From certificate to verifiable credential
Your free certificate shows what you have learned. A verifiable credential proves it. ICoBC upgrades your certificate to a signed Open Badges 3.0 credential after checking your identity and your acquired competences. €110 plus VAT per process.
Upgrade per certificate
€110 plus VAT
€130.90 including 19% German VAT. Businesses in other EU countries with a valid VAT ID are invoiced without German VAT (reverse charge).
- Identity check with data minimisation
- Supervised check of your competences
- Signed Open Badges 3.0 credential (W3C Verifiable Credentials Data Model 2.0)
- Alignment to the ICSF, evidence and status included
The process, step by step
Complete the course and download your certificate
Pass the final check of a web module and download the PDF. Note the certificate ID at the bottom of the certificate, for example ICB-2026-ABCD-EF23.
Request the upgrade
Send us the request with the form below. Give your name exactly as it appears on your official ID, your email address, the certificate ID and the course. We reply with an invoice and two or three dates for the video call.
Identity check
In a short video call, you show an official photo ID. The reviewer compares the name and photo with you and with the name on your certificate. We do not copy or store the ID document. We record only that the check took place, the type of document, the date and the reviewer.
Competence check
The reviewer compares your certificate with the course record: course ID, course version, date and score. You then complete a short supervised check in the same call: for Knowledge courses, questions from the course question bank; for Ability courses, a short review of your work product against the course rubric. The results are matched to the learning outcomes and the ICSF alignment code of the course.
Receive your verifiable credential
ICoBC issues a signed Open Badges 3.0 credential from its Open Badges server and sends it to you by email with a link to accept it into your wallet or backpack. Anyone you share it with can check the signature, the issuer and the status.
What the validation confirms
| Check | Question | How |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Is the earner the person named on the certificate? | Official photo ID in a video call; no copy kept |
| Record | Do course, version, date and score fit together? | Comparison with the published course and its version history |
| Competences | Can the earner show the learning outcomes at the stated level and stage? | Supervised questions or rubric-based review of a work product |
| Alignment | Which skill, level and stage does the credential claim? | ICSF alignment code of the course, for example ICSF-CRDS-L1-K |
What your credential contains
- Issuer: International Council on Badges and Credentials e.V., with its digital signature
- Earner: your name as checked against your ID, and your email address as identifier
- Achievement: the badge name, description, criteria and learning outcomes of the course
- Alignment: the ICSF code, and indicative EQF and SFIA levels
- Evidence: score of the final check, date and method of the supervised check
- Validity: issue date, course version, expiry where the course states one, and revocation status
The credential follows the 1EdTech Open Badges 3.0 specification and the W3C Verifiable Credentials Data Model 2.0.
Your data
We process your name, email address, certificate details, the result of the checks and, if you need an invoice, your invoice details. We use these data only for the upgrade, the credential and our accounting duties. ID documents are never stored. The video call is not recorded. Details are in our privacy policy.
Request the upgrade
The form prepares an email to info@icobc.net in your email program. Nothing is sent until you send that email yourself.
Prices per certificate. The service is provided by the International Council on Badges and Credentials e.V., Berlin. Our terms apply.
Questions about the upgrade
Why is the free PDF not enough?
The PDF is created in your browser. ICoBC keeps no record of it, so nobody can confirm that it is genuine or that it belongs to you. A verifiable credential is signed by ICoBC and can be checked by anyone, at any time, without contacting us.
What do I need for the identity check?
An official photo ID (passport, national identity card or residence permit) and a device with a camera for a short video call. We look at the ID during the call. We do not copy, photograph or keep it.
What happens in the competence check?
An ICoBC reviewer compares your certificate with the course record (course, version, date and score) and asks you to complete a short supervised check: questions drawn from the course question bank, or for Ability courses a short review of your work product against the course rubric. This confirms that the competences on the certificate are yours.
What if the check does not confirm my result?
Then we do not issue a credential. We tell you which learning outcomes were not confirmed, so you can review the course and book a new check.
Where can I keep my credential?
Open Badges 3.0 credentials are W3C verifiable credentials. You can keep them in a wallet or backpack that supports Open Badges 3.0, share them by link and add them to professional profiles.
Can my employer pay?
Yes. Give the organisation’s name, invoice address and, for companies in other EU countries, the VAT ID. We then invoice the organisation. For several employees, ask us for a group process.
How long is the credential valid?
Knowledge and Ability credentials have no fixed expiry, unless the course states one, for example for regulation topics. Each credential records the course version. ICoBC can revoke a credential that was issued in error; its status is part of the credential.
Can a course give me a Competency credential?
No. Courses confirm Knowledge or Ability. Competency credentials come only from the V-series work-based validations, which are assessed in your real work.