The certificate of conduct is an official document printed on special green paper, and which confirms whether or not a person has previously been convicted of a criminal offence. The Federal Office of Justice issues thousands of such documents every single day. Find out here how to apply for a certificate of conduct.

It can often be difficult for those owed maintenance (sometimes referred to as child support, spousal support, or alimony depending on the context) to recover the money from the person who owes it. This is especially the case when the person who owes the maintenance lives in a different country to the person entitled. The Federal Office of Justice, in its role as Germany’s Central Authority, can help such individuals to make claims for the maintenance they are legally entitled to.

The Federal Office of Justice is Germany’s Central Authority in matters governed by the Hague Child Abduction Convention. It offers support in the return of children, who have been abducted or retained unlawfully, to Germany from other Contracting States, and helps individuals assert their rights of access to children in cross-border cases.

In May 2001, the Council of the European Union made the decision to set up a European Judicial Network (EJN) in civil and commercial matters. Within the EJN, the Federal Central Contact Point at the Federal Office of Justice works to facilitate, simplify and expedite effective cross-border cooperation and assists courts all over Europe to carry out their proceedings as smoothly as possible.

The Federal Office of Justice is the Central Information Authority in Germany for the collection of account information under the European Account Preservation Order Regulation (EAPO Regulation). It is thus possible for creditors in all EU Member States (with the exception of Denmark) to make use of an EU-wide instrument for the freezing of funds which takes the form of an order on the provisional preservation of bank accounts.