German Background Check Translation
German background check translation for both sides of a move. A US employer or screening firm gets your Arbeitszeugnis and Meldebescheinigung from Germany, Austria or Switzerland in certified English; a German employer, Ausländerbehörde or licensing office gets your FBI Identity History Summary in 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 background check records
Employment and address history from Germany
US screening firms verify past jobs and addresses, and the German records for both look nothing like a US reference letter or credit header.
The Arbeitszeugnis and its coded grades
Every German employee is entitled to a written Arbeitszeugnis at the end of a job. Courts require it to be benevolent, so grades are coded: stets zu unserer vollsten Zufriedenheit is the top mark, zu unserer Zufriedenheit a weak pass. We translate the words faithfully and add a translator's note on what the standard phrase means, so a US recruiter does not read a mediocre reference as praise.
Meldebescheinigung for address history
Everyone living in Germany registers with the Bürgeramt or Einwohnermeldeamt. A Meldebescheinigung confirms the current address; an erweiterte Meldebescheinigung can list earlier addresses and move-in dates. That is the closest German record to the address history a US background check asks for. Austria issues a Meldebestätigung from the central register; Swiss municipalities issue a Wohnsitzbestätigung.
FBI reports going the other way
Americans applying to work in Germany in nursing, teaching, childcare or medicine, or applying for Einbürgerung, are often asked for an FBI Identity History Summary. German offices usually want it apostilled by the US Department of State and translated into German. Some insist on a beeidigter or ermächtigter Übersetzer, a translator sworn in Germany, and we are not one, so check before ordering.
Who is asking for your German background check translation?
The translation is the same. What changes is whether the recipient wants anything added to it.
USCIS and the National Visa Center
Green card and visa applications ask for police and court records with a complete English translation and a signed certification. No notarization is needed.
Employers and licensing boards
An employer or a professional board checking your record from abroad accepts a certified translation they can read next to the original. Ask whether they want a hard copy.
Residency and work permits abroad
An FBI or state background check going to another country usually needs an apostille and a translation into that country's language, sometimes notarized.
Before you upload
Three things that save a day of back and forth on a German background check.
Get the check issued first, then order the translation
Most background checks are valid for a few months. Have it issued, then upload it, so the translation and the original are current together.
Send the report the checklist names
A police certificate, a court record and an FBI identity history summary are different documents. Read the employer or consulate checklist and send the one it asks for.
Keep the verification code in the scan
Online reports carry a QR code or a reference number that the recipient uses to confirm the result. Scan the whole page so it is translated with the rest.
Details and pricing
What is included in a German background check 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 background check 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 Background Check FAQ
Most questions about pricing and turnaround can be answered faster by requesting a quote.
- Can you translate a Zwischenzeugnis or a short employment confirmation?
- Yes. A Zwischenzeugnis is an interim reference issued while you are still employed, and an einfaches Zeugnis or Arbeitsbescheinigung only confirms dates and job title. Many US employers only need the dates and title verified, so the short version can be enough and is cheaper to translate at $25 per page.
- My screening company cannot reach my old German employer. What can I send?
- The Arbeitszeugnis, the Arbeitsvertrag and a payslip from your last month together show the employer, your title and your dates. German employers are cautious about confirming details by phone under data protection rules, and many screening firms accept translated documents instead. Ask the firm what it will take before ordering.
- My references are from Austria or Switzerland. Are they read the same way?
- Mostly. An Austrian Dienstzeugnis may not contain anything that makes finding a new job harder, so it is often short and neutral. Swiss employees can ask for a full Arbeitszeugnis or a plain Arbeitsbestätigung with dates and role only. Swiss references use a similar coded scale, and we add the same kind of note where a phrase carries a grade.
- 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
Background check translation in other languages
Each of these pages is written for that language's background check records.
Sending it with an application? Read the Certified translations, Apostille service before you order.