Sworn only
authorities accept court-authorised translators, nobody else
€30–65
a certified birth certificate translation, standard pairs
DE or EN
uni-assist accepts both — English documents often need no translation
2–5 days
typical online turnaround, stamped original by post
Guide by
Abdullah
Creator of Ankommo · Based in Germany
I moved to Germany and built Ankommo to help others navigate the same process I went through. I offer 1-on-1 video consultations on visas, Ausbildung applications, citizenship requirements, and German language — in English, Urdu, or German.
Book a 1-on-1 consultationWhat will your documents cost?
Tick the documents on your checklist. Ranges are market prices for certified translations in standard language pairs, compiled from provider pricing in July 2026 — treat them as orientation and get an exact quote before ordering.
First check the skip list— the cheapest translation is the one you don't order.
Which documents need translating?
€70–€140
2 documents, certified, incl. stamp
Orientation range for standard pairs — providers flat-price per document with minimum fees. Court rate anchor: €1.95 per 55-character line (€2.15 for scanned documents), JVEG since April 2025.
Free alternative: search the official sworn-translator database at justiz-dolmetscher.de and request quotes directly — often the cheapest route for rare languages.
The stamp is the product
Only sworn translators count
A beglaubigte Übersetzung is not about translation quality — it is about who signs it. German authorities accept translations only from sworn translators (vereidigt, beeidigt or ermächtigt, depending on the federal state), who attach their stamp, signature and a certification note to every page.
Your own translation, a bilingual friend, or a regular agency without a sworn translator — all rejected, regardless of accuracy. Online platforms are fine when the work is done by sworn translators (the two we list use them); a local translator from the free official database at justiz-dolmetscher.de works exactly as well and is often cheapest for rare languages.
One more distinction saves real money: the apostille authenticates your original document (issued in the origin country); the translation renders it into German. Foreign civil documents often need both — and the order matters: apostille first, then translate, so the stamp gets translated too.
When you can skip the translation
Nobody selling translations leads with this section. Four cases where the answer is "don't pay":
English documents at uni-assist
uni-assist accepts certificates issued in German OR English — if your degree and transcript are in English, translation is usually unnecessary. Check the country-specific notes before paying.
EU multilingual standard forms
Since EU Regulation 2016/1191, EU countries issue multilingual standard forms for birth, marriage and residence certificates — attached to the original, they replace translation inside the EU.
Bilingual originals
Some countries issue certificates bilingually (e.g. with English). If German or English is already on the document, most universities and many offices take it as-is.
Documents nobody asked for
Translate against the recipient’s checklist, not your whole folder. Every page you translate “just in case” is €40–80 spent on a document that may never leave your drawer.
Where certified translations are genuinely required
Visa & residence files
Embassies and Ausländerbehörden generally want German translations of non-German civil documents — birth certificates for family reunification, marriage certificates, custody declarations.
Marriage & civil status (Standesamt)
The strictest customer: sworn translations, often apostilled originals, ISO transliteration for non-Latin names. No shortcuts here.
Citizenship (Einbürgerung)
Birth certificate and other civil documents need certified German translations for the naturalisation file.
Driving licence exchange
Non-EU licences usually need a certified translation for the Umschreibung unless your country is on the exemption list — see our Führerschein planner.
Recognition of qualifications
Anerkennung procedures for regulated professions (nurses, doctors, engineers) require certified translations of diplomas and work references.
Courts & notaries
Any document entering a German legal proceeding needs a sworn translation — this is the case the JVEG rates were written for.
Exchanging a non-EU driving licence? The Führerschein planner tells you whether your country is exempt from tests — and whether a licence translation is on your list at all.
Frequently asked questions
- Do my English documents need a certified German translation?
- Often no. uni-assist and most German universities accept documents issued in English without any translation — one of the most expensive mistakes applicants make is translating English degree certificates nobody asked them to translate. Authorities differ though: Standesämter (civil registry) and many Ausländerbehörden do require German translations. Ask the specific office before paying.
- Who is allowed to make a certified translation for Germany?
- Only sworn/court-authorised translators (vereidigte, beeidigte or ermächtigte Übersetzer — the term varies by federal state). A regular translation agency, a bilingual friend, or your own translation is not accepted, no matter how accurate. Every sworn translator in Germany is listed in the free official database at justiz-dolmetscher.de.
- How much does a certified translation cost in Germany?
- Typical certified prices for standard pairs like English–German: birth or marriage certificate €30–65, school or degree certificate €40–80, multi-page transcript €60–150. The court-rate anchor is €1.95 per 55-character line (€2.15 for scanned documents, JVEG since April 2025) plus a certification fee of €5–20. Less common languages cost roughly 30% more.
- How long does a certified translation take?
- Online platforms typically deliver standard documents in 2–5 working days — a digital version first, with the stamped original following by post. Direct orders with a local sworn translator vary from days to a couple of weeks. Some offices accept the digital certified copy; uni-assist requires posted hard copies — check what your recipient wants before choosing express options.
- What is the difference between an apostille and a certified translation?
- The apostille authenticates the ORIGINAL document (issued by an authority in the country of origin under the Hague Convention); the certified translation renders it into German. Foreign civil documents often need both. Order matters: get the apostille first, then translate — so the translation covers the apostille too.
- Do certified translations expire?
- The translation itself does not expire. But the underlying document might: police clearance certificates are usually accepted only 3–6 months from issue, and some Standesämter want recently issued civil certificates. Check the recipient’s freshness requirement before translating an old document.
- My documents are not in the Latin alphabet — anything special?
- Yes: for civil status matters (marriage, birth registration, citizenship), names from non-Latin scripts must be transliterated according to ISO standards (e.g. ISO 9 for Cyrillic) — German registry offices insist on it, and a translation without ISO transliteration can be rejected. Tell the translator the document is for a Standesamt so they apply the norm.
Read the next German letter yourself
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