Europäisches Führungszeugnis – no barrier to recruiting in the EU!

Want to tap into the Europe-wide market for security-relevant or responsible positions? It’s easy with the so called “Europäisches Führungszeugnis”! 

In many professions in Germany, it is common practice to provide a certificate of good conduct (Führungszeugnis). Also known colloquially as a “police clearance certificate” (Polizeiliches Führungszeugnis), this document certifies to employers whether a person has a criminal record. Jobseekers from other European countries can also easily confirm that they have no criminal record – through the European certificate of good conduct. For employers and people from other European countries the certificate of good conduct can sound like a typical German administrative burden with a lot of bureaucracy and extra work. However, it is hardly any more complicated to apply for a European certificate of good conduct than a regular or extended certificate of good conduct. Police clearance certificate available for all EU citizens  

Police clearance certificate available for all EU citizens  

In the professional context, two versions of the police clearance certificate are relevant for German citizens:  

• The private certificate of good conduct (“Privatführungszeugnis”), also known as the “simple certificate of good conduct” (“einfaches Führungszeugnis”), is issued by the Federal Office of Justice and can then be presented to the employer.  

• The extended certificate of good conduct (“erweiterte Führungszeugnis”) contains additional entries and is primarily required by people who wish to work with children and young people.   

The European certificate of good conduct (Europäisches Führungszeugnis) is available for citizens from a European member state, the United Kingdom of Great Britain or Northern Ireland. This allows entries from the criminal records of other EU countries to be checked. However, there are no uniform regulations on the exact information that each country must send to the Federal Office of Justice.  

The cost of a certificate of good conduct is always 13 euros – regardless of whether it is a simple, extended or European certificate of good conduct. They must be paid by the employee themselves. 

European Certificate of Good Conduct (Europäisches Führungszeugnis) opens up the labor market

The shortage of workers does not stop at professions in the public sector, education, healthcare, the finance and insurance industry and in security and transportation services. The European labor market also offers motivated jobseekers for particularly responsible jobs within these sectors. Companies that want to ensure that new employees from the EU do not have a criminal record have the option of requesting a European certificate of good conduct (Europäisches Führungszeugnis) from them.  

There are also professions for which an extended certificate of good conduct must be applied for. In these cases, employees from the EU with a European certificate of good conduct can in principle be employed in the same way as people from Germany if the Member State of origin provides the relevant information. Some examples are  

• School bus drivers: For this occupational group, not only do criminal records have to be checked, but also other entries that are of particular importance when dealing with children and young people.  

• Working with people with disabilities: As people with disabilities are usually particularly vulnerable, an extended certificate of good conduct is usually also required for activities in this area.  

• Sports coaches: The responsibility for the health and safety of other people often makes an extended certificate of good conduct essential for sports coaches. 

Four obligations of companies regarding the European certificate of good conduct

Although employers can request a certificate of good conduct from new employees under certain conditions, they can never submit a request themselves. The employee must apply for the German or European certificate of good conduct online.   

If an employer has decided that a certificate of good conduct is essential for the vacancy, they should observe certain formalities. These regulations apply to a European certificate of good conduct as well as to a police certificate of good conduct in Germany, an international certificate of good conduct and other versions of the document. 

1. Legal certainty: As a first step, it is essential to clarify whether it is legally permissible to request a certificate of good conduct. If it is not a position for which there are already clear regulations, legal advice should definitely be sought.  

2. Timing: The request for a certificate of good conduct is only permissible before the start of the employment relationship. If the request is made after the fact, the employee can deny it. The certificate of good conduct should therefore be requested punctually. However, it is not specified when the document must be submitted at the latest. Accordingly, a transitional period for the certificate of good conduct may even make sense for employees from abroad, within which the necessary documents can be submitted later.  

3. Communication: The request can be very unsettling, especially for employees from the EU who may not yet be familiar with the subject of certificates of good conduct from their home country. Employers who communicate transparently how the European certificate of good conduct can be applied for online and why it is necessary will immediately remove any potential barriers.   

4. Data protection: The extract from the criminal record is personal information that must be handled with appropriate sensitivity.

Apply for a European Certificate of Good Conduct online and start a new job

Just as in Germany itself, employers can also protect themselves legally on the international market with regard to any previous convictions. With the European Certificate of Good Conduct, which can be applied for quickly and easily online, the bureaucratic barriers are minimal. However, it is not unlikely that potential employees from abroad have never heard of this topic and are initially unsettled when they are asked for a so called “Führungszeugnis”.   

By providing employers with information on why a European certificate of good conduct must be applied for and how new employees should proceed, uncertainties are cleared up. Nothing stands in the way of hiring people from the European market!  

Requesting a European certificate of good conduct is no problem – and neither is finding applicants from other European countries! JOBSMART brings companies together with motivated employees from the EU.