Does the exam for Germany have to be taken in Germany by international students?

You will not need to fly to Germany for almost every exam your application requires, since the standard tests run at certified centres in your own country. Your language proficiency tests, academic aptitude tests and most university specific entrance exams are all designed for international applicants sitting them remotely. Only one narrow exam category genuinely forces you to travel first.

Where You Can Sit Each Exam Type

The Studienkolleg Exception You Should Plan Around

• If your high school qualification is not treated as equivalent to the German Abitur, you must complete a preparatory foundation year called a Studienkolleg.
• The final assessment for that course, the Feststellungsprüfung, must be taken physically in Germany.
• The Studienkolleg entrance test itself is traditionally held in Germany too, though a growing number of universities now run it online or through overseas partner institutes.
• If your course specifically demands a DSH score, avoid the travel requirement by taking the TestDaF in your home country instead, since it is widely accepted as an equivalent.

My Advice

Check your specific degree page for whether it names the DSH or accepts TestDaF, since that one detail decides whether you need an early travel trip before your main move. If you are coming from a non-Abitur-equivalent schooling system, ask your target university directly whether their Studienkolleg entrance test now runs online, so you can plan your visa and travel dates around a confirmed answer rather than a default assumption.