A certificate of conduct contains information on any previous convictions you may have.

The personal details are shown in the top right next to the address. The categories of personal details are also shown in German, English and French.

In the event that there is nothing relevant recorded, this information is stated in all three languages (in English it will say "no record").

The content of the certificate of conduct is governed by the Federal Central Criminal Register Act (Bundeszentralregistergesetz (BZRG)). Not all information held on record about an individual is shown in the certificate of conduct. Sections 32 and 33 of the Federal Central Criminal Register Act govern which entries are exempted from being included.

Sec. 32 Federal Central Criminal Register Act

Sec. 33 Federal Central Criminal Register Act

Furthermore, once certain deadlines have passed, convictions are no longer included in the certificate of conduct. The time limit generally depends on the nature of the sentence imposed.

Sec. 34 et seq. Federal Central Criminal Register Act

The time limit does not apply to certain convictions.

Sec. 33 Subsec. 2 Federal Central Criminal Register Act

In terms of content, the certificate of conduct for submission to a public authority (e.g. for the issuance of a driving licence) is different to other types of certificate of conduct. It contains, alongside decisions from criminal courts, decisions made by certain administrative authorities (e.g. the revocation of a licence to practise a particular profession).

Sec. 32 Subsec. 2 Federal Central Criminal Register Act

This provision sets out what a certificate of conduct for submission to a German public authority has to contain. It states that, alongside details of criminal convictions, information on certain decisions issued by administrative authorities, such as the revocation of a firearms licence or a permit to run a business, is to be included. Furthermore, it may also contain decisions on any inability of a person to be held criminally liable or stays in psychiatric hospitals ordered by a court. Lastly, a certificate of conduct for submission to a public authority may also contain details on convictions for first offences not included in the standard certificate of conduct, where the sentence handed down was a fine of no more than 90 daily rates or a term of imprisonment of no more than three months, but where the conviction is related to the operation of a trade, a business or other commercial activity and the certificate of conduct is intended for the purposes of reaching one of the decisions set out in Sec. 149 Subsec. 2 No. 1 of the Trade Regulation Act (Gewerbeordnung – GewO ).

If the certificate of conduct is to be submitted to a German authority, please state this when you apply at the residents’ registration authority. The certificate of conduct will be sent straight to the authority in question. If you request it, the authority must allow you to view the certificate of conduct. However, you can also request that the certificate of conduct, in the event that it contains any entries, be sent to a German Local Court (Amtsgericht) of your choice so that you can view it there. Once you have viewed it, the certificate of conduct will be forwarded to the authority in question, or in the event that you do not agree to this, destroyed by the Local Court.

An enhanced certificate of conduct is required by individuals who wish to work with children and young people (e.g. at schools or sports clubs). It contains entries that are of particular significance when assessing the suitability of individuals to work with children and young people.

Sec. 30a Subsec. 1 Federal Central Criminal Register Act

The "enhanced certificate of conduct" differs from the regular certificate of conduct in terms of its content. With the aim of rehabilitating offenders , Sec. 32 Subsec. 2 Federal Central Criminal Register Act sets out circumstances under which decisions from the register are not included on the certificate of conduct. Convictions for serious sexual offences are not subject to such an exception. Other convictions for offences of a sexual nature or convictions which are of particular relevance to the protection of children and young people are not disclosed in the regular certificate of conduct where one of the exceptions listed in Sec. 32 Subsec. 2 No. 3 to 9 applies, but this is different when an “enhanced certificate of conduct” is applied for. This type of certificate of conduct will contain convictions for the offences named, despite the exceptions listed in Sec. 32 Subsec. 2 Federal Central Criminal Register Act.
When applying for an enhanced certificate of conduct, you will need a document demonstrating which body or authority requires an enhanced certificate of conduct from you. Self-employed individuals can self-certify that an enhanced certificate of conduct is required from them.

When applying for the enhanced certificate of conduct, you need a written request from the authority that requires the enhanced certificate of conduct from you, confirming that the conditions for it to be issued are met.

You will receive a European certificate of conduct if, instead of or as well as being a German national, you are a national of another Member State of the European Union or of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It contains, alongside the certificate of conduct disclosing convictions from Germany, information on convictions recorded in your home country in the original language, to the extent that this is permitted under the law of the country in question.

The European certificate of conduct is available for personal use, for submission to an authority, or as an enhanced certificate of conduct. You will need to state which is relevant to you at the time you make your application.

Sec. 30b Federal Central Criminal Register Act

If you apply for a European certificate of conduct, the Federal Office of Justice will request information from the registers of your home country, so that this information can be included on your certificate of conduct. The information received will not be verified or translated.

The relevant provisions of European law mean that the other country has a period of twenty working days in which to provide the information requested.

The other country will be bound by its own domestic law when answering a request for information from its registers. Some EU Member States have not (yet) put in place legal arrangements which enable information from their criminal registers to be provided for use in a European certificate of conduct. Since 1 January 2021, in provisional application of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, this also applies to nationals of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

If you are aged 14 or over, you can apply for a certificate of conduct in the following ways:

• Using the online portal of the Federal Office of Justice:

  www.fuehrungszeugnis.bund.de

• In person or - with an official or publicly certified signature – in writing at your local residents’ registration authority (e.g. at a town hall or citizens’ office in Germany). Your residents’ registration authority will be able to inform you which documents you require to make a written application. Your application will then be forwarded to the Federal Office of Justice.
• If you are exempt from the obligation to register your residence or are of no fixed abode, you can make your application at the residents’ registration authority for the area in which you usually reside or spend your time.
• Where the person concerned has a legal representative (e.g. in the case of minors), that individual too is entitled to make an application. Where the person concerned is not capable of conducting legal business, only the legal representative can make an application. Legal representatives must provide evidence that they are authorised to act when making the application. It is not possible to do so using an ad hoc power of attorney or one-off authorisation.
• Certificates of conduct can also be collected in person at the Federal Office of Justice. You can only do this if you bring both the original application with you that you received at the residents’ registration authority and official photographic identification.
• If you have applied for a European certificate of conduct, i.e. if you are, instead of or as well as being a German national, a national of one or more other EU Member states, you will not be able to collect your certificate of conduct in person.

• Please note that you will not be able to collect your certificate of conduct from the Federal Office of Justice if you applied online.
  
  

  Address for in-person visits:
  Federal Office of Justice (Bundesamt für Justiz)
  – "Besucherservice" (Visitors’ Centre) –
  Adenauerallee 99 – 103
  53113 Bonn, Germany
  
  Opening hours:
  Monday to Thursday: 7.30am to 4pm
  Friday: 7.30am to 2pm

A certificate of conduct costs EUR 13.00. You will pay the fee when you make your application, either at the residents’ registration authority, or online. If you apply online, you can pay the fee using a credit card.

Yes. In some circumstances, the fees may be waived:

Merkblatt zur Erhebung von Gebühren für das Führungszeugnis (PDF, 99KB, File meets accessibility standards)

Please note that it is currently taking longer than normal to process certificates of conduct because we are experiencing a high volume of applications.

It may also take a while for a European certificate of conduct to be processed, as the information has to be requested from the registers of the other country. The relevant provisions of European law give the other country a time period of twenty working days in which to provide the information requested.

If you have any questions as to the status of your application, use the following contact details:

Go to contact details

Usually, it is only possible for a certificate of conduct to be sent to the applicant. You can have the certificate of conduct sent to a different address if it is absolutely necessary (e.g. if you are away from home for an extended period). Please note that the addressee will still be the applicant.

Example:
Frank Mustermann (Applicant)
c/o Erika Mustermann
Musterweg 123
12345 Musterhausen, Germany

There is no specific rule governing how long a certificate of conduct is valid for. This is down to the fact that the Federal Office of Justice may be told about a conviction very soon after a certificate of conduct has been issued, which would then have an effect on any certificate of conduct issued thereafter. The certificate of conduct reflects the contents of the register at the time it is printed. It is thus at the discretion of the person or organisation you are submitting the certificate of conduct to (employer, public authority, sports club etc.) as to how long it will be accepted. As a general guideline, three months is often seen as a suitable period.

Yes, a certificate of conduct can be copied or certified at any time. All German public authorities with an official seal can certify official documents. However, the Federal Office of Justice itself does not provide certified copies of certificates of conduct.

It is at the discretion of the person or organisation it is being submitted to whether a copy (or certified copy) is accepted as being sufficient.

Yes, the Federal Office of Justice can order in advance that a conviction not be included in the certificate of conduct, unless there is a public interest reason not to do so.

Sec. 39 Federal Central Criminal Register Act

As a certificate of conduct is often used to show employers that a certain individual does not have any criminal convictions, it is only possible for a conviction not to be included in limited, exceptional circumstances. Struggling to find employment is, in and of itself, not a justification for this.

An exception is generally only considered appropriate where the inclusion of the decision would cause undue hardship. You will have to credibly demonstrate why this is the case in your application. Your application for a conviction not to be listed should also contain a detailed description of your current life situation. Your life circumstances should be credibly demonstrated by providing relevant documentation (e.g. your children’s birth certificates, evidence that you are in receipt of unemployment or other benefits, letters of dismissal or resignation from employment, job offers, requests for you to provide a certificate of conduct).

The application must be signed and include all your personal details (forenames, surname, any other names at birth, date and place of birth) and your address, and be sent to the Federal Office of Justice. For privacy reasons, your application can only be processed when your identity has been established beyond doubt. For this reason, you will need to include a copy of an official identity document which includes your address (front and back). The following information must be visible on the copy: Forename(s), surname (and name at birth if different from your current one), date and place of birth, signature and address. You are free to redact the copy of the document to block out any information other than that required.

When applying by post:
Bundesamt für Justiz
Registerverwaltung Bundeszentralregister
53094 Bonn, Germany

Applications made by e-mail must, as well as containing your personal details, be signed by hand and scanned in. Please send the e-mail to: tilgung@bfj.bund.de.

If the application is made by a representative (including by legal counsel), an authorisation to act on behalf of the individual concerned must be included. Please ensure that, if the representative is to receive post, the authorisation must make it clear that this ability has also been conferred.

If a conviction is not (or no longer) included in the certificate of conduct, the convicted person can claim not to have a criminal record and no longer needs to disclose the offence.

Sec. 53 Subsec. 1 Federal Central Criminal Register Act

Some instances, i.e. those set out in Sec. 41 Federal Central Criminal Register Act (including courts, public prosecution offices, tax authorities prosecuting tax offences, authorities concerned with naturalisation), will receive all information recorded on the register including information not (or no longer) disclosed on the certificate of conduct.

Sec. 41 Federal Central Criminal Register Act

In the event that courts or authorities are entitled to full disclosure from the criminal registers, the individual concerned cannot claim to have no previous convictions and must disclose the conviction where explicit instruction has been given to do so.

If you live outside Germany, you can apply direct at the Federal Office of Justice in the following ways:

Using the online portal of the Federal Office of Justice:

www.fuehrungszeugnis.bund.de

In writing:
Bundesamt für Justiz
Internationale Registerangelegenheiten
53094 Bonn, Germany

In person:
Federal Office of Justice (Bundesamt für Justiz)
– "Besucherservice" (Visitors’ Centre) –
Adenauerallee 99 – 103
53113 Bonn, Germany

Opening hours:
The visitors’ centre is open Monday to Thursday from 7.30am to 4pm and Fridays from 7.30am to 2pm.

You can use the following forms for applying in writing:

• Antrag auf Erteilung eines Führungszeugnisses (deutsch) (PDF, 102KB, File meets accessibility standards)
• Application form for a certificate of conduct (englisch) (PDF, 101KB, File does not meet accessibility standards)
• Demande d'extrait de casier judiciaire (französisch) (PDF, 108KB, File does not meet accessibility standards)

The application must contain your complete personal details and address and be signed by hand. The personal details and the signature have to be officially certified (by a German diplomatic or consular representation, a public authority of a country other than Germany or a notary public). You must submit your original application. You cannot make an application by fax or e-mail.

If you are applying for a certificate of conduct for submission to a German public authority, please state the purpose of the application as well as the name and address of the authority. The certificate of conduct will then be sent straight to the authority in question. However, you can also apply for the certificate of conduct, in the event that anything has been recorded in it against your name, to be sent to an official representation (i.e. an embassy or a consulate) of the Federal Republic of Germany of your choice, so that you can view it there. Once you have viewed your certificate of conduct, it can be forwarded to the relevant German authority, or if you do not consent to this, destroyed by the German representation.

A certificate of conduct costs EUR 13.00. Please transfer the fee to the account of the Federal Office of Justice using the following bank details:

Bundesamt für Justiz
IBAN: DE49370000000038001005
BIC/SWIFT: MARKDEF1370
Payment reference: File number (if you have one) and your full name

Please note that it is no longer possible to pay the fee by cheque.

The certificate of conduct can only be issued once the fee has been received. Please include proof of payment with your application.

The processing time depends on how many applications are ahead of yours in the queue. Airmail is used for items being sent abroad. We are unable to influence how long delivery will take. You will not be able to track your delivery with, for example, a tracking number. Because of the high volume of applications we process and for privacy reasons, we will be unable to answer any queries made by email or telephone on the status of your application. For this reason, we would ask you to refrain from making any such queries.

Please note that it is currently taking longer than normal to process certificates of conduct because we are experiencing a high volume of applications.

It may also take a while for a European certificate of conduct to be processed, as the information has to be requested from the registers of the other country. The relevant provisions of European law give the other country a time period of twenty working days in which to provide the information requested.

Your personal details will be printed on the certificate of conduct in German, English and French. In the event that there is nothing relevant recorded, this information is stated in all three languages (in English it will say "no record"). Anything from the criminal records of the other country will be in the language of that country.

No other information is provided in another language on the certificate of conduct. However, you are free to have a certified translation carried out into any language.

In the event that you have a certificate of conduct stating "no record", you will also have the option of receiving a multilingual form as a translation aid. You can request this by writing to us after you make your application, or requesting it at the time you make your written application for a certificate of conduct from abroad.

Public authorities in other countries often request different types of certificates of authenticity so that the certificate of conduct can be legally recognised. The authenticity of a certificate of conduct can be officially certified by an over-authentication ("Überbeglaubigung") by the Federal Office of Justice or the issuance of an "apostille" or final authentication ("Endbeglaubigung") by the Federal Agency for Foreign Affairs (Bundesamt für Auswärtige Angelegenheiten). Which type of authentication you require will depend on which country your certificate of conduct is being used in.

Go to website of Federal Agency for Foreign Affairs

Especially in the case of a certificate of conduct stating "no record", applicants with German nationality in other EU Member States should not expect to be under a duty to submit an apostille. Such citizens will also have the option of receiving a multilingual form as a translation aid.

The apostille or final authentication (Endbeglaubigung) will be issued by the Federal Office of Foreign Affairs.

Go to website of Federal Agency for Foreign Affairs

For information as to whether certification of authenticity is required and what form it should have, please enquire at the embassy or consulate of the country in which the certificate of conduct is required. The German Federal Foreign Office gives an overview here:

Go to article on the website of the Federal Foreign Office (in German) on using German official documents in other countries

In addition, the information on the payment options at the Federal Office of Justice contains an overview of the certification of authenticity by country.

Overview of payment options at Federal Office of Justice (PDF, 367KB, File meets accessibility standards)

You can apply for an over-authentication ("Überbeglaubigung"), either at the same time as you make the application for the certificate of conduct or afterwards by presenting the original certificate of conduct:

www.fuehrungszeugnis.bund.de

The fee for the over-authentication ("Überbeglaubigung") is EUR 25.00 per certificate of conduct and is due in addition to the EUR 13.00 for the certificate of conduct.
If you do not apply for the over-authentication ("Überbeglaubigung") at the same time as you apply for the certificate of conduct at the residents’ registration authority or online from the Federal Office of Justice, you will be able to apply in person, or in writing (in which case you will need to submit the original certificate of conduct by post). When making your application, please state which country the certificate of conduct will be used in.

Contact details

When you apply for a certificate of conduct online, you will have to pay electronically. If you apply in person, the fee will be due in cash. In the case of a written application, you will need to pay the fee by bank transfer to the account of the Federal Office of Justice using the following bank details:

Bundesamt für Justiz
IBAN: DE49370000000038001005
BIC/SWIFT: MARKDEF1370
Payment reference (mandatory information): applicant’s full name or file number (if you have one)

The over-authentication ("Überbeglaubigung") will only be carried out once payment or proof of payment is received. When you apply for an over-authentication ("Überbeglaubigung"), you would be best advised to submit proof of payment alongside it.

If your certificate of conduct states "no record" and you possess German nationality and are using the certificate of conduct in another EU Member State, there is generally no obligation to provide an apostille. Such citizens will also have the option of receiving a multilingual form as a translation aid. You can do this by writing to us after you make your application or requesting it at the time you make your written application for a certificate of conduct from abroad.

Please send your written application for a certificate of conduct from abroad to the following address:

Bundesamt für Justiz
Referat IV 2 (Internationale Registerangelegenheiten)
53094 Bonn, Germany

Your application can be made by post using a simple letter. Alongside your complete personal details, you must state which EU Member State the certificate of conduct is intended to be used in.

If you are applying for a multilingual form as a translation aid you will need to include the certificate of conduct.

Please send your application for the multilingual form and your certificate of conduct to:

Bundesamt für Justiz
Referat II 5 (Internationaler Urkundenverkehr)
53094 Bonn, Germany
The multilingual form for certificates of conduct costs EUR 13.00.

More information on the use of public documents in an international setting

The issuance of apostilles and final authentications (“Endbeglaubigungen”) falls within the remit of the Federal Agency for Foreign Affairs.

Go to Federal Office of Foreign Affairs website

If you require a certificate of conduct with an apostille or a final authentication (Endbeglaubigung) from the Federal Office of Foreign Affairs (BfAA), please note that the payment procedure may differ from what you are used to.

When applying from within Germany:

1. You apply for a certificate of conduct at your local resident’s registration authority or via the Federal Office of Justice’s online portal indicating that an apostille or final authentication is required and specifying the country for which the apostille or final authentication is needed.

2. The Federal Office of Justice then issues the certificate of conduct preparing it for the addition of the apostille, or in the case of a final authentication, a signature and stamp.

3. The certificate of conduct is sent to you before the apostille or final authentication is added.

4. You will then have to apply to the Federal Office of Foreign Affairs using its website for the issuance of the apostille or final authentication, where you will be able to pay its fee, and send the original of the certificate of conduct Federal Office of Foreign Affairs via post.

When applying from abroad:

1. You apply online and pay on the Federal Office of Foreign Affairs website for an apostille or final authentication to be issued. You will then receive an e-mail containing an application form from the Federal Office of Foreign Affairs.

2. The next step is to apply to the Federal Office of Justice for a certificate of conduct indicating that an apostille or final authentication is required and specifying the country for which the apostille or final authentication is needed.

3. To do so, send the application form that you received via e-mail from the Federal Office of Foreign Affairs together with the application for the certificate of conduct to the Federal Office of Justice. When applying via the Federal Office of Justice’s online portal, please send them the application number you received from the Federal Office of Foreign Affairs via the contact form titled “Certificate of conduct for use outside Germany”.

4. The Federal Office of Justice will then prepare the certificate of conduct for an apostille to be added or for final authentication with a signature and stamp.

5. After this, the Federal Office of Justice will forward the prepared certificate of conduct together with your Federal Office of Foreign Affairs application form or application number to the Federal Office of Foreign Affairs for the issuing of an apostille or final authentication.

6. After the apostille or final authentication is added, the Federal Office of Foreign Affairs will send the certificate of conduct to you.

In the event that you already have your certificate of conduct, it is also possible for you to retroactively apply for an apostille or final authentication. In such a case, due to the particular way in which payment works at the Federal Office of Foreign Affairs, please proceed as follows:

1. Apply online via the Federal Office of Foreign Affairs website for an apostille or final authentication to be issued and pay the required fee there. The Federal Office of Foreign Affairs will send an application form to you at the e-mail address you have provided.

2. You send your certificate of conduct to the Federal Office of Justice indicating that an apostille or final authentication is required and specifying the country for which the apostille or final authentication is needed, together with the application form that the Federal Office of Justice e-mailed to you.

Federal Office of Justice (Bundesamt für Justiz)
International matters relating to central registers
53094 Bonn
Germany

3. The Federal Office of Justice will then prepare the certificate of conduct for an apostille to be added or for final authentication with a signature and stamp.

4. The Federal Office of Justice forwards the prepared certificate of conduct together with your Federal Office of Foreign Affairs application form to the Federal Office of Foreign Affairs for the issuing of an apostille or final authentication.

5. After the apostille or final authentication is added, the Federal Office of Foreign Affairs will send the certificate of conduct to you.

Please contact the Federal Office of Foreign Affairs directly if you have any questions relating to its processes.

The Federal Office of Foreign Affairs can be contacted via telephone at (0) 30 184730 16500 from Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. You can also contact the Federal Office of Foreign Affairs using the contact form:

Go to Federal Office of Foreign Affairs contact form