When do my foreign documents need translation or certification in Germany?

German authorities work in German, and they accept foreign documents only when accompanied by a translation done by a vereidigter or beeidigter Übersetzer — a translator sworn in by a German court. A regular translation, however accurate, will usually be rejected. The official directory of sworn translators is at justiz-dolmetscher.de; almost every language pair is covered.

The documents most commonly needed in certified-translated form are: birth certificates (used for Anmeldung, marriage registration, Kindergeld), marriage certificates (tax class, family insurance, residence permits), school and university certificates (for Anerkennung and university entry), driving licences in some cases, and police clearance certificates (Führungszeugnis) from your previous country.

Separately, many of these documents also need their origin certified, not just the translation. For countries party to the Apostille Convention, this means obtaining an Apostille from the relevant authority in the issuing country — usually a foreign ministry or court. For other countries, full diplomatic legalisation through a German embassy is required, which takes weeks and should be planned several months ahead. Once a document is apostilled or legalised, the German authority can accept it as authentic.

The big practical rule: do the Apostilles and other origin-country certifications before you leave. Once you are in Germany, getting an Apostille on a home-country document means sending originals back, which is slow, expensive and risky. A certified translation can usually wait until you are in Germany and know exactly which authority asks for it.

Costs: a beglaubigte Übersetzung typically runs €30–80 per standard page; Apostille fees vary by country but are inexpensive at home.