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Apply for a certificate of competence for the application of plant protection products and advice in plant protection

Service Description

You may only

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

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

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

Please note that the dispensing of plant protection products is not included in this certificate of expertise.

You can upload the required documents (certificates, attestations, declaration of cost absorption) online in the application procedure. The application is processed by the competent office 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 mail from the printing service provider.

Supplement for Thuringia:

The application for recognition of expertise and issuanceof the identification card should be made promptly after passing the examination.

Process flow

The authority receives the complete application documents and checks the information and the authenticity of the certificates and/or attestations. If all requirements for the recognition of the expertise have been proven, the authority issues a recognition and fee notice. After receipt of payment, the certificate of competence is sent to the applicant.

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 responsible federal state. The certificate of competence can be applied for with or without registration. After that, 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 and advice" includes the application of plant protection products as well as advice on plant protection. The application type "dispensing" includes the sale of plant protection products. After confirming the required German language skills and accepting the privacy policy, you can upload your copies of certificates, such as an assistant's certificate or a certificate of expert knowledge. Finally, you submit the application by clicking the corresponding button. After submitting your data, a brief 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 mail.
Alternatively, if you are unable to upload the certificate yourself, send us a copy by post to the relevant office.
Plant protection experts from EU member states who wish to use plant protection products in Germany also require a German certificate of expertise.
For technical reasons, it is not possible to apply for the German certificate of expertise via the online database.
Please contact directly the plant protection service or the office responsible for the application in the federal state where you want to work.

For this purpose, you can use the service finder on the homepage.
Old or new experts who graduated more than 3 years ago need, in addition to the certificate, proof of participation in a recognized advanced training course on plant protection.
If all documents are complete, the application will be processed within 4 - 6 weeks.

You will receive a decision and a fee notice for 40 euros.
The dispatch of the Sachkundenachweis card can take up to 2 months from payment.
In addition to the application for a certificate of competence, you must attend 4 hours of continuing education in a recurring 3-year period. The start of the first training period is noted on the card.

Who should I contact?

State processing, fundamental issues
Thuringian State Office for Agriculture and Rural Areas
Department 23 Plant Protection and Seeds

Application processing and decision by employees of the branch offices:
Rudolstadt, Sömmerda, Zeulenroda, Leinefelde-Worbis, Hildburghausen, Bad Salzungen, Bad Frankenhausen

Thuringian State Office for Agriculture and Rural Areas
Department 25 Specialized legal and cross compliance controls

Competent authority

State processing, fundamental issues
Thuringian State Office for Agriculture and Rural Areas
Department 23 Plant Protection and Seeds

Application processing and decision by employees of the branch offices:
Rudolstadt, Sömmerda, Zeulenroda, Leinefelde-Worbis, Hildburghausen, Bad Salzungen, Bad Frankenhausen

Thuringian State Office for Agriculture and Rural Areas
Department 25 Specialized legal and cross compliance controls

Requirements

You can prove your expertise

  • a certificate of a recognized professional qualification (e.g. farmer, vintner, gardener, forester, etc.) or
  • a certificate of successful completion of an expert examination (e.g. as part of an expert course) or
  • with a certificate of a completed vocational training or a completed study with additional certification (from universities, training institution) or
  • with a valid certificate from another EU member state within the meaning of Directive 2009/128/EC according to

Other proofs or certificates from other European member states or non-EU states can be recognized if the required professional contents were part of the training/examination and this is clearly stated in the submitted proofs/certificates.

If more than three years have passed between the issuance of the certificate and the submission of the application, a current certificate of continuing education must also be submitted.

Which documents are required?

  • Certificate of a recognized vocational qualification or
  • Certificate of a successfully passed plant protection examination in the field of application/consulting or
  • Certificate of completed vocational training or completed studies with additional certification (from university, training institution) or
  • Certificate from another EU member state as defined in Directive 2009/128/EC.
  • Other proofs or certificates from other European member states or non-EU states can be recognized if the required professional content was part of the training/examination and this is clearly evident from the submitted proofs/certificates.
  • If necessary, a certified translation of the submitted documents.
  • If applicable, informal confirmation of costs from the specified invoice recipient.
  • If applicable, certificate of further training in the field of expertise.

Supplement for Thuringia:

It is very important that you provide a telephone number or e-mail address so that we can contact you if we have any queries during the processing of your application!

What are the fees?

Thuringia:

Fee: EUR 40,00

Second issue 15,00 EUR

What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?

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

Processing duration

2-8 weeks

Legal basis

Applications / forms

For Thuringia:

You can lodge an objection against this administrative act with the Thuringian State Office for Agriculture and Rural Areas, based in Jena, within one month of notification. The deadline is also met by timely receipt at a branch office of the state office.

Appeal

What else should I know?

Further information, e.g. current dates for courses and further training in Thuringia:

Author

Ministry of Economics, Transport, Agriculture and Viticulture Rhineland-Palatinate

The text was automatically translated based on the German content per DeepL.

Technically approved by

Thuringian State Office for Agriculture and Rural Areas; Department 23 Plant Protection and Seeds

Professionally released on

03.11.2020