How to have your courses recognized as Bildungsurlaub: Step-by-step guide for course providers
Would you like to have your courses recognized as Bildungsurlaub and enable participants to benefit from paid time off?
Here you will find step-by-step instructions on how to obtain Bildungsurlaub recognition for your courses.
Check Requirements
For your courses to be recognized as Bildungsurlaub, they must meet certain criteria. In most federal states, the following requirements apply:
Topic Relevance: The course should promote professional, political, or personal education.
Minimum Duration: The program generally must last at least five days, with eight hours per day.
Target Audience: Your courses should be aimed at employees and serve as continuing education under the Bildungsurlaub law.
In Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), recognition for Bildungsurlaub is granted directly to the provider rather than for individual seminars.
In Hesse, there is a dual certification system: both you as a provider and your seminars must receive approval from the Ministry.
Incidentally, you can have not only in-person seminars but also online courses recognized as Bildungsurlaub in many federal states. Exceptions include Baden-Württemberg, Berlin & Brandenburg (as well as Saxony & Bavaria, where there are no legal regulations for Bildungsurlaub).
Gather Documents
For the recognition application, you’ll need various documents. Typically, these include:
Course Description: Detailed information on the content, learning objectives, and methods of the course.
Schedule: A clear outline of the daily schedule and learning times.
Instructor Information: Details on the qualifications of the course instructors.
Certificates and Attendance Confirmations: Samples of the certificates that participants receive upon course completion.
Ensure that all documents are complete and well-prepared.
Submit Application to the Relevant Federal State
Bildungsurlaub must be recognized in the federal state where participants are employed. Submit the application to the appropriate authority.
Here is a list of application forms & authority contacts by federal state:
Fees for Recognition as Bildungsurlaub
The fees for recognition applications within the framework of Bildungsurlaub vary depending on the federal state:
- In Hamburg, the costs are 92 €, while political education offers and voluntary qualifications are free of charge.
- Schleswig-Holstein charges 69 €, whereas Sachsen-Anhalt requires 25 €.
- For organizers in NRW, recognition costs 200 €, and in Baden-Württemberg, it is 150 €.
- Thüringen sets fees between 10 and 150 €, depending on the processing effort. For complete applications, costs are usually between 20 and 35 €.
The fee regulations strongly depend on the respective federal state and the scope of the application.
State | Application Form | Info Page | Authority Contact |
---|---|---|---|
Baden-Württemberg | Antragsformular | Infoseite zu Bildungsurlaub in BW |
Regierungspräsidium Karlsruhe – Referat 12 Tel.: 0721 926-205 Mail: bildungszeit@rpk.bwl.de |
Bayern | In Bayern gibt es bisher keinen anerkannten Bildungsurlaub | ||
Berlin |
Antragsformular Anbieter
Antragsformular Kurse |
Infoseite zu Bildungsurlaub in Berlin |
Senatsverwaltung für Integration, Arbeit und Soziales – Abteilung II Tel.: (030) 9028-1414, -1482 Mail: bildungszeit@senias.berlin.de |
Brandenburg |
Antragsformular Anbieter
Antragsformular Kurse |
Infoseite zu Bildungsurlaub in Brandenburg |
Ministerium für Bildung, Jugend und Sport Tel.: (0355) 4866-3791, ,- 3961 Mail: bildungszeit@mbjs.brandenburg.de |
Bremen |
Antragsformular Anbieter
Antragsformular Kurse |
Infoseite zu Bildungsurlaub in Bremen |
Senatorin für Kinder und Bildung, Referat 23 Tel.: 0421 361-4809 Mail: bildungszeit@bildung.bremen.de |
Hamburg |
Antragsformular Anbieter
Antragsformular Kurse |
Infoseite zu Bildungsurlaub in Hamburg |
Hamburger Institut für Berufliche Bildung – Referat Bildungsurlaub – HI 43 Tel.: 040 428 63-4672 Mail: bildungsurlaub@hibb.hamburg.de |
Hessen | Kein Formular verfügbar | Infoseite zu Bildungsurlaub in Hessen |
Hessisches Ministerium für Soziales und Integration Tel.: 0611 / 817 – 3673 Mail: bildungsurlaub@hsm.hessen.de |
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | Antragsformular | Infoseite zu Bildungsurlaub in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern |
Landesamt für Gesundheit und Soziales Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Tel. 085/3991-525,-532,-512,-542 Mail: elisabeth.brinner@lagus.mv-regierung.de, elke.hellmann@lagus.mv-regierung.de, heike.rotsch@lagus.mv-regierung.de |
Niedersachsen |
Antragsformular Anbieter
Antragsformular Kurse |
Infoseite zu Bildungsurlaub in Niedersachsen |
Agentur für Erwachsenen- und Weiterbildung Tel.: 0511/300330-330 Mail: info@aewb-nds.de, poos@aewb-nds.de |
Nordrhein-Westfalen |
Anbieter außerhalb von NRW
Antragsformulare Bezirke: Arnsberg, Düsseldorf, Köln, Münster, Detmold. |
Infoseite zu Bildungsurlaub in NRW |
Veranstalter mit Sitz außerhalb von NRW: Bezirksregierung von Detmold Tel.: 0211 837-1929 Veranstalter mit Sitz in NRW: Jeweils zuständige Bezirks- Regierungen von Detmold, Arnsberg, Düsseldorf, Köln, Münster |
Rheinland-Pfalz |
Antragsformular Anbieter
Antragsformular Kurse |
Infoseite zu Bildungsurlaub in Rheinland-Pfalz |
Ministerium für Arbeit, Soziales, Transformation und Digitalisierung Tel.:06131/16-2893,-2735 Mail: bildungsfreistellung@mwwk.rlp.de, bildungsfreistellung@mastd.rlp.de |
Saarland |
Antragsformular Anbieter
Antragsformular Kurse |
Infoseite zu Bildungsurlaub in Saarland |
Ministerium für Bildung und Kultur Referat E4 – Allgemeine und politische Weiterbildung Tel: 0681 501-7214 Mail: w.kraeuter@bildung.saarland.de Ministerium für Wirtschaft und Wissenschaft F/6: Aus- und Weiterbildung, Fachkräftesicherung Tel.: (0681) 501-3800, – 3805, -4147 Mail: referat.f6@wirtschaft.saarland.de |
Sachsen | In Sachsen gibt es bisher keinen anerkannten Bildungsurlaub | ||
Sachsen-Anhalt |
Antragsformular Anbieter
Antragsformular Kurse |
Infoseite zu Bildungsurlaub in Sachsen-Anhalt |
Landesverwaltungsamt Sachsen-Anhalt Referat Bildung Tel.: 0345/5143721,-3923 oder -1218 Mail: bildungsfreistellung@lvwa.sachsen-anhalt.de |
Schleswig-Holstein |
Antragsformular Anbieter
Antragsformular Kurse |
Infoseite zu Bildungsurlaub in Schleswig-Holstein |
Investitionsbank Schleswig-Holstein (IB.SH) Tel.: 0431 9905-1111 Mail: bildungsfreistellung@ib-sh.de |
Thüringen | Antragsformular | Infoseite zu Bildungsurlaub in Thüringen |
Thüringer Ministerium für Bildung, Jugend und Sport Tel.: 0361-39601-949, -950 Mail: Bildungsfreistellung@tmbjs.thueringen.de |
Some federal states also accept recognitions from other states. For instance, Brandenburg accepts recognition from Berlin, Saarland likewise recognizes approvals from other federal states, as does Thuringia, provided that the requirements are similar.
Plan for Processing Time
Processing times can vary by state and authority and may take several weeks. Submit your application in good time, especially if you plan to offer the course soon.
Receive Recognition and Communicate It
Once you receive recognition, make sure to highlight it in your communications. Indicate in your course descriptions and promotional materials that the course is recognized as Bildungsurlaub — this makes your offerings particularly appealing to employees.
Participant Management and Documentation
Ensure that your participants receive a certificate of attendance upon course completion. They will need this to provide proof of Bildungsurlaub to their employer.
All Information on Bildungsurlaub Recognition Available for Download
Support for Bildungsurlaub Recognition for Foreign Language Schools
If you run a language school abroad and want your courses to be recognized as Bildungsurlaub, we recommend the provider Bildungsurlaub Approval, who can assist you with the certifications.
Do you have questions or need help?
Call us on 030 33075704 and we will be happy to help you!
About The Author
Nils is a digital entrepreneur who combines the digital world with his passion for personal development and work-life balance through meinbildungsurlaub.de. As the initiator of the platform, he wants to to help people achieve their professional and personal goals and promote the topic of Bildungsurlaub.