What is an Arbeitsbescheinigung?
Employment certificate for unemployment.
A form employers must complete — your unemployment benefit depends on it.
Definition
The Arbeitsbescheinigung is a standardised form (BA Form 01097) that your former employer must complete and return to the Bundesagentur für Arbeit (BA) within 3 working days of receiving the request. It documents your employment period, earnings, working hours, and the reason for termination. The BA uses it to calculate your Arbeitslosengeld I (ALG I) entitlement. If your employer delays, refuses, or completes it incorrectly, it directly affects when and how much benefit you receive.
Who sends it
Two types of letter: (1) The BA sends you a copy of the blank form and asks you to pass it to your employer or confirms that your employer has already submitted it. (2) Your employer sends you a completed copy as a courtesy. Letters referencing the Arbeitsbescheinigung typically come from the Agentur für Arbeit branch where you registered.
What it’s asking for
If addressed to your employer: complete and return the form within 3 working days (§ 312 SGB III). If addressed to you: confirm the details are accurate, or flag any errors to the BA immediately.
Your deadline
Typical next steps
- If you received this and are the former employee: check whether your employer has already submitted it, or whether you need to hand them the form.
- Verify the stated employment period, weekly hours, and gross earnings — errors directly reduce your benefit calculation.
- If the Kündigungsgrund (reason for termination) is described incorrectly and you believe it was not your fault, write to the BA and provide your own account — this affects any Sperrzeit (suspension period).
- If your employer refuses to complete the form, report this to the BA — employers face a Bußgeld of up to €2,000 for non-compliance (§ 404 SGB III).
Stated consequences under German law
If the Arbeitsbescheinigung is not submitted, the BA cannot calculate your benefit. Your first ALG I payment is delayed until it is received.
Frequently asked questions
My employer is not responding. What can I do?
Contact your BA caseworker and report the delay. The BA can formally request the form directly from the employer and impose a Bußgeld of up to €2,000 for failure to comply. In the meantime, the BA can proceed with a provisional benefit calculation.
The Arbeitsbescheinigung says I resigned. I was made redundant. Does this matter?
Yes — significantly. If the form states you resigned (Eigenkündigung), the BA may impose a Sperrzeit of up to 12 weeks, during which no benefit is paid. Contest this immediately in writing with evidence of the redundancy (Kündigung durch Arbeitgeber, settlement agreement, etc.).
I was self-employed. Do I need an Arbeitsbescheinigung?
No — the Arbeitsbescheinigung applies to employed workers. Self-employed people who lose their livelihoods must prove their contribution history through other means (e.g. if they were previously employed before going self-employed).
How does Aplet help with an Arbeitsbescheinigung letter?
Aplet identifies whether the letter is requesting you to obtain the form from your employer, confirming receipt, or flagging an error. It states the deadline and explains the consequence for your ALG I calculation.
Can I get an Arbeitsbescheinigung before my last day of work?
No — the obligation triggers on the end of employment. However, you can register as arbeitsuchend (job-seeking) 3 months before your last day, and the BA will send the form to your employer shortly after your end date.
Related letters
Get yours explained in 60 seconds
Aplet reads German Amtsdeutsch — the dense, formal bureaucratic register — and returns a plain-English summary with the sender, meaning, required action, deadline, and consequences of inaction.