How to Request Your Digital Führungszeugnis Online via BundID
Since 1 October 2026 the Führungszeugnis for private use is also available as a Digital Führungszeugnis — and you can apply for it entirely online through BundID with your eID card, no Bürgeramt appointment. Here is the prerequisites checklist, the five-step application, the €13 fee, and how delivery actually works.
Fee
€13
Application time
~5 minutes
What you need
eID card + AusweisApp + BundID
A Führungszeugnis — Germany's certificate of conduct, often called a police clearance certificate — is issued by the Bundesamt für Justiz (Federal Office of Justice, BfJ) from entries held in the Federal Central Register. It confirms whether you have any relevant criminal convictions. You will not be asked for one in everyday life, and many expats never need one at all, but specific situations do require it: certain jobs in education, childcare, security and finance, some authority procedures, naturalisation (Einbürgerung), adoption, and volunteer roles involving minors. Since 1 October 2026, the Führungszeugnis for private use is also available as a Digital Führungszeugnis — and you can apply for it entirely online through BundID, with no Bürgeramt appointment. This guide walks through the prerequisites, the five-step online application, and how delivery actually works.
Prerequisites for Applying Online
The online route replaces the in-person identity check at the Bürgeramt with an electronic authentication through BundID, the federal government's central login service (also known as the Nutzerkonto Bund). That swap is convenient, but it only works if every link in the chain is in place. Before you start, confirm you have the following four things ready.
An eID-enabled identity document
A German Personalausweis (ID card), an elektronischer Aufenthaltstitel (eAT residence permit), or an eID-Karte (Unionsbürgerkarte for EU citizens) — with the online identification function (eID) activated. If your document was issued after July 2017, the eID function is switched on by default.
An NFC smartphone with the AusweisApp
An NFC-enabled smartphone running the free AusweisApp, the official federal software that reads your eID chip and passes the data securely to the portal. A certified USB card reader is an alternative if you do not have an NFC phone.
A BundID account
The federal single sign-on created at id.bund.de. Register using your eID for full digital authentication, or create the account directly during the Führungszeugnis application — the portal guides you through it.
A credit card for the €13 fee
The administrative fee is €13.00 per certificate. In the BfJ online portal the fee must be paid by credit card — PayPal, online banking and SEPA direct debit are not accepted for online applications.
Eligibility caveat: the online route via BundID only works if your identity document's eID function is activated. Not every eAT or older Personalausweis has the online identification function switched on. If the AusweisApp cannot read the eID, or the function is deactivated, you can have it activated at your Bürgeramt — or simply apply in person at your local Meldebehörde, which forwards the request to the Bundesamt für Justiz on your behalf.
Step-by-Step Guide: Requesting Your Certificate Online
With the prerequisites confirmed, the application itself takes about five minutes. Have your eID document and NFC phone to hand before you begin, and follow the five steps in order.
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Step 1: Set Up Your BundID Account
Go to id.bund.de and register for a BundID account (the Nutzerkonto Bund). Choose the eID-based registration option so your identity is verified electronically with your Personalausweis, eAT or eID-Karte — this electronic check is what replaces the in-person visit to the Bürgeramt. You can also create the BundID account directly during the Führungszeugnis application if you do not already have one.
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Step 2: Open AusweisApp on Your Device
Install the free AusweisApp on an NFC-enabled smartphone, or connect a certified USB card reader, and launch it with NFC switched on. The AusweisApp securely pairs your physical eID chip with the online portal and reads your personal data during authentication. Use its "Gerät und Ausweis prüfen" function to confirm your eID is activated before you start.
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Step 3: Access the Federal Office of Justice Portal
Open the Federal Office of Justice (Bundesamt für Justiz, BfJ) online portal at fuehrungszeugnis.bund.de and select the online application (Online-Antrag). Log in with your BundID account; the AusweisApp starts automatically and prompts you to hold your ID card to the back of your phone to authenticate.
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Step 4: Verify Your Details & Pay
The system imports your verified personal data directly from your eID — review it for accuracy. Then choose the certificate type: a private-use certificate, an authority copy (Behördenführungszeugnis sent directly to a named German authority), an extended certificate (erweitertes Führungszeugnis under § 30a BZRG, which requires you to upload the requesting body's written confirmation), or a European certificate. Pay the €13 fee online by credit card — credit card is the only accepted payment method in the portal.
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Step 5: Receive Your Document
Delivery depends on the type you requested. The Digital Führungszeugnis (available since 1 October 2026) is issued as a PDF and sent to your Zentrales Bürgerpostfach at BundID, usually within a few hours. A paper Führungszeugnis is sent by post to your registered address, or directly to the named authority if you requested an authority copy. Note that the Digital Führungszeugnis cannot be given an apostille or over-certification — if you need the certificate for use abroad, request the paper version.
Payment and delivery: the €13 fee for an online application must be paid by credit card — PayPal, online banking and SEPA direct debit are not accepted in the BfJ portal. The Digital Führungszeugnis is delivered as a PDF to your BundID postbox; the paper version is sent by post and, for data-protection reasons, can never be sent by email or fax.
Certificate Types and Delivery: Digital, Paper, Extended and European
Getting the type and recipient right is the most common reason an application has to be repeated, so confirm with the requesting party before you submit. The table below summarises the four variants you can request through the online portal.
| Certificate type | Who it is for | How it is delivered |
|---|---|---|
| Private-use Führungszeugnis (Privatführungszeugnis) | For your own use, e.g. an employer who asks you to present it | Digital PDF to your BundID postbox (usually within hours), or paper by post to your address |
| Authority copy (Behördenführungszeugnis) | When a German authority needs it directly | Sent straight to the named authority, not to you |
| Extended (erweitertes Führungszeugnis, § 30a BZRG) | Work with children or vulnerable groups (e.g. childcare, schools, youth work) | As above, but you must upload the requesting body's written confirmation (Bescheinigung) |
| European (Europäisches Führungszeugnis) | EU or UK citizens who need a certificate for another EU member state | Takes longer — not delivered within hours; allow extra processing time |
Frequently Asked Questions
Reviewed by the Expat Germany Guide editorial team
This guide is informational and based on publicly available guidance from the Bundesamt für Justiz (BfJ), the BundID / Nutzerkonto Bund service, and the AusweisApp. It is not formal legal advice. Fees, eID requirements, certificate types and delivery formats can change and vary by individual case — always confirm the current details with the Bundesamt für Justiz or your local Bürgeramt before applying.