German Apostille Translation
German apostille translation for documents moving between the US and Germany, Austria or Switzerland. We translate the German-language apostille on a Geburtsurkunde, court order or diploma into certified English, and a US Secretary of State apostille with its document 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 apostille records
Who stamps a German apostille and what it says
Germany has no single apostille office. The authority depends on the document and the federal state, and the certificate is in German.
Issuing offices
Civil status records like a Geburtsurkunde are apostilled by the Regierungspräsidium, the Bezirksregierung or a state ministry, depending on the Land. Court documents and notarial deeds go to the president of the Landgericht. A Führungszeugnis gets its apostille from the Bundesamt für Justiz. Austria splits the work between courts and ministries, and in Switzerland the cantonal Staatskanzlei apostilles cantonal documents.
Ten numbered fields
Every apostille carries the heading Apostille (Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961) in French and ten numbered fields, in German on a German one: Land, unterschrieben von, in seiner Eigenschaft als, versehen mit dem Siegel, in, am, durch, unter Nr., Siegel, Unterschrift. We translate each field with its number so the reader can match it to the model in the convention.
Translate the apostille too
An apostille confirms the signature and seal on the document, not its content, and a US reader still needs both in English. We translate the document and the apostille as one order, and note whether the apostille is a stamp on the back, an attached page or a sheet joined with a cord and seal, so it is clear it belongs to that document.
Who is asking for your German apostille translation?
The translation is the same. What changes is whether the recipient wants anything added to it.
Registries and courts abroad
A civil registry, a court or a notary in another country reads the apostille as proof the US document is genuine, and wants the whole set translated into its language. Tell us the country in the order notes.
Consulates
Consulates processing a citizenship, marriage or residency application accept a certified translation of the apostilled document. Add notarization at checkout if the checklist asks for it.
Italian comuni and consulates
Italian citizenship applications ask for US vital records with an apostille and an Italian translation of both the record and the apostille page.
Before you upload
Three things that save a day of back and forth on a German apostille.
Send the apostille with the document it certifies
An apostille is a page stapled or glued to another document. Upload both, since the recipient reads the apostille only as proof that the document under it is genuine.
Scan the apostille whole, including the seal
The ten numbered fields, the seal and the signature of the issuing officer are what a foreign registry checks. Keep the full page in frame, including any ribbon or embossed stamp.
Get the apostille before you order
The translation has to cover the apostille page too. Have it issued first and then upload the complete set, so nothing is missing from the translation.
Details and pricing
What is included in a German apostille 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 apostille 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 Apostille FAQ
Most questions about pricing and turnaround can be answered faster by requesting a quote.
- Should I translate before or after the apostille?
- For a German document going to the US, get the apostille first, then have us translate the document and apostille together. For a US document going to Germany, the apostille goes on the US original from the Secretary of State of the issuing state, or the US Department of State for federal documents, and we translate both into German.
- Will a German office accept your German translation of a US document?
- Some will. Many German courts, Standesämter and Ausländerbehörden require translations by a translator sworn or authorized by a German court, and we are not sworn translators in Germany. Universities and employers are often more flexible. Ask the office before ordering, and if it wants a sworn translator, use one.
- Do you translate a German apostille for USCIS?
- USCIS does not ask for an apostille, since it reviews foreign documents directly. If your German document already carries one, we translate it along with the document at $25 per page of up to 250 words, so the officer is not left with an untranslated stamp.
- 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
Apostille translation in other languages
Each of these pages is written for that language's apostille records.
Sending it with an application? Read the Apostille service before you order.