Revision Date: February 18, 2022
The following has been provided as general educational information only. It is not legal advice, express or implied. Consultation with legal counsel in all matters of employment and business law is recommended.
Note
If your Checkr account is integrated with a partner, international background checks might be unavailable. To determine whether your account supports this feature, contact Checkr.
Services Available:
- Criminal Search
- Education Verification
- Employment Verification
- Global Watchlist Search
Disclaimer: The following guide is provided for general educational purposes only. It is not legal advice, and users are encouraged to seek their own independent counsel when evaluating these services. Importantly, the specific screenings offered by Checkr do not guarantee an organization’s legal rights to request or use them. Several factors, including the residency and location of your organization and your candidates may implicate additional data privacy and employment laws.
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Criminal Search
Description:
A national level search in Germany that returns available criminal conviction records.
Sources:
Federal Office of Justice - Federal Central Register
Search Type:
In Germany, criminal record checks can be searched in different forms depending on the purpose of the disclosure. The correct form for a commercial organization seeking criminal records information on a prospective employee or a partner is the “Führungszeugnis”. Please note: The employer can only require the presentation of the “Führungszeugnis” if and in so far as it is necessary and relevant for the employment activity. Otherwise, the candidate can submit the “Führungszeugnis” voluntarily. This “Führungszeugnis'' is submitted only to the candidate. The candidate can then pass the “Führungszeugnis'' to the employer or third party in the context of self-disclosure. Also, the candidate can self-certify that they have not committed crimes insofar as relevant for the job.
Ordering Requirements:
- Applicant’s Name - Last Name, First Name, and Middle Name
- Applicant’s current Telephone Number
- Applicant’s email
- DOB
- Address in Country
- Passport Scan
- Authorization Firm
Candidates in Germany experiencing difficulty obtaining in-person appointments to apply for their criminal certificates (“Führungszeugnis”) have the option to instead submit an online application. The candidate must be a German citizen or previous legal resident and have the following requirements:
- ID card of electronic residence permit with an activated online identification function
- 6-digit PIN
- Smartphone or card reader
- Connection software
Estimated Time Service:
- For out-of-country: On average 25 to 31 business days once request has been mailed to the German Authorities.
- For in-country: On average 23 business days.
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Education Verification
Description:
The verification of academic status of any educational level such as high school, college and post grad. It may include institution name, dates of attendance, graduation/conferred date, degree obtained, major, minor, honors, awards, and comments.
Sources:
Educational institutions across Germany. This includes Private or Public Schools, Secondary Education Schools, Apprenticeships, Universities and Colleges. Name and title of the sources will be provided when applicable.
Search Type:
An education verification search is conducted and charged per degree. Multiple degrees/majors listed in an order will be billed accordingly.
Ordering Requirements:
- Applicant’s Name - Last Name, First Name, Middle Name
- Name While Attending
- DOB
- Institution’s Name
- Institution Address
- Institution Telephone Number
- Dates of Attendance
- Graduation/Conferred Date
- Degree Obtained
- Major
- Minor
- Authorization – Must contain proper language for authorizing third party to obtain the information
- Diploma/Degree Certificate – Sometimes required. Many times these documents contain unique identifiers that are verified against the Institution records, authenticating the document
Estimated Time Service:
On average 6 to 7 business days. Verifications will be closed, as Unable to Verify, after 15 business days of unsuccessful attempts.
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Employment Verification
Description:
Verification of previous employment history to confirm work experience. It may include such information as the employer's name, dates of employment, position/title, and/or reason for leaving.. Salary information will be provided if available for disclosure by the source.
Sources:
Government agencies and employers across the country. In some countries, the records of former employees are not kept in a searchable form and contacting the supervisor or manager is the normal practice.
Ordering Requirements:
- Applicant’s Name - Last Name, First Name, Middle Name
- DOB
- Employer’s Name
- Employer’s Address
- Employer’s Telephone Number
- Dates of Employment
- Position/Title
- Reason for Leaving
- Authorization – Must contain proper language for authorizing third party to obtain the information.
- Other Documentation – Some employers may have unique processes for providing verifications that may include special authorization forms, experience letters, employment reference letter, etc.. These additional requirements will be communicated at the time of ordering if the need for additional information arise with a specific employer.
Estimated Time Service:
On average 6 to 7 business days. Verifications will be closed, as Unable to Verify, after 15 business days of unsuccessful attempts.
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Global Watchlist Search
Description:
The Global Watchlist Search product provides a thorough search of multiple National and International repositories and government watchlists. The search consists of thousands of databases, many of which are updated daily to provide more up to date coverage.
Sources:
Government agencies, Financial Institutions and private databases around the world. Please note: The employer can only process this information if and in so far as it is necessary and relevant for the job. The employer could ask the applicant to submit the Certificate of the German society for the securing of loans (“SCHUFA”). This Certificate, however, will only be issued to the data subject.
Search Type:
Multi-jurisdictional database search consisting of both historical and near real time updated information.
Ordering Requirements:
- Applicant’s Name - Last Name, First Name, Middle (Name as shown on ID provided)
- DOB
- Nationality
- Authorization – Must contain proper language for authorizing third party to obtain the information.
Estimated Time Service:
On average 1 to 2 business days.
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In-Country Reimbursement Process for the Fee of a Criminal Certificate
How to Request a Criminal Certificate:
iCOVER will send an email via applicant@icover-services.com within 24-48 hours of the background check invitation being accepted. This email will contain instructions on where the candidate can apply for their certificate. If the candidate has an electronic ID, they may apply online.
How to Request a Criminal Certificate Fee Reimbursement:
There are directions in the email sent from iCOVER for reimbursement of the cost of the certificate. Candidates may request reimbursement from support@i-covereurope.com or from the Checkr Support Team. Candidates should wait 48 hours before requesting reimbursement for the cost of the certificate. This allows time for the request to appear in iCOVER’s system.
- Email iCOVER at support@i-covereurope.com with the following information:
- Proof of payment;
- International Bank Account Number (IBAN);
- SWIFT/Bank Identifier Code (BIC); and
- The name of the account holder
Email to the candidate for Germany in-country process:
