Facts at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Issuing body | Bundesamt für Justiz (BfJ) |
| Certificate | Führungszeugnis, the standard certificate for personal use (not the enhanced one, and not the version sent to an authority). |
| How to order | In Germany: online at fuehrungszeugnis.bund.de with an ID card with the online function, or at your registration office. From abroad: written application with a certified signature. Check with the post whether it accepts the new digital PDF; if not, order the paper version. |
| Fee | EUR 13. |
| Time | Check with the BfJ. The BfJ warns of longer waits for applications from abroad. |
| Apostille | The BfJ can prepare an apostille. No German Thai post page we read asks for one. Do not order one unless your post asks. |
| Translation | Check with your Thai post. A sworn translation (vereidigter Übersetzer) is the safe choice. |
| Thai embassy limit | Most embassies accept 3 to 6 months; get it as close to your application as you can. The consulate in Munich asks for 3 months. |
Since 1 October 2026 there is also a digital Führungszeugnis. No Thai post page we read says whether it accepts the digital PDF, so the paper version is the safer choice for now.
Facts at a glance
| Item | What we know | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | Bundesamt für Justiz (BfJ), Bonn | BfJ |
| Fee | EUR 13.00, paper or digital | BfJ |
| Type to order | Standard certificate for personal use, sent to you | BfJ |
| Where, in Germany | Online at fuehrungszeugnis.bund.de, or at your Einwohnermeldebehörde or Bürgeramt | BfJ |
| Online login | ID card or residence permit with online function, an NFC smartphone and the AusweisApp | BfJ |
| From abroad | Written application with a certified signature, fee by bank transfer; longer processing | BfJ |
| EU or UK nationals | European certificate of conduct, which also lists entries in the home register | BfJ |
| Age limit at Munich | Not older than 3 months | Munich |
| Processing at Munich | Within 15 consular working days | Munich |
Paper or digital: the German decision
The digital Führungszeugnis is a PDF sent to your BundID mailbox. You can request it online only. It has a white background and a QR code. The classic version is on green paper and comes by post.
Why this matters for the DTV: the Thai posts have not said whether they accept the digital PDF. Until a post confirms it, order the paper version or ask your post first. Both cost EUR 13.
How to order the Führungszeugnis, step by step
- Prepare your other documents first. Bank statements and residence proof. The 3-month clock starts on the issue date of the certificate.
- Choose the standard certificate for personal use. Do not choose the enhanced certificate or the version for a German authority.
- Apply online at fuehrungszeugnis.bund.de with your eID, or at your Bürgeramt.
- Choose paper, unless your Thai post confirms the digital PDF.
- Pay EUR 13.
- Receive the certificate and check it. Name and date of birth must match your passport.
- Submit the DTV on thaievisa.go.th within 3 months of the issue date, and be in Germany when you submit and pay (Munich).
Timeline plan
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| About 3 months before you submit | Start the bank statement period |
| 2 to 3 weeks before you submit | Order the Führungszeugnis. Allow more time from abroad |
| When it arrives | Order a sworn translation if your post asks for one |
| Within 3 months of the certificate date | Upload the file and pay on thaievisa.go.th |
| After you submit | Munich: within 15 consular working days |
Costs to plan for
| Item | Amount | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Führungszeugnis, paper or digital | EUR 13 | BfJ | Confirmed |
| DTV at Berlin | EUR 350 | Berlin fee list of 18 Nov 2024 | Official, but from 2024. Check the e-Visa system |
| Sworn translation, if needed | Set by the translator | None | Only if your post asks |
Which German post
You apply to the post for the area where you live. Munich says to use the consulate that matches your residence, and to be in Germany for submission and payment. Berlin and Frankfurt also handle DTV applications.
Apostille and translation
The BfJ can prepare an apostille or a final authentication. No German Thai post page we read asks for one. Thailand joins the Apostille Convention on 28 February 2027, so a German apostille may not be enough for use in Thailand before that date.
The certificate is in German. The posts' DTV pages do not state a translation rule. A sworn translation (vereidigter Übersetzer) is the safe choice if your post asks. The general rules are on the police clearance hub.
Common mistakes
- Ordering the enhanced certificate (erweitertes Führungszeugnis). It needs a letter from an organisation, and you do not need it.
- Ordering the version for a German authority. It goes to the authority, not to you.
- Sending the digital PDF without asking the post.
- Ordering too early. A certificate older than 3 months fails at Munich.
- Applying from outside Germany to a German post.
Before you apply
- You ordered the standard Führungszeugnis for personal use.
- It is paper, or your post confirmed the digital PDF.
- It is less than 3 months old on the day you submit.
- You apply to the post for your area and are in Germany to submit and pay.
- You checked the DTV fee in the e-Visa system.
Want a second look at the whole file? Use the DTV pre-check. The embassy makes the decision.
Not confirmed yet
No official page we read states these points. Ask your embassy before you pay or submit.
- Whether the Thai posts accept the digital Führungszeugnis.
- The age limit at Berlin and Frankfurt.
- Whether the posts want an English translation.
- Whether the Berlin DTV fee of November 2024 is still current.
- That Berlin takes no paper applications and requires you to be in Germany when you apply online. This is not confirmed on a page we read.
Frequently asked questions
Which certificate do I need from Germany for the DTV?
The standard Führungszeugnis for personal use from the Bundesamt für Justiz. It costs EUR 13.
How old can the Führungszeugnis be?
Munich says not older than 3 months. Plan for 3 months at all German posts.
Can I use the digital Führungszeugnis?
It exists since 1 October 2026 as a PDF in your BundID mailbox. No Thai post page we read says whether it is accepted. Order paper or ask the post.
Can I order it from abroad?
Yes, by written application with a certified signature and a bank transfer. The BfJ warns of longer processing times.
Do I need an apostille?
No German Thai post page we read asks for one. The BfJ can prepare one if needed. Thailand joins the Apostille Convention on 28 February 2027.
How long does Munich take?
Munich states processing within 15 consular working days.
Sources
- bundesjustizamt.de/EN/Topics/FederalCentralCriminalRegister/CertificateofConduct/CertificateofConduct_node.html (read 22 Oct 2026)certificate of conduct EUR 13.00; apply at residents registration authority or online (eID + NFC phone); from abroad: written application with officially certified signature, fee by bank transfer; European certificate for EU/UK nationals; BfJ can prepare an apostille or final authentication
- bundesjustizamt.de/DE/Themen/ZentraleRegister/Fuehrungszeugnis/Fuehrungszeugnis.html (read 22 Oct 2026)since 1 Oct 2026 a digital Führungszeugnis (PDF to BundID mailbox, EUR 13, online only, white background and QR code) exists beside the green paper one; longer processing times for applications from abroad
- munich.thaiembassy.org/de/page/dtv1 (read 22 Oct 2026)Munich DTV workcation: criminal record certificate from nationality country or country of application, not older than 3 months; processing within 15 consular days
- munich.thaiembassy.org/de/page/dtv2 (read 22 Oct 2026)Munich: apply to the consulate that matches your residence; be present in Germany for submission and payment
- berlin.thaiembassy.org/de/page/visageb%C3%BChren (read 22 Oct 2026)Berlin visa fees, status 18 Nov 2024: DTV EUR 350
- hcch.net/en/news-archive/details/ (read 22 Oct 2026)Apostille Convention enters into force for Thailand on 28 Feb 2027
Reviewed by the Thai Visa Pre-Check team
We check documents; we are not a law firm and not the Thai government. We read each embassy page named in the sources on the date shown.
We sell a document check. We do not apply for you, and only the embassy decides your visa.
- Last checked
- First published
What changed
- first published. Added the paper-or-digital decision, a step-by-step plan, a timeline and a cost table. Removed the 2024 Berlin fee from the summary.
Found an error? Write to support@tdac.info.