Frequently asked questions

Recognition means: a course has been recognised by the competent authority of a German federal state as Bildungsurlaub (also called Bildungszeit or Bildungsfreistellung). Only recognised courses entitle you to paid time off.

On the course detail page you can see which federal states a course is recognised for.

Funding (for example Bildungsscheck, Bildungsprämie, Weiterbildungsbonus) can mean a subsidy towards the course fee. This is independent of recognition for paid time off.

Whether a course is eligible for funding is stated in the course details; the application itself goes through the respective body (for example the Bildungsscheck via your employer or an advice centre).

Educational leave (Bildungsurlaub, also called Bildungszeit or Bildungsfreistellung depending on the state) is the statutory entitlement to paid leave from work to attend recognised further training. It is governed by state laws: 14 of 16 federal states have one, Bavaria and Saxony currently do not. Employees whose workplace is in a state with a law are entitled, usually after 6 months of employment; some states exempt very small companies. The norm is 5 working days per year, usually combinable into 10 days over two years. The course must be recognised for your state — every course on the platform shows this. You submit the application to your employer in good time (4 to 9 weeks before the course start depending on the state); the [eligibility check](/en/anspruch-check) and the [application generator](/en/antrag) help you prepare. This is guidance — the state law and your employment relationship are binding.

The messages area connects you with the provider or with our support team:
- Booking chat: direct communication with the provider about your booking
- Support thread: general questions to our team
- Notifications: you receive emails about new messages (configurable in your account under Notifications)

Response time: providers and support usually reply within 1–2 working days.

Yes. In your account under Notifications you can choose which emails you receive:
- Booking confirmations (always on)
- Chat/message notifications
- Payment reminders
- Employer reminders
- Review requests
- Monthly summary

You stay in full control of your email settings.

After completing your educational leave you receive a certificate of attendance as a PDF — directly in your booking details under “Documents”.

How it works:
1. Complete the course — after the course ends, the provider confirms your attendance.
2. Receive the certificate — you will find the PDF in your account under My bookings → Booking details → Documents.
3. Verification code — the certificate carries a code in the format `CERT-XXXXXX-XXXXXX` (bottom right).
4. Check authenticity — on our [verification page](/certificate-verify) you (or your employer) can enter the code and confirm that it is genuine.

For employers: received a certificate from an employee? Enter the code on the [verification page](/certificate-verify) — within seconds you will see whether the certificate is genuine, including course name, period and provider.

Tip: you can also reach the verification page from the footer of every page under “Verify certificate”.

Support: write to support@bildungsurlaub-berater.de or use the form under [Contact](/en/kontakt); we handle requests on business days and usually reply within one to two business days. There is currently no phone hotline — email is the fastest way. If you are logged in, use the booking chat in your booking details (account → "My bookings") for anything about a booking: you reach the provider directly there, and the booking is automatically linked. For course content, dates, provider invoices or goodwill, the provider is your contact — they are your contract partner for the course; we broker and help with the platform, booking, payment and receipts. Providers, employers and affiliate partners have their own contact pages at /en/kontakt/anbieter, /en/kontakt/arbeitgeber and /en/kontakt/werbepartner. Please quote your booking number (BB-XXXXXXXX) with every request.

At the moment: our platform is fully responsive – you can use every feature comfortably in the browser of your smartphone or tablet. No app installation needed.

Advantages: always up to date, works on every device, no updates required. For quick access you can bookmark our website or add it to your home screen.

This is governed by the educational-leave law of the federal state where your workplace is — not where you live; there is no federal law. In all 14 states with a law, our maintained dataset shows 5 working days per calendar year, usually combinable into 10 days over two years. Bavaria and Saxony currently have no educational-leave law; there, leave is only possible voluntarily via your employer. Almost everywhere a waiting period of 6 months of employment applies, 12 months in Baden-Württemberg. Some states exempt small companies, for example Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia below 10 employees, Berlin up to 20, Saxony-Anhalt up to 5. The application deadline with your employer also differs: between 4 weeks (Bremen, Lower Saxony) and 9 weeks (Baden-Württemberg) before the course starts. Check your state in the [eligibility check](/en/anspruch-check) — guidance, not legal advice.

Your workplace counts, not your home. If you live in Brandenburg and work in Berlin, the Berlin law applies and you need a course recognised for Berlin — and vice versa. If you live in Bavaria or Saxony and work in another state, you can be entitled under that state's law even though your home state has no educational-leave law. If home office is your main workplace, that state usually counts; with changing work locations, the site you are assigned to. In case of doubt the competent state authority decides — linked on our [state pages](/en/bundeslaender). Always check a course's recognition for the state of your workplace.

Data protection is a top priority for us:
- Encryption: all connections use HTTPS (SSL/TLS)
- No sharing: your data is not sold to third parties or used for advertising
- Payments: card details are processed exclusively by Stripe (PCI-DSS certified) – we do not store card data
- GDPR: full compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation

You will find the details in our [privacy policy](/datenschutz).

You request deletion in your account under Settings, in the Delete account section.

It is a request, not an instant deletion. We review it and get back to you by email — that is what Art. 17 GDPR requires, and it protects you from someone else deleting your account on an unattended device.

Two things to know beforehand:

• Active bookings must be cancelled first. While one is running, the request cannot be completed.
• Bookings already invoiced are retained for legal reasons (§ 257 German Commercial Code, ten years). That concerns the records, not your account.

What happens to the rest of your data is set out in the [privacy policy](/datenschutz).

Possible causes and fixes:
- Internet connection: check your connection
- Browser: update your browser or try a different one (Chrome, Firefox, Safari)
- Certificate problem: check your device’s system date and time
- VPN/proxy: disable your VPN or corporate proxy and reload the page

If the problem persists, please contact us by email or via the contact form.

With this option you do not pay online through the platform, but directly to the provider (for example by bank transfer or invoice).

How it works:
1. You book as usual and choose “Arrange payment with provider”
2. The provider accepts the request and tells you the payment time (before or after the course)
3. You obtain your employer’s approval
4. You pay the provider at the agreed time

Advantage: flexible for courses without online payment or with individual arrangements. All booking and communication steps continue to run through the platform.