Dear ÖSD exam participants, we are very pleased, that you want to take your exam with us at the Accord Academy and we would like to thank you very much for your trust.
Due to the current regulations for identity verification during examinations and your great interest in further information, we would like to answer your questions in this news article. All other Information about the exam find out here.
Why does my government-issued photo ID need to be recorded??
ÖSD certificates are certificates recognized by authorities and universities. To ensure high quality- and security requirements of both the ÖSD and the Accord Academy and in order to prevent fraud, examination participants are obliged to do so according to the ÖSD examination regulations, You must identify yourself with a valid official photo ID both when registering for the exam and during the exam. The passport is valid here, an EU identity card, an EU driving license, the residence permit or student ID card. You must always take two pieces of ID with you when taking the exam, Both of which must be presented upon request.
Because the identity of the exam participant must be documented, a copy of an ID card is required. As the person conducting the exams, the Accord Academy must make a copy of the ID card and send it to the ÖSD.
The fight against fraud and unrestricted trust in the ÖSD certificate are very important to both the ÖSD and the Accord Academy, We therefore also ask for your understanding for the complete control and recording of the identity of the examination participants. It is especially in your interest, that you have a valid, receive a forgery-proof and globally recognized certificate.
What is considered an official photo ID? Link oesterreich.gv.at
What about online registrations??
Proof of identity also applies to online registrations. A copy of the passport can be uploaded to the registration form via upload as a PDF or JPG and sent along. The document is then sent exclusively via the Accord Academy server. The copy can also be made with secure transfer, like for example swisstranfer (recommended) or wetransfer can be sent. Sending by email is not recommended.
We take privacy and security seriously
Data protection officer:interior and security expert:inside express concerns, Simply send copies of your ID by email or have copies made. These concerns should be taken seriously. We are used to it today, that a copy of our ID is made for every telephone contract or when we simply pick up a registered shipment at the post office, also many websites, z.B. Platforms such as car sharing or Airbnb require a passport copy to be submitted.
However, we should not thoughtlessly disclose this data and the recommendations of security experts:take it seriously inside. Copies of ID cards contain sensitive information and can be misused and can also be used for identity theft. The Accord Academy would like to explain a few points for your safety.
Can you even ask for a copy of your passport??
Copying ID cards is permitted in Austria with the express consent of the person, must be identifiable as a copy and is subject to the Data Protection Act. Data, such as a copy of the passport, may only be collected according to the data protection law, if “predominantly legitimate interests” consist (Link to GDPR) These legitimate interests are with a recognized certificate, that must be submitted to the authorities, offices and universities, given. In order to prevent fraud, identity verification is absolutely necessary.
The collection of data is therefore permitted, if the following three points apply:
The person responsible for processing the personal data or a:and Straight:r have a legitimate interest in data processing.
Processing is necessary to protect legitimate interests.
interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject, that require the protection of personal data, do not predominate.
https://datenschutz-grundverordnung.eu/
How can I increase security??
There are some measures, that you can take, to minimize the risk of misuse and protect you and your data:
• Secure upload via https
• Send via secure online service
• Encryption of the PDF
• Watermark with intended use in the ID copy
• Redacting non-essential data in the document
Secure shipping
Always pay attention, that the website is encrypted (recognizable by the lock symbol or the abbreviation https in front of the address) and on it, that the correct domain is displayed. There are also clones of the Accord Academy online with slightly different spellings, who supposedly offer lessons. It must be accepted, that this is fraud.
Submit the passport copy via upload in the registration form on the secure Accord webpage (https://accord-akademie.at/informationen-fuer-die-oesd-pruefung/). The copy uploaded via the registration form is then sent exclusively via the Accord Academy server. Our provider All-Inkl is based in Germany/European Union and offers comprehensive security precautions.
A second safe method, send a copy of your ID, is an online service for sending large files securely. The best known is wetransfer (GDPR-compatible to a limited extent).
We recommend the service swisstransfer. The service is free and no registration is required. The data is stored on Swiss servers, that meet European and Swiss data protection standards. Files can optionally be protected with a password for greater security. Links to the files are up to 30 Valid for days and are then automatically deleted by swisstransfer*.
Do not send us your passport copies via email, this does not meet the necessary security standards, Data can be intercepted and misused.
*The Accord Academy is not affiliated with swisstransfer and does not receive any payments for advertising.
Encrypt the PDF file
You can encrypt the PDF for security. Tell us the key in a separate message. Encrypting a PDF is usually very easy and can be done with the same program, with which you created it.
With MacOS, for example, you can use the Apple utility that is already preinstalled as standard “preview” use. Click under the tab “Edit” on “Edit permission” and enter a password. Save the document, it is now password protected.
If you send us the file via swisstrasfer, The opportunity is also available there free of charge, protect the sent file with a password before sending.
Watermark the passport copy
Open your image in a program like Photoshop, Paint or Gimp and write a watermark on the copy using transparent font. The watermark should include the date and intended use.
Here's how you can prevent it, that copies stolen or obtained through fraudulent websites can be misused for other purposes. For example, write: 26.10.2025, valid only for ÖSD exam
Redacting data that is not absolutely necessary
Make your signature and the data that is not absolutely necessary for registration unrecognizable on the copy of your ID. You can also do this using a photo editing program like Photoshop, Pint or Gimp or even easier with the painting tool of your PDF reader.
You can also find many other tips and information on the subject of online security on the websites https://www.onlinesicherheit.gv.at/ and https://www.watchlist-internet.at/.
Links on the subject of security with ID copies can also be found here:
help.ORF, Onlinesicherheit.gv.at, Chamber of Labor, polizeiberatung.de
the General Data Protection Regulation of the European Union you can read about it here.
We are happy to help you if you have any further questions (Contact) and we are happy, We would like to welcome you to one of our exams. At Information about the exam You can find out more on the info page Sign up is it here.
With kind regards
Your Accord team
