What a certified translation actually is
German authorities — the Standesamt, the Ausländerbehörde, universities — usually require foreign documents to be submitted with a certified translation, a beglaubigte Übersetzung. That means a translation made by a court-sworn or authorised translator in Germany (beeidigter, öffentlich bestellter, or ermächtigter Übersetzer), who attaches their stamp and a Bestätigungsvermerk confirming the translation is complete and accurate. An ordinary translation, or even a notarised one, is generally not accepted in its place. Note that the requirement comes from the receiving authority, so always check exactly what your specific office asks for.
Where to find a court-sworn translator
There are two reliable directories:
- justiz-dolmetscher.de — the official database run by the federal-state justice administrations (legal basis: the Gerichtsdolmetschergesetz, in force since 1 January 2023). Search by language, direction and location.
- The BDÜ directory — the translators' professional association, filterable for court-sworn status.
Both let you find a translator authorised for your source language → German, which is what matters. The titles "translator" and "interpreter" are not protected in Germany, which is exactly why using a sworn one is important.
What it costs and how long it takes
There are two different price worlds. For court- or authority-commissioned work, the statutory rate is set by law (§11 JVEG): €1.95 per 55 keystrokes of the translated text — a little more for hard-to-read source documents — with a €20 minimum per job. For private orders, pricing is freely negotiated: as a rough market guide, a standard one-page civil-status document (birth, marriage, police clearance) typically runs about €30–€80, with longer or technical documents costing more. Turnaround for a short document is usually a few working days. The private figures are market estimates, not official rates.
Apostille first? And do translations from abroad count?
A certified translation does not replace an Apostille or legalisation. If your original document needs one, the Apostille goes on the original, not the translation — so the usual order is apostille the original first, then translate. Within the EU, many public documents no longer need an apostille at all (EU Regulation 2016/1191, since 16 February 2019). Whether a translation done abroad is accepted is at the receiving authority's discretion; to be safe, use a translator sworn in Germany. The Auswärtiges Amt explains the apostille and legalisation rules.
Translation vs interpreting
These are different jobs with different authorisations. A translator works with written documents; an interpreter (Dolmetscher) works orally — at a notary, the Standesamt, or a court hearing. A translation stamp won't cover an in-person appointment, and vice versa. The statutory interpreter rate is €93 per hour (§9 JVEG). When you book, make sure you're hiring the right role. Most newcomers first hit this requirement during qualification recognition or a family-reunion visa; build your document plan to sequence it before your appointments.