How to have your courses recognized as Bildungsurlaub: Step-by-step guide for course providers

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).

Step 02:

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.

Step 03:

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:

Step 04:

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.