Zuverlässigkeitsüberprüfung im Luftverkehr beantragen

If you want to work in or at the airport or in a company with a direct influence on aviation security, you will in many cases need a background check beforehand.

If you work in or at an airport or in a company with a direct influence on aviation security, in many cases you will need a background check beforehand. This is a prerequisite for you to be granted access authorization to an airport or to take up a corresponding job. As soon as the background check and access authorization have been granted and you have completed the necessary training, you can start working at the airport or in a company with a direct influence on aviation security (e.g. airlines, freight or postal companies, goods suppliers).

The regulation applies in particular to persons who are regularly entrusted with

• Security checks,
• the handling of aircraft,
• the transportation of goods
• the inspection of air freight or
• other activities in security areas.

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 aircraft and other aircraft are parked for boarding, disembarking, 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 business people and
• Employees of cleaning companies.

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

• Personal details
• past periods of employment and training and a record of any gaps over the past five years
• Your places of residence over the past ten years
• Check of criminal record entries
• 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 bear the costs.

Obligation to cooperate:
You are obliged to cooperate in your examination. 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 custodial sentence, juvenile 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 public areas of the airport.

General:

• copy of identity card on both sides or
• Copy of passport on both sides
• Places of residence for the last 10 years,
• Periods of employment in the last 5 years (exact date)

Special:

• For pilots and trainee pilots: confirmation from the flight school; for re-testing: Pilot's license
• For self-employed persons: business registration
• If residence has been abroad for more than six months in the past five years: Criminal record certificate or European certificate of good conduct

For renewal: notification of the previous background check.
In case of:

• Changes to your name or
• changes to 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 require the reliability for your professional activity, please inform the aviation security authority:

• Changes to your employer or
• changes in the nature of your activity (aviation security sector)

to the aviation security authority.

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

• Persons with more than occasional access to security restricted areas,
• Personnel of companies, organizations and companies whose activities have a direct impact on aviation security,
• Natural persons entrusted with the task as well as instructors or validation examiners for aviation security,
• Pilots and corresponding flight students, club members, student trainees

The fees range between EUR 6.00 and EUR 211.50.

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 do not have German citizenship
• If necessary, airport operators, airlines, employers

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 participate in the review.

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.

Processing takes between 3 days and 6 weeks.

On average, the processing time should be one month. However, it may take longer in individual cases.

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

You must apply for the re-verification 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.

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.

• Appeal or, in some federal states, legal action before the competent administrative court

• Carrying out background checks in air traffic
• Background check: required to protect against attacks on the security of civil aviation
  • Persons with more than occasional access to security areas,
  • Personnel of companies, organizations and companies whose activities have a direct influence on aviation security,
  • Natural persons on loan as well as instructors or validation examiners for aviation security,
  • Pilots and corresponding flight students, club members, student trainees
• Among other things, the following are checked
  • Identity
  • current and previous residential addresses
  • current and previous employment relationships.
• Validity: 5 years
• The costs of the check are borne by the employer
• responsible: Aviation security authorities of the federal states

Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg Ministry of Economics and Innovation; Aviation Security Authority