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Bundesamt für Justiz, applied for online or through your Bürgeramt

Applying for a Führungszeugnis, field by field

The Führungszeugnis is Germany's criminal record certificate. The record itself is held federally, so the application is only about identifying you and saying who the certificate is for — and that last point is the one that decides which of the three types you need.

Official name: Antrag auf Erteilung eines Führungszeugnisses
Who needs it: Anyone whose employer, professional body or a foreign authority asks for proof of no criminal record — very common in healthcare, education, childcare, security and public-sector jobs.

Where to get the official form

We don't host government forms — they are revised without notice, and an outdated copy gets rejected. These links go to the issuing authority.

  • Bundesamt für Justiz — apply online ↗

    The official online application. It requires an identity check with the online ID function (eID) of a German ID card or electronic residence permit.

  • Your Bürgeramt ↗

    Any Bürgeramt can take the application in person with your ID — the route to use if you do not have an activated eID. Berlin's service page is linked as an example; every city offers the same service.

Have these ready before you start

  • Your ID card, electronic residence permit or passport plus registration confirmation
  • The exact purpose — private use, or for submission to a specific authority
  • For an extended certificate: the employer's or organisation's written request stating the legal basis and the purpose
  • For use abroad: the full name and address of the foreign authority receiving it

Who you are

Familienname, Geburtsname, Vornamen

Surname, name at birth, given names

All names you have held — a previous surname matters, because the record is searched by name and date of birth.

Geburtsdatum und Geburtsort

Date and place of birth

As in your ID document.

Aktuelle Meldeanschrift

Current registered address

A private certificate is posted to your registered address only — it cannot be sent elsewhere.

Which certificate you need

Führungszeugnis zur Vorlage bei einer Behörde (Belegart O)

Certificate for submission to an authority

Sent directly to the authority you name, not to you. Give the authority's exact name and address, and the reason they require it.

Watch out: You do not see this version before it is sent — you can inspect it at a local court if you want to know its contents first.

Führungszeugnis für private Zwecke (Belegart N)

Certificate for private purposes

Posted to your registered address, for you to pass on — the usual choice when an employer asks for it.

Erweitertes Führungszeugnis

Extended certificate

Required for work involving minors. It can only be issued if you attach the requesting organisation's written statement naming the legal basis and the purpose.

Watch out: Without that written request the extended version is refused — the letter is not optional paperwork.

Verwendungszweck

Purpose of use

State it plainly, e.g. “Bewerbung als Erzieherin” or the name of the authority abroad. It determines the type issued.

The mistakes that cost people

  • Requesting the private version when the receiving authority requires the version sent directly to it.
  • Applying for the extended certificate without the organisation's written request.
  • Applying too early for a job application — certificates carry an issue date, and employers usually want a recent one.
  • Forgetting that a certificate for use abroad may additionally need an apostille or legalisation, which is a separate step.
  • Expecting delivery to a non-registered address. Private certificates go to the registered address, so register first.

How to submit it

  1. 1Apply online at the Bundesamt für Justiz if you have an activated eID, or in person at any Bürgeramt with your ID.
  2. 2Pay the fee — a flat charge per certificate, published on the official page.
  3. 3Give the exact purpose and, where applicable, the receiving authority's address.
  4. 4For an extended certificate, hand in the requesting organisation's written statement with the application.

What happens next

Certificates are produced centrally and posted; a couple of weeks is a common wait, longer if you have lived abroad. Nothing arrives by email, and there is no way to speed it up — which matters when a job start date depends on it.

Common questions

Is a Führungszeugnis the same as an international police certificate?

It covers the German federal record. Employers abroad sometimes also want a certificate from every country you have lived in, and for use abroad the German one may need an apostille — ask the receiving body what exactly it requires.

Can I apply from abroad?

Yes, if you were registered in Germany. Applications from abroad usually go through a German mission or directly to the Bundesamt für Justiz with certified identification — check the official page for the current route.

What appears on it?

Convictions entered in the Federal Central Register, with legal rules on which minor entries are omitted and when entries drop off. It is not a summary of investigations or accusations.

Next

Last checked 2026-07-25. Practical guidance on filling in a form — not legal advice, and we do not submit applications on anyone's behalf. Forms and requirements change; the issuing authority's own page is always the authority.