How to Find and Verify a Sworn Translator in Germany

An official at a German office has asked you for a "beglaubigte Übersetzung" (certified translation) of your birth certificate, and a search turns up dozens of offers, from a translator in the next street to portals that promise delivery tomorrow. Prices and wording differ, and from a screen it is hard to tell who is allowed to certify. This guide explains who may certify a translation in Germany, how to check a translator in the official register, what a genuine certified translation contains, and what you can check about an online provider before you pay.

Who is allowed to certify a translation in Germany?

In Germany the right to certify a translation belongs to a person, not to a company. A translator is sworn, publicly appointed or authorised by a court or justice authority of a federal state. The rules are state law, so the titles vary. In North Rhine-Westphalia translators are "ermächtigt" (authorised) by the president of an Oberlandesgericht (higher regional court); in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg they are "öffentlich bestellt und beeidigt" (publicly appointed and sworn) by the president of a Landgericht (regional court); in Hamburg an authority, the Behörde für Inneres und Sport, is competent.

The federal reference point is § 142 (3) of the Zivilprozessordnung (ZPO, Code of Civil Procedure). A court may require a translation "prepared by a translator who has been authorised or publicly appointed for translations of the kind concerned in a federal state under state law, or who is treated as equivalent to such a translator". Such a translation is presumed correct and complete once the translator certifies it, though the opposite may still be proven. Offices outside the courts generally follow the same standard.

One point is often mixed up. The Gerichtsdolmetschergesetz (GDolmG, Court Interpreters Act), in force since 1 January 2023, sets federal rules for the general swearing-in of interpreters in court hearings, that is for spoken language. Translators for written work are still authorised under state law, which in several states applies parts of the federal act by reference. Our explainer on what a sworn translation is has the background.

How do you use the official register?

The state justice administrations run a joint online register, the Dolmetscher- und Übersetzerdatenbank at justiz-dolmetscher.de. It lists everyone who is generally sworn, publicly appointed or authorised in one of the states; in November 2026 it held around 24,700 entries, and searching is free.

• Search by language. Enter the language of your document; a second language can be added.
• Narrow by activity. Under "Tätig als" choose "Übersetzer/in" to leave out pure interpreters.
• Check a name. Enter the surname from an offer, or from the stamp on a finished translation, under "Nachname/Firma". The full record shows the languages, the place of business and the court or authority behind the entry.

The register records persons, not agencies; the authorisation belongs to the individual who signs. If a name is missing, ask which court authorised the translator and when; since 2023 appointments in many states run for five years.

A translator authorised in one state may certify for use in another. The ZPO speaks of authorisation in "a federal state", not the state where you submit the document, and offices generally accept translations by translators sworn anywhere in Germany. If an office has told you otherwise, ask for the requirement in writing.

What does a genuine certified translation contain?

A certified translation is a complete translation with a signed certification note (Bestätigungsvermerk). The ZPO says the note should be placed on the translation, give place, date and the translator's status, and be signed. In North Rhine-Westphalia, § 34 of the Justizgesetz prescribes the wording "Die Richtigkeit und Vollständigkeit vorstehender Übersetzung aus der … Sprache wird bescheinigt", followed by place, date, signature and the translator's title naming the court and the language.

On a finished translation you can expect to find:

• The whole document, including the reverse side, marginal notes and any apostille, or a clear statement that only part of it was translated.
• The certification note in German, confirming completeness and correctness, with place and date.
• The translator's name and status, for example "vom Landgericht X öffentlich bestellter und beeidigter Übersetzer für die englische Sprache", and a handwritten signature. A stamp is customary and usually repeats this title.
• A note on the source. The NRW rule requires a note when the document translated was not an original, for example "Übersetzung einer Kopie".
• Descriptions in square brackets of stamps, seals, signatures and illegible passages in the original.

Is a digitally signed PDF enough?

Sometimes. Under § 126a of the Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch (BGB, Civil Code), the electronic form can replace a required written form if the issuer adds their name and a qualified electronic signature (QES). The EU eIDAS Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 gives a QES the legal effect of a handwritten signature, and North Rhine-Westphalia's Justizgesetz expressly allows the certification note in electronic form. In practice many offices still want the paper original with an ink signature, and a scan of a signed page is not a QES. Ask the office which form it wants.

How can you check an online provider?

Ordering online is normal. The point is to look at what an office would look at, and most of it takes a few minutes.

§ 5 of the Digitale-Dienste-Gesetz (DDG, Digital Services Act), in force since 14 May 2024, lists what a commercial website's Impressum must contain, including the provider's name and address, for companies the legal form and representative, an e-mail address, the register entry and any VAT identification number. A provider based outside Germany may follow other rules.

The price should cover the entire document and be fixed before you pay. Some offers quote per line or per page, so compare like with like; for a two-sided document such as a driver's licence, ask whether both sides are included. Our guide to certified translation costs explains the common price models.

Whatever the website is called, the certification is personal, and any provider should be able to tell you who will sign. Trusted Lingo, for example, is a marketplace of translators sworn in Germany: the finished translation carries the translator's own stamp and certification note, the fixed price per document is shown before payment, and the paper copy goes by registered post with a PDF scan.

Which misunderstandings come up most often?

• A notary does not certify translations. German notaries certify signatures and copies, not the accuracy of a translation. Our guide to sworn, notarised and certified translations sets out the distinction.
• An agency's "certified" stamp is not a sworn translator's certification. A company stamp with a statement of accuracy may count elsewhere; German offices look for the personal certification of a court-admitted translator.
• An apostille is something else. It confirms the signature and seal on a public document for use abroad and belongs on the original, not on the translation. Our guide to apostille vs. certified translation explains the order of steps.
• A translation certified abroad is often not what German offices expect. § 142 ZPO refers to authorisation under the law of a German state. Some offices accept foreign certifications, particularly from other EU countries; others ask for a new translation by a translator sworn here. Ask before you pay twice.

Key takeaways

• In Germany a certified translation is certified by a person: a translator sworn, publicly appointed or authorised under state law, with titles that differ by state.
• The Dolmetscher- und Übersetzerdatenbank at justiz-dolmetscher.de lets you check any name, language and court free of charge.
• A genuine translation carries a certification note with place, date, the translator's status and signature, and says whether it was made from an original or a copy.
• A qualified electronic signature can replace the handwritten one in law, but many offices still want paper, so ask first.
• For an online provider, check the Impressum, the terms, the named translator, the full-document price and the data notice before you pay.

If you would like a certified translation by a translator sworn in Germany, with the price shown before you order, have a look at our services.