Fraunhofer Institute: www.fraunhofer.de

Leibniz Association: www.wgl.de

Rankings!

Until a few years ago, university rankings in Germany were neither necessary nor in existence. However, since the inception of the Bologna Process of higher education reform, some rankings have emerged, which try to distinguish the complexity of measuring the quality and reputation of Germany’s academic institutions. Here, you will find a link to the three most important rankings: that of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), the Centrum für Hochschulentwicklung (CHE), and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation:
http://www.daad.de/deutschland/forschung/ueberblick/10945.de.html

Doctoral Study in English!

In order to complete doctoral study in Germany, high proficiency in the German language is required. Many research areas and departments also accept doctoral dissertations in English. Even the thesis defense can take place in English. The level of German proficiency required is dependent on the subject area in which you’re conducting your research, as well as the language in which you have chosen to do your research. Proof of linguistic abilities is decided upon by the research supervisor(s) with whom you are applying. For everyday life in Germany, it is highly recommended to have some knowledge of the German language.

Your Application for Doctoral Study in Germany

You must outline your motivation and ability in a detailed text written about your anticipated research plan. Before you decide to do doctoral study in Germany, you should formulate a concrete idea of what you would like to research, and why that research should be carried out at the particular institution where you will be applying.

In order to determine and develop your research topic, you should plan for a period of about 2-3 months, as your topic should not only be scientifically relevant and original in nature, but it should also be of interest to your doctoral supervisor and the other doctoral candidates at the institute. Some possibilities to determine a relevant topic arise from the in-depth study of the content of professional ambitions, or from working directly with related topics being researched at a department where you have completed or participated in previous research. The online search portal of the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) provides an overview of various dissertation themes:
www.forschungsportal.net
If you find a topic of interest, you can generally begin the search for a specific faculty or department. As long as the formalities of the doctoral study regulations don’t pose any obstacles, the doctoral supervisor should play a considerable role in the decision of a topic.

How much does it cost to do a doctorate in Germany?

Generally, doctoral study in Germany is fully subsidized by the German government, also for international students. The first 6 semesters of study are free; afterwards, doctoral candidates are usually required to pay tuition fees. Although education is free of charge, each matriculated doctoral student must pay a semester fee of approximately 150 Euros. In order for international students to receive a visa to stay in Germany, they must demonstrate proof of financial stability to cover the costs of living, usually about 7,800 Euros per year.
Many doctoral candidates are awarded an academic research position at the university or finance themselves through scholarships.
Many institutions and organizations – such as DAAD, political foundations, and other research grant and scholarship organizations – offer funding to students at the postsecondary level.

Look for scholarship programs in the DAAD scholarship database! www.funding-guide.de

or

the BMBF Stipendienlotse www.stipendienlotse.de

The funding database of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation also provides details of funding programs for international guest researchers and doctoral candidates:
www.euraxess.de

If you do not receive a scholarship and you must work in order to finance your studies, please note that as a non-EU citizen you are allowed to work 90 full-days or 180 half-days in Germany. Exceptions exist for students and researchers involved with specific projects at universities; often, they are allowed to work as many hours as required by the program.

Are you already conducting doctoral research in Germany? Get information and network!
www.kisswin.de – Internet platform of the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) for information about academic careers in Germany
www.thesis.de – Interdisciplinary Network for Doctoral Candidates

Database of the BMBF based on research and dissertation topics
www.forschungsportal.net