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IMPORTANT: Select a location.To obtain application forms, location-specific information and contacts, select a town or zip code.

For an area outside of Lower Saxony and foreign languages, some menu items and functions are not available. Please go to the service page of the respective country.

Please specify an area.

Which place to enter?

The location is used to determine the responsible office for the selected administrative service. In most cases you can enter your place of residence to find the competent authority. However, there are also cases in which a different location must be specified. Here are some examples:

Birth certificateYou want to get married and need a birth certificate. You live in Hanover, but you were born in Celle. You must therefore state your place of birth, i.e. Celle.

Business registrationYou would like to register a business in Braunschweig. Your place of residence is Hanover. You must therefore state the location of your future business, i.e. Braunschweig.

Apply for a building permitYou would like to build a house in Wunstorf and therefore apply for a building permit. Her place of residence is currently Hanover. You must indicate the place where the house is to be built. In this case it is Wunstorf.

Apply for recognition as a farrier or blacksmith


Anyone wishing to work as a farrier requires state recognition.

Examination certificates in the field of farriery and horseshoeing obtained outside of Germany can be treated as equivalent in accordance with the Farriery Recognition Ordinance (HufBeschl-AnerkennV). This ordinance also regulates the procedure for state recognition for persons with equivalent examination certificates.

Who should I contact?

Responsibility lies with the Lower Saxony State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (LAVES).

This procedure can also be handled by a "Single Point of Contact". The "Single Point of Contact" is a special service offered by the municipalities and the state for service providers.

Which documents are required?

No special documents are initially required. If an existing qualification is to be recognized, the documents proving this qualification must be enclosed. The competent authority will provide information on further documents required in individual cases.

What are the fees?

The fee is at least EUR 125.00. It is based on the provisions of Section XI of the current version of the scale of fees for the administration of consumer protection and veterinary services (GOVV).

What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?

No deadlines need to be observed.

Processing duration

Processing Time: 1 Month
Confirmation of receipt of the application

Processing Time: 3 Months
Decision on the merits after the documents are complete (deadline extension possible)

What else should I know?

A certificate of good conduct must also be applied for with the application for recognition.

Source: Serviceportal Niedersachsen (Portalverbund des Bundes und der Länder)