Understanding Your German PD U1 Form: English Guide

Understanding Your German PD U1 Form: An English Guide

Version: 1.0 | Date: June 19, 2025

This guide is for anyone who has worked in Germany and needs to understand their official PD U1 Form to claim unemployment benefits in another EU country. If you've just received this document from the Agentur für Arbeit and need to explain it to your local authorities, you're in the right place.

1. Introduction

The Most Important Thing to Know: Even though the form is in German, it is a standardized EU document. The field numbers (like 5.1 for your employment dates) are the same in every country. You can simply point to a field number, and your local case worker will know what it means. This guide helps you do that with confidence.

2. Field-by-Field Breakdown

Field No.	German Label	English Explanation
1.	Zuständiger Träger	Issuing Authority: Identifies the specific German Employment Agency office that issued the certificate.
2.	Arbeitnehmer/in	Employee: Contains your personal details.
2.1	Name, Vornamen	Your last name and first name(s).
2.3	Kenn-Nummer	Personal Identification Number: Your German Pension Insurance / Social Security Number (Rentenversicherungsnummer).
3. & 4.	Letzte/r Arbeitgeber/in	Last Employer: Name and address of your last employer in Germany.
5.	Versicherungs-/Beschäftigungszeiten	Periods of Insurance / Employment: Lists periods you were employed and insured in Germany.
5.1	von... bis... (TT/MM/JJJJ)	Start and end dates of each employment period.
5.2	Zahl der Tage/Monate	Number of days/months of employment for that period.
5.4	Vollzeit/Teilzeit	Indicates whether the employment was full-time or part-time.
6.	Angaben zum Arbeitsentgelt	Information on Earnings: Details your gross earnings for a specific reference period.
6.1	Währung	Currency, typically EUR.
7.	Grund der Beendigung	Reason for Termination: Explains why your last employment ended.
8.	Angaben zu Ansprüchen	Information on Claims: Indicates if you were receiving any benefits at the end of your employment.
10.	Unterschrift und Stempel	Signature and Stamp: The official validation by the German office.

Field No.

German Label

English Explanation

Zuständiger Träger

Issuing Authority: Identifies the specific German Employment Agency office that issued the certificate.

Arbeitnehmer/in

Employee: Contains your personal details.

2.1

Name, Vornamen

Your last name and first name(s).

2.3

Kenn-Nummer

Personal Identification Number: Your German Pension Insurance / Social Security Number (Rentenversicherungsnummer).

3. & 4.

Letzte/r Arbeitgeber/in

Last Employer: Name and address of your last employer in Germany.

Versicherungs-/Beschäftigungszeiten

Periods of Insurance / Employment: Lists periods you were employed and insured in Germany.

5.1

von... bis... (TT/MM/JJJJ)

Start and end dates of each employment period.

5.2

Zahl der Tage/Monate

Number of days/months of employment for that period.

5.4

Vollzeit/Teilzeit

Indicates whether the employment was full-time or part-time.

Angaben zum Arbeitsentgelt

Information on Earnings: Details your gross earnings for a specific reference period.

6.1

Währung

Currency, typically EUR.

Grund der Beendigung

Reason for Termination: Explains why your last employment ended.

Angaben zu Ansprüchen

Information on Claims: Indicates if you were receiving any benefits at the end of your employment.

10.

Unterschrift und Stempel

Signature and Stamp: The official validation by the German office.

3. What to Do Next

Present the Original Document: Submit the physical, original copy to your local unemployment office.

Keep Your Digital Copy: Retain the PDF we sent for your personal records.

Use This Guide: Help your local office understand the document if needed by referring to this guide.

Need Help Retrieving Your Documents?

Navigating the process to get this form from the German authorities can be a challenge. If you know someone who still needs to apply for their U1 form, our service is designed to handle the entire process on their behalf.

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