Bestatter/Bestatterin (Weiterbildung)

Preparatory courses for the examination take place at educational institutions of the Chambers of Crafts (Handwerkskammern). For in-person events, the learning locations are classrooms. For combined learning forms (e.g., blended learning), the learning locations are classrooms for in-person events and home for online learning units.

This is a continuing vocational training (Weiterbildung) profession. It is a continuing vocational training examination according to the regulations of the Chambers of Crafts (Handwerkskammern). Participation in preparatory courses is not required. The duration of the continuing vocational training is 3-7 months (part-time). Undertakers support the bereaved in the event of a death, advise them, and clarify the details of the funeral. They coordinate the funeral service with colleagues. They transfer the deceased to the place of burial and provide hygienic and cosmetic care. In addition, they prepare the coffin or urn, dig the grave in the cemetery, and arrange the funeral ceremonies. They also advise on pre-need funeral contracts and conclude these with clients. Furthermore, human resources and commercial-administrative tasks such as cost calculation or billing with health insurance companies, insurance companies, and clients occupy a broad scope.

Part-time: 3-7 months.

Distribution of hours (example): Theoretical part: e.g., communication, law and economics, types of burial, collection, transfer within Germany and abroad, customs, church ceremonies, general professional knowledge, DIN standards and hygiene: 140 hours. Practical part: e.g., hygiene, design, floristry, manual work and grave-digging techniques: 60 hours. Total hours: 200 hours.

Attending continuing vocational training courses generally incurs course fees, and the examination itself usually incurs examination fees. Additional costs may arise, for example, for work materials, travel to the training center, or external accommodation. Funding opportunities: Support for particularly talented young professionals: Stiftung Begabtenförderung berufliche Bildung (SBB) - Continuing Vocational Training Scholarship.

Practical Skills: Caring for and dressing the deceased. Laying out the deceased, arranging mourning decorations at the grave or in the funeral hall. Preparing coffins with appropriate equipment. Installing shoring in graves, preparing graves for burial, and covering neighboring graves. Theoretical Knowledge: Hygiene, especially care of the deceased, transfer, storage. Design, especially laying out and arrangement of the funeral ceremony, funeral floristry, design of condolence letters and notices. Interview techniques and basics of grief psychology. Law, e.g., funeral and cemetery law, civil status law, civil law, contract law, commercial and company law, inheritance law. Business administration, especially economic operational management and marketing. Consulting interview. Product knowledge.

In-depth knowledge in the following areas are good prerequisites for successfully passing the advanced training examination: Economics/Law: e.g., to bill services with health insurance companies; Psychology: e.g., to conduct empathetic conversations with bereaved relatives; Art/Design: e.g., to design condolence letters, notices, and thank-you notes.

The advanced training consists of theoretical and practical instruction. One should be prepared for the following conditions: For part-time instruction, it is usually career-accompanying training on weekends or in the evenings. For in-person events, instruction takes place in a classroom setting at the educational institution (possibly not at the place of residence). For combined learning forms (e.g., blended learning), there are in-person events in a classroom setting at the educational institution and self-directed learning via electronic learning platforms and systems from home.

Participation in advanced training is not remunerated.

The following advanced training alternative is available for the profession of undertaker: Master Undertaker in the funeral services sector. The commonality is taking on leadership roles in funeral companies.

In 2020, the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) and the Crafts Code (HWO) were amended, introducing advanced training qualifications such as 'Geprüfte/r Berufsspezialist/in' (Certified Vocational Specialist), 'Bachelor Professional', and 'Master Professional' to emphasize the equivalence of vocational and academic education. The use of these professional titles depends on the enactment of corresponding new advanced training regulations.

Depending on the responsible chamber, e.g., 'Geprüfter Bestatter/Geprüfte Bestatterin' (Certified Undertaker).

Bestatter/Bestatterin (Funeral Director) is a professional advanced training. The examination is regulated according to the legal provisions of the respective Chamber of Crafts (Handwerkskammer). Admission requirements, duration, and degree titles may vary depending on the responsible chamber. It is not required to attend a course for admission to the examination. In addition, there is also a dual vocational training (duale Ausbildung) as a Bestattungsfachkraft (Funeral Services Specialist).

After their advanced training, Bestatter/innen (Funeral Directors) primarily work in funeral homes. They can keep their specialized knowledge up-to-date and expand it through adaptive advanced training (Anpassungsweiterbildung). The range of topics includes grief counseling as well as finance and accounting. To advance professionally, career-advancing advanced training (Aufstiegsweiterbildung), specifically designed for graduates of advanced training, can expand and complement their competence profile. It is a logical step to take the examination as a Bestattermeister/in (Master Funeral Director). With a higher education entrance qualification (Hochschulzugangsberechtigung), one can also pursue university studies (Studium) and, for example, obtain a Bachelor's degree (Bachelorabschluss) in Service Management. Starting one's own business, for example with a funeral home, is also possible.

For the examination, the responsible Chambers of Crafts (Handwerkskammer) issue examination regulations, e.g.: The advanced training examination for "Geprüfter Bestatter/Geprüfte Bestatterin" (Certified Funeral Director) from March 19, 2003 (HWK Düsseldorf). Overview of the responsible Chambers of Crafts: Bestatter/in, regulations of the responsible bodies for professional advanced training. Further: The Crafts Code (Handwerksordnung) in the version of the announcement from September 24, 1998 (BGBl. I S. 3074; 2006 I S. 2095), last amended by Article 2 of the law from April 3, 2025 (BGBl. 2025 I Nr. 106).

A relevant final examination or a vocational training (Berufsausbildung) as a carpenter (Tischler/in) or as an office management clerk (Kaufmann/Kauffrau für Büromanagement), and in each case at least 2 years of relevant professional experience, are generally prerequisites for admission to the advanced training examination.