Request for a replacement school certificate (Germany)
Published byDocMuse
This document is in German
The PDF you download is in German — that is the language it has to be filed in, so it is not translated. Everything on this page is here to tell you what it says.
The letter asking your former school in Germany for a replacement (Zweitschrift) of a lost or damaged certificate, such as the Abitur certificate or a school-leaving certificate. It names the certificate, the year it was issued, the years at the school and your name at the time, asks for your present name after a change of name, and asks about any fee beforehand. If the school has closed, it goes to the school that keeps its records or to the school administration of its operator. Each Land sets its own fees and procedure; in Brandenburg the school offices take applications on their own form. In German, ready to print, sign and send.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Applicant
- Applicant's address
- Phone
- School
- School's postal address
- City
- Date
- Certificate to be replaced
- Year of graduation
- Years at the school (from – to)
- Name while at school, if different
- Date of birth
- Reason for the replacement
Preview
This document is produced for you. Your answers are typed into it and the finished PDF is yours to keep.
Common questions
- Where is a replacement certificate requested if the German school has closed?
- From the school that took over the closed school's records as its archive, or from the school administration of its operator, usually the town or district. Ask there and address the letter to whoever holds the records; it also asks for the request to be passed on if they are no longer there. In Brandenburg the school offices take applications on their own form, available from them.
- Does a replacement school certificate cost anything in Germany?
- That depends on the Land and the school's operator. Bremen, for example, charges €15 per replacement, while Cologne replaces leaving and final certificates free of charge. The letter therefore asks to be told about any fee beforehand, so that no bill comes as a surprise.
- Can a replacement certificate in Germany be issued in a new name after a change of name?
- Some Länder offer this; Bremen, for example, issues the replacement in the new name on request. Whether your school does the same depends on the Land. The letter asks for your present name as far as Land law allows, and gives your name at the time so the school can find the file. Enclose a copy of the document recording the change of name, such as the marriage certificate.
- May a copy of a German ID card be enclosed with the request?
- Yes. Holders may copy their own ID card; the copy must be recognisable as a copy (§ 20 of the German Identity Card Act, PAuswG). Details the school does not need, such as the card number, can be blacked out. The copy only serves to ensure the school issues the replacement to the right person.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
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