German Adoption Documents Translation
German adoption documents translation for adoptees, adoptive parents and their lawyers: the Familiengericht decision, Jugendamt files, old adoption records from the postwar years and the birth register entry that shows the adoption. We translate German into certified English for USCIS and US courts, and US adoption decrees into German.
- Up to 250 words per page
- $25 per page
- Standard turnaround
- From 24 hours
- Certificate of accuracy
- Signed & stamped
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Written for German adoption documents records
How a German adoption is written down
German law calls adoption Annahme als Kind, and a court, not a contract, makes it happen. The papers you hold depend on when and for whom it was done.
The Adoptionsbeschluss
The adoption is pronounced by a Beschluss of the Familiengericht at the local Amtsgericht, citing the BGB sections it applies. Older adoptions came from the Vormundschaftsgericht, and adoptions before 1977 were often made by a notarized Adoptionsvertrag confirmed by the court. The translation names the court and the file number, the Aktenzeichen, exactly, and keeps the cited sections.
Minor or adult adoption
Germany also allows the adoption of adults, and many are done for inheritance or name reasons. A Volljährigenadoption usually leaves the legal tie to the birth parents in place, unlike the adoption of a minor. For a US immigration petition the age at adoption is what matters, so the translation keeps the dates of birth and of the Beschluss exactly as written.
Postwar and Jugendamt records
Many Americans adopted as children from Germany after the war now request their files from the Jugendamt or a church agency to trace birth parents or prove citizenship. These are typed reports, Vormund appointments and letters, often with handwritten notes. We read the hand and mark anything we cannot read.
Who is asking for your German adoption documents translation?
The translation is the same. What changes is whether the recipient wants anything added to it.
USCIS
USCIS asks for a complete English translation and a signed certification from the translator. No notarization is needed.
Family courts and state registrars
A state court recognizing a foreign adoption, or a vital records office issuing a US birth certificate, accepts a certified translation of the decree, notarized where the clerk asks for it.
Central authorities and courts abroad
Adopting from another country, your home study and background checks usually need an apostille and a translation into that country's language.
Before you upload
Three things that save a day of back and forth on a German adoption documents.
Send the full adoption file in one order
The court decree, the consent of the birth parents, the home study and the child's new birth certificate are read together. One order keeps the names and dates consistent across all of them.
Include the stamps and the finality note
A foreign adoption decree is complete only with the court seal and the note that it is final. Scan the back of each page and any attached certificates.
Give us the child's name as it will be registered
Tell us the spelling the child's passport or visa application uses. The translation keeps the name as the record writes it and notes the English spelling.
Details and pricing
What is included in a German adoption documents translation
One price per page covers the translation and its certification. A page is up to 250 words, and the quote tells you the page count before you pay.
Everything on the adoption documents is translated, including stamps, seals and handwritten notes. Tell us the English spelling you use for each name when you order.
Certified Translation
Word-for-word translation with a certificate of accuracy for official use.
$25
USD / page
up to 250 words per page
Included
- Signed & stamped certification of translation accuracy
- Certified by a professional translator
- Digital delivery via PDF
- Review and approve final translation
- 100% Guaranteed Acceptance
- Standard turnaround starting at 24 hours
Optional services
- Expedited turnaround
- Priority handling when your deadline is shorter than the standard turnaround.
- By deadline
- Notarization
- A notary public signs and stamps the certification statement.
- $20 per order
- Physical copy
- A wet-ink original of your translation, mailed by express courier.
- $35 per order
- Apostille
- Authenticates the notary’s signature and seal for use in Hague Convention countries.
- $180 per document
What the certificate of accuracy states
Your translation arrives with a Certification of Translation Accuracy issued by ImmiTranslate. It is the page the receiving organization checks first.
- The translation is complete and accurate.
- The document title and the language pair.
- The translator is competent in both languages.
- A signature and the ImmiTranslate certification stamp.
- Our American Translators Association corporate membership.
Our translation process
Our goal is to make the translation process as simple as possible for you. Our service is streamlined specifically for documents of this nature.
German Adoption Documents FAQ
Most questions about pricing and turnaround can be answered faster by requesting a quote.
- Does the birth certificate change after a German adoption?
- Yes. The adoption is recorded in the Geburtenregister and a new Geburtsurkunde names the adoptive parents. The full register copy still shows the original entry with the adoption written under it. For USCIS, send the Adoptionsbeschluss and the current Geburtsurkunde; your lawyer may want the register copy too.
- We adopted in the US. Does Germany need the decree in German?
- If a parent is German and wants the adoption recognized there, usually yes. Recognition of a foreign adoption is decided by a German Familiengericht, and the court will ask for the decree and the papers behind it in German. We translate English into German; ask the court first whether it wants a translator sworn in Germany.
- Can you translate an Austrian or Swiss adoption?
- Yes. In Austria the Bezirksgericht approves the adoption agreement by Beschluss. In Switzerland the cantonal authority pronounces the adoption, so the document is a Verfügung or Entscheid from the canton. The translation names the right authority instead of turning every one into a court.
- How much does a certified translation cost?
- Certified translation is $25 per page, with a page counted as up to 250 words. Notarization, a mailed physical copy and an apostille are optional and priced separately.
- How long does a certified translation take?
- Standard turnaround starts at 24 hours and depends on the length and language of your documents. If you have a deadline, include it in your quote request.
Other German documents we translate
Adoption documents translation in other languages
Each of these pages is written for that language's adoption documents records.
Sending it with an application? Read the USCIS translation requirements, Apostille service before you order.