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Carry out background checks in air traffic Arbeitgeber sein Arbeit

If you want to work in or at the airport, in many cases you will need a background check beforehand. This is a prerequisite for obtaining access authorization.

  • Basic information

    If you work in or at the airport, in many cases you will need a background check beforehand. This is a prerequisite for obtaining access authorization. As soon as the background check and access authorization have been granted and you have completed the required training at the airport, you can receive an airport ID card that allows you to move around the airport in security areas unaccompanied.

    The regulation applies to persons who are regularly entrusted with

    • security checks
    • check-in
    • transportation
    • the inspection of air freight and
    • entering security areas in general

    Security areas include

    • Parts of an airport where screened passengers may be present shortly before departure
    • Parts of an airport where checked baggage is located or transported through
    • Areas of an airport where airplanes and other aircraft are parked
    • for boarding and disembarking as well as loading and unloading

    The regulation therefore also applies, for example, to

    • Pilots
    • Student pilots and trainee pilots
    • Members of airport-based clubs
    • Student interns and trainees
    • Suppliers of goods and similar suppliers
    • Traders and tradespeople and
    • Employees of cleaning companies

    The background check checks whether you pose a risk to the safety of civil air traffic. The check includes

    • Personal details,
    • past periods of employment and training and a record of any gaps in the past five years,
    • Your places of residence in the past ten years,
    • A check of criminal records,
    • information from authorities.

    The fact that you are being checked serves the safety of civil aviation. As a rule, you must apply for a background check yourself via your employer; your employer will cover the costs.

    Obligation to cooperate:
    You are obliged to cooperate in your check. In rare cases, this may also mean that you have to undergo a test for narcotics.

    As a rule, your reliability will be denied if

    • you have been sentenced to a prison sentence, youth sentence or fine of at least 60 daily rates for an intentional criminal offense or
    • you have been sentenced twice or more to a lesser fine and the last sentence was less than five years ago
    • you have been sentenced to at least one year's imprisonment for a crime or other intentional criminal offense and the last conviction was less than ten years ago
    • you have been under observation by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution in the past ten years and, for example, efforts have been identified that are directed against the free democratic basic order, the existence or security of the federal government or a state.

    You can waive a background check if you

    • have already been checked in accordance with the Security Check Act. In this case, the background check can be waived upon application,
    • only need occasional access to security areas at the airport and can therefore work with a day pass, for example (observe the regulations of the respective airport) or
    • work exclusively in generally accessible areas of the airport (public areas).

    Requirements

    You belong to one of the following groups of people and require a background check to carry out your work:

    • Private pilot
    • Student pilots
    • Employees in the aviation security sector.

  • Procedure

    A background check is requested for you by your employer in writing or online.

    Written application:

    • You will receive a form from your employer for this purpose.
    • You must complete the form and submit it to your employer together with all the requested documents.
    • Your employer will then check your documents and apply to the aviation security authority for a background check on your behalf.

    The aviation security authority will then review the application by checking all the information you have provided. For this purpose, the aviation security authority will obtain information from, among others

    • Police
    • Office for the Protection of the Constitution
    • law enforcement authorities
    • intelligence services
    • civil registers
    • immigration authorities if you are not a German citizen.

    If the aviation security authority has further questions during your check, the aviation security authority may ask you to comment on the questions. You are generally obliged to actively cooperate in the check.

    After the check, you and your employer will receive an official notification from the aviation security authority about the result of your background check.

    If the result is positive:

    • your background check is valid for 5 years,
    • but can be revoked during this time if the aviation security authority gains new information about you, for example if criminal proceedings give rise to doubts about your reliability.

    If the result is negative, you can lodge an objection with the aviation security authority within 4 weeks.

    Digital: For Hamburg, Bremen, Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, it has been possible to submit an application for a background check or background check and access authorization online since 2022.

    • Create a free service account in the Hamburg service portal.
    • Complete the online application and upload all the required documents.
    • Send the completed document digitally to the relevant authority.
    • For employees and private individuals: Print out the application PDF after completion, sign it and send it by post to the responsible authority.
    • For private individuals: Pay directly after submitting the application by credit card, Visa card or SEPA direct debit.
    • The remaining steps are the same as the written procedure.

    More information

    The following information is available: The validity of the background check is 5 years. Information is also obtained from authorities and criminal records. Student pilots and private pilots can apply directly to the relevant aviation security authority for a background check.

    Legal remedy: Appeal or, in some federal states, legal action before the competent administrative court.

  • Necessary Documents
    • General:
      • Copy of identity card on both sides or
      • Copy of passport on both sides
      • Place of residence for the last 10 years,
      • Periods of employment in the last 5 years (exact date)
    • Special:
      • For pilots and student pilots: confirmation from the flight school
      • for repeat examinations: Pilot's license
      • For self-employed persons: business registration
      • If you have lived abroad for more than six months in the past five years: Certificate of no criminal record or European Certificate of Good Conduct
    • For renewal: notification of the previous background check.
    • For changes to your name

      You are obliged to report this to the responsible aviation security authority within one month.

    • If you change your current place of residence (provided this does not affect the same federal state)

      You are obliged to report this to the responsible aviation security authority within one month.

    • If you also need reliability for your professional activity
      • Changes to your employer or
      • changes in the nature of your work (aviation security sector)
    • You can find out which documents are required in detail from the responsible aviation security authority in Hamburg.

  • Competent Department

  • Online Services

  • Fees / Costs

    5,00 EUR bis 150,00 EUR

  • Deadlines & processing time

    What deadlines must be paid attention to?

    Before starting work or training at airports, you must submit your application for verification at least one month in advance.

    You must apply for a repeat check at least 3 months before the expiry of the period of validity of the background check. Persons who have undergone a background check are then deemed to remain reliable until the repeat check has been completed.

    How long does it take to process

    Processing takes around 6 weeks.
    On average, the processing time should be 1 month. However, it may take longer in individual cases.

  • Legal Bases

  • More Information

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This page has been automatically translated by DeepL. We cannot guarantee that the translation is correct.

The official information in German is complete and correct. 14.07.2025

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