ROUTE
Certificate of conduct
Which type you need, how to apply and how long it takes, and what appears on the certificate and what does not.
β Checked: 01/08/2026
A certificate of conduct is requested in Germany more often than newcomers expect: for jobs, for volunteering with children, for certain licences and for submission to authorities. The procedure is simple but carries two traps β the type of certificate and the processing time.
βΊ More about this route
This three-step route works through them in order: identifying the right type, since the choice belongs to whoever requests it rather than to you; applying in person or online with realistic timing; and finally understanding what appears on the certificate and what is left out.
Little known and genuinely useful: the content can be checked in advance and free of charge through a disclosure from the federal central register to yourself. It shows more than the certificate, and learning about an entry before your employer always beats learning about it alongside them.
WHERE PEOPLE MOST OFTEN LOSE MONEY AND TIME
- Ordering the wrong type. Standard and extended certificates are not interchangeable, and the requesting body decides β otherwise you pay and wait twice.
- Turning up for an extended certificate without the organisationβs written request. Without that paper the application is not accepted.
- Allowing exactly two weeks before a deadline. Processing takes around two weeks plus postal delivery, and the apostille variant considerably longer.
- Ordering the type sent directly to an authority while expecting it in your hand. That version is never handed to the applicant.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ROUTE
What does it cost and how long does it take?βΎ
The fee is 13 β¬, payable on application. Processing usually takes around two weeks, plus postal delivery. The apostille variant for use abroad takes noticeably longer and should be requested early.
When is the extended certificate needed?βΎ
Where the activity involves educating, training, caring for or supervising minors, including voluntary roles in clubs and parishes. The organisation must confirm in writing that the law requires it, and that paper belongs with your application.
Do convictions handed down abroad count?βΎ
Under certain conditions yes: convictions against people resident in Germany are entered in the federal central register. With such a history it is better to establish the effect in advance through your own disclosure than at the moment an employer asks.
How long does the certificate stay usable for submission?βΎ
The document itself carries no expiry date, but whoever requests it almost always wants a recent one β typically issued within the last few months. Ordering it in advance therefore achieves little: by the time it is needed, a fresh one is usually required.