Apply for a certificate of competence for the use of plant protection products

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

You need a certificate of competence in plant protection if you

• use plant protection products,
• advise on plant protection or
• persons who use, instruct or supervise plant protection products as part of a training relationship or an auxiliary activity.

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

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

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

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

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

• Plant protection examination

  You have passed a plant protection examination and received a certificate. Many training courses in the vocational fields of agriculture, forestry and horticulture already include the required expertise in plant protection.

• Recognized professional qualification

  You have a recognized professional qualification, for example as a gardener, florist, farmer or forester.

• Vocational training or studies with a certificate of expertise
  • You have a certificate of completion of vocational training or a course of study
  • together with a certificate from the training center or examination center that the knowledge and skills in plant protection were taught and tested during the training/studies.
• Proof of expertise from another EU country or certificates from other countries regarding expertise in plant protection
  You have a certificate issued by the competent authority of another EU member state or another country that can be recognized as proof of expertise in plant protection.
  • Please enquire directly with the plant protection authority about the special conditions.
• Sufficient knowledge of German

  The applicant must be able to understand and correctly implement the contents of the instructions for use of plant protection products.

• Further training
  • If you carry out activities requiring expert knowledge, you must take part in a recognized training course every 3 years. These training courses can be attended nationwide
  • If you have not carried out an activity for which a certificate of competence in plant protection is required for more than three years, you are not required to undergo further training. You only have to take part in a recognized training course before resuming an activity requiring a certificate of competence.
  • If you completed your training more than 3 years ago, you must have taken part in a recognized training course in the past 3 years.

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You can apply for the certificate of expertise in plant protection online:

• Go to the website pflanzenschutz-skn.de.
• You can submit the application with or without registration. Complete the application, upload the required documents and submit the application online.
• If you are unable to upload your documents, you can alternatively send them to the relevant office by post.
• You will receive a fee notice.
• You pay the fee.
• You will receive the certificate of competence card.

Experts in plant protection from EU member states can apply for a German certificate of competence directly from the plant protection service or the competent body in the federal state where they wish to work. You can find out which office is responsible for you in the office finder on the pflanzenschutz-skn.de website.

After receipt of the application and examination of the documents by the competent authority, preparation of an official decision on the recognition of competence and a request for payment.

Upon receipt of payment, print order is issued for proof of competence with an external service provider.

for foreign certificates due to the higher examination effort: Fee 40,00 EUR

for the issuance of the certificate of competence for online application: Fee 40,00 EUR

for the issuance of the certificate of competence upon written application (form): Fee 50,00 EUR

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