Individuals who professionally broker general consumer loans or provide advisory services regarding certain financing aids currently require a permit under § 34c GewO. At present, there is no legally prescribed competency certification for this, but this will change soon: as of 20 November 2026, an independent permit obligation will be implemented under § 34k GewO.

From that point onwards, prospective loan brokers will be required to demonstrate the necessary professional competency. This criterion is automatically fulfilled for certain professional qualifications, such as bank clerks or advanced qualifications like Certified Financial Consultants. Additionally, individuals holding a permit or competency certification under § 34i GewO (Immovable Consumer Loans) will not need to undergo another competency examination.

Alternatively, the required competency can be demonstrated via the new qualification "Certified Loan Brokerage Specialist (German Chamber of Commerce and Industry – IHK)", starting on 20 November. This competency certification is typically offered by the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK).

Requirements for Loan Brokers

To ensure uniform implementation, the DIHK, in collaboration with an expert panel, has developed the "Framework Plan with Learning Goals for the Competency Examination: Certified Loan Brokerage Specialist (German Chamber of Commerce and Industry – IHK)". This plan specifies the competency requirements set in the Loan Brokerage Regulation (DarlVermV) and serves as a basis for creating targeted examination tasks and designing preparatory courses.

3 Key Topics in 140 Hours

In three key topics:

• Client counselling,
• Knowledge for brokering and advising on general consumer loans, and
• Financing and credit products

the necessary knowledge is outlined.

For preparation, the authors recommend 140 instructional units, distributed as follows: 30 units for client counselling, 50 for advising on and brokering general consumer loans, and 60 for financing and credit products.

Download

You can find the framework plan in a preliminary, non-accessible version here for download:

(only available in German).