German criminal record certificate (Führungszeugnis) for France: obtaining and translating it
Many procedures require proof that you have no criminal record: an application for naturalisation, recruitment in certain sectors, a professional licence. If you have lived in Germany, French authorities or employers will often ask for the German criminal record certificate, the Führungszeugnis. Conversely, a German authority or employer may ask for an extract from the French criminal record. Here is how to obtain each of them, and how to make them usable on the other side of the Rhine.
The Führungszeugnis: who issues it and how to apply
The Führungszeugnis is issued by the Federal Office of Justice (Bundesamt für Justiz, BfJ), which keeps the Federal Central Criminal Register (Bundeszentralregister). According to the BfJ website, you can apply:
- in Germany, at the local registration office (Meldebehörde, e.g. the Bürgeramt), in person or in writing with a certified signature;
- online, through the fuehrungszeugnis.bund.de portal, using the online ID function of the German identity card and an NFC-enabled smartphone;
- from abroad – including from France – online, or by post directly to the BfJ in Bonn using the official form. Your personal details and signature must then be certified by a German embassy or consulate, a foreign authority or a notary.
For use abroad, the Führungszeugnis is sent to you personally; it cannot be sent directly to a foreign authority. A digital PDF version is now available, but the BfJ states that only a paper Führungszeugnis can receive an apostille or further certification.
The European Führungszeugnis
Nationals of another EU Member State – a French citizen living in Germany, for instance – automatically receive a European Führungszeugnis (Europäisches Führungszeugnis). It contains the German register entries plus the information supplied by the criminal register of the person’s country of nationality, which the BfJ requests (the requested State has up to 20 working days to reply). The BfJ does not translate this information; it appears in the language in which it was sent. The document may therefore combine German and French.
Using the Führungszeugnis in France
For naturalisation, service-public states that applicants who have lived in France for less than ten years must provide the original of a foreign criminal record extract or equivalent document, issued by the countries where they have lived or, failing that, by their country of nationality, and that documents in a foreign language must be translated by an approved translator (naturalisation page). For Germany, that document is the Führungszeugnis.
No apostille is needed: German public documents are exempt from legalisation in France under the Franco-German convention of 13 September 1971, and Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 also exempts documents certifying the absence of a criminal record from the apostille between Member States. The same applies to an Austrian certificate showing no convictions. A Swiss criminal record extract, on the other hand, must bear an apostille, according to the summary table published by the French Foreign Ministry. In every case, a French translation is still required. I translate the Führungszeugnis in full, including any information supplied by another State: see Translation of official documents.
The right order: for a foreign document to be used in France, any apostille required is obtained first, in the country that issued the document; the translation then covers everything, apostille included. Between Germany and France, the apostille step simply drops out. See also Apostille between France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
The French criminal record for Germany
In the other direction, the French criminal record extract for private individuals is bulletin n° 3. It can be requested free of charge through the French Ministry of Justice online service, whatever your nationality, or by post (service-public.gouv.fr). Only the person concerned, or their legal representative, can obtain it.
For an authority or employer in Germany, no apostille is required, for the same reasons as above. The EU Regulation also provides a multilingual standard form for certain documents, including the certificate of no criminal record; it must be requested from the authority that issues the document, and availability varies from country to country. Otherwise, the extract must be translated into German. If you are a French national living in Germany, your European Führungszeugnis already includes the information from the French register – ask the recipient which document they expect.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a Führungszeugnis valid?
The document itself has no expiry date. It is the receiving authority or employer that decides how recent it must be: check this before you apply, and allow time for the translation.
Can you translate a digital Führungszeugnis?
Yes, the translation can be prepared from the PDF. Do check, however, that the French authority accepts the digital version; if in doubt, request the paper version.
My Führungszeugnis has no entries – does it still need translating?
Yes. Even without entries, it contains information (personal details, type of certificate, issuing authority, date) that the French administration must be able to read in French.
How do I get a quote?
Send me a clear scan: you will receive a free quote within one hour. The translation is delivered as a signed and stamped PDF by email, and as a paper original, collected in person or sent by post.