Bescheinigung über den Sachkundenachweis für die Anwendung von Pflanzenschutzmitteln Ausstellung

• Plant Protection Expertise Ordinance of 28 July 1987 (BGBl. I p. 1752), as last amended by Article 27 of the Act of 6 December 2011 (BGBl. I p. 2515).

If you want to apply plant protection products, advise on plant protection, or instruct or supervise persons who apply plant protection products as part of a training relationship or an auxiliary activity, you need a corresponding certificate of competence.

You may only use

• apply plant protection products
• advise on plant protection within the meaning of Article 3(3) of Directive 2009/128/EC, or
• instruct or supervise persons applying plant protection products in the context of a training relationship or an auxiliary activity,

if you hold a certificate of competence in plant protection issued by the competent authority.

If you use plant protection products professionally or give advice on them, apply for the certificate of competence for the use of plant protection products including advice using the nationwide online database.

Please note that this certificate does not include the dispensing of plant protection products.

You can upload the required documents (certificates, attestations, declaration of assumption of costs) online in the application procedure. The application is processed by the competent authority of the federal state in which the applicant's primary residence is registered.

If all requirements are fulfilled, you will receive a notification with the recognition of the expertise. Once payment has been received, the certificate of competence cards are produced once a month throughout Germany. The card will be sent to you by post by the printing service provider.

• Certificate of a recognised vocational qualification or
• Certificate of a successfully passed examination for expert knowledge or
• Certificate of a recognised course of study, if applicable additional certificate (from universities, training centre) or
• Certificate from another EU member state for the sustainable use of pesticides
• If necessary, certified translation of the documents submitted
• If applicable, informal confirmation of costs from the specified invoice recipient
• If applicable, certificate of further training in specialist knowledge

You can prove your expertise

• a certificate of a recognised professional qualification (e.g. farmer, vintner, gardener, etc.) or
• a certificate of a successfully passed expert knowledge examination (e.g. within the framework of an expert knowledge course) or
• a certificate of a recognised course of study, if applicable in conjunction with an additional certificate (from a university or training institution) or
• with a valid certificate from another EU member state for the sustainable use of pesticides.

If more than three years have elapsed between the date of issue of the certificate and the date of application, a current certificate of further training must also be submitted.

• 30,00 Euro
• (40,00 Euro for foreign certificates due to the higher examination effort)

The authority receives the complete application documents and checks the information and the authenticity of the certificates and/or attestations. If all the requirements for the certificate of competence have been met, the authority issues the certificate of competence and a notice of fee. After receipt of the payment, the authority sends the certificate of competence to the person submitting the application.

The new certificate of competence (SKN) in card format has been required since 26.11.2015.

The application for this can be made online at www.pflanzenschutz-skn.de. (Please ask your friends or acquaintances for help if you do not know how to use the internet). Further information can be viewed via the tile of the relevant federal state. The certificate of competence can be applied for with or without registration. Afterwards the mandatory fields with the applicant's details have to be filled in. After entering the security code, you will be taken to the application page. Enter the application type here. The application type "Application" includes the application of plant protection products and the application type "Dispensing" includes the sale of plant protection products. After confirming the required German language skills and accepting the data protection declaration, you can upload your copies of certificates, such as a certificate of proficiency or an expert examination certificate. Finally, you submit the application by clicking the corresponding button. After submitting your data, a short message will appear in the online portal informing you whether your application has been successfully submitted. You will not receive a separate e-mail or further confirmation. It is not necessary to additionally send the signed application by post.

Alternatively, if you are unable to upload the certificate yourself, please send a copy by post to the relevant office.

Plant protection experts from EU member states who want to use plant protection products in Germany also need a German certificate of expertise.

For technical reasons, it is not possible to apply for the German certificate of competence via the online database.

Please contact the plant protection service or the office responsible for the application in the federal state where you want to work directly.

For this purpose you can use the office finder on the homepage.

Old experts or new experts who completed their training more than 3 years ago require, in addition to the certificate, proof of participation in a recognised further training course on plant protection expertise.
If all documents are complete, the application will be processed within 4 - 6 weeks.

You will receive a notification and an invoice for 30 euros (40 euros for foreign certificates).
It can take up to 2 months from the date of payment for the certificate to be sent to you.
In addition to the application for a certificate of competence, you must attend a 4-hour training course in a recurring 3-year period.

2-8 weeks

If more than three years have passed between the date of the certificate and the date of application, a current certificate of further training must also be submitted.

• Certificate of competence for the application of plant protection products Exhibition
• A certificate of competence is required for
  • apply plant protection products, or
  • give advice on plant protection, or
  • instruct or supervise persons who use plant protection products as part of a training relationship or an auxiliary activity.
• the new certificate of competence (SKN) in card format is required since 26.11.2015.

Lower Saxony Chamber of Agriculture, Plant Protection Office FB 3.7, Wunstorfer Landstr. 9, 30453 Hannover

• Online procedure possible: yes
• Written form required: no