Has anyone here had to get a PCC from Germany?

[Dualie 185]

Has anyone here had to obtain a Certificate of Conduct from Germany? I have basically hit a wall and I am hoping that someone from the Canada forum has done this before and can help me out. Here is my issue :

I lived in (West) Germany from 1983 to 1986 while we were stationed there in the Canadian Forces. I have contacted the German Consulate in Toronto and was given the information from the website of the Federal Office of Justice in Germany (see below).

Fees

The fee for each certificate of conduct is 13 €. Payment may be effected by sending a cheque, or by transfer to the account of the Federal Office of Justice given below:

Deutsche Bundesbank - Cologne Branch -
IBAN No.: DE49370000000038001005
BIC/swift No.: MARKDEF1370
Purpose: (file reference of the event - if known - or the forename and the surname of the person making the application)

All cheques must be made out in Euro and be drawn on a German bank. Fees levied by foreign banks for cashing a (foreign) cheque are to be added to the fee for the certificate of conduct. Questions relating to payments by cheque and their fees can be answered by the respective foreign bank.

If the amount is transferred, the carbon copy of the transfer order is to be forwarded to the Federal Office of Justice – if possible – with the application to issue the certificate of conduct.

The certificate of conduct cannot be issued until after receipt of the fee or on presentation of proof of payment (section 8 of the Judicial Administration Costs Law [Justizverwaltungskostengesetz – JVKostG]).

I went to my bank (RBC) to transfer the fee, but they can’t/won’t without the account holder’s name and the German bank’s address. I contacted the Consulate again and explained this and asked if they would accept a bank draft from the RBC in Frankfurt (not a German bank, but RBC’s corresponding bank). All I got back was the above information yet again. Yes, I can read. Didn’t answer my question. I can’t call the number on the webpage as it is an international number (my phone is my work cell phone and I would get killed), and there is no email address available for inquiries.

So, I have googled the Deutsche Bundesbank and got the Cologne Branch address. Would it be a stretch to assume the name on the account would be the “Federal Office of Justice”, much like how we make our cheques out to the “Minister of Finance” for things like passports?

Any insight would be helpful. Just want to get this rolling as I am guessing it will take a while to process. Thanks in advance!

Edited March 27, 2014 by Dualie

[floridaboundcanuk 7]

I can't help you with the banking part but if you want to call the international number get a skype account and call that way.