German Name Change Translation
German name change translation for USCIS, the SSA, a passport application or a US court. We translate the Urkunde über die Namensänderung, a Standesamt Namenserklärung, and Austrian and Swiss name change decisions into certified English, and US court name change orders into German for a consulate.
- 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 change of name records
Three ways a name changes in Germany
A German name changes by an official decision, by a declaration at the Standesamt, or by a later entry in the register. Each produces a different paper.
Administrative name change
A change for personal reasons goes through the Namensänderungsgesetz, decided by the local name change authority, often part of the Bürgeramt or Ordnungsamt. You receive an Urkunde über die Namensänderung or a Bescheid giving the old name, the new name, the date it takes effect and a fee notice. We translate the full decision and keep both names spelled exactly.
Namenserklärung at the Standesamt
Many changes are a declaration, not a decision: choosing an Ehename at marriage, taking back a birth name after divorce, adding a Begleitname, or a first name change under the Selbstbestimmungsgesetz. The Standesamt certifies the declaration. The translation names it as a declaration, which tells the reader no court was involved.
Einbenennung of a child
When a parent remarries, the couple can give a child from the earlier relationship their Ehename through an Einbenennung under § 1618 BGB. It is a declaration at the Standesamt, often with the other parent's consent or a court order replacing it. A US school or USCIS sees a child whose surname differs from the birth certificate, and the Einbenennung is the paper that explains it.
Who is asking for your German change of name 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.
US passports and the Department of State
The Department of State wants the translation notarized. Add notarization at checkout and we handle the rest.
Banks, DMVs and Social Security
Offices updating your record to the new name accept a certified translation of the order, read next to the original. Some DMVs want it notarized as well, so check with your office first.
Before you upload
Three things that save a day of back and forth on a German change of name.
Send the court order or the registry act
A name change is proved by the judge's order, the deed poll or the registry entry that recorded it. Upload the document that made the change, not only an ID in the new name.
Show both names in the scan
The page that lists the old name and the new one is the page every recipient wants. Include the seal, the registration number and the back of the page.
Give us the English spelling of both names
Tell us how each name appears on your passport or other documents. The translation keeps the names as the order writes them and notes the spelling you use.
Details and pricing
What is included in a German change of name 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 change of name 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 Change Of Name FAQ
Most questions about pricing and turnaround can be answered faster by requesting a quote.
- I changed my name in the US. Will Germany recognize it?
- Not automatically. A German citizen usually has to file a declaration or apply for a German name change through the consulate, attaching the US court order. We translate the order and the related US records into German. Ask the consulate whether it wants a translator sworn in Germany.
- How do Austria and Switzerland issue a name change?
- In Austria the Bezirkshauptmannschaft, or in Vienna the Magistrat, issues a Bescheid. In Switzerland the cantonal government decides, and the Zivilstandsamt records it. We translate the decision and the updated civil status record so the reader can see both.
- Which documents does USCIS need to show my German name change?
- The decision or declaration that made the change, plus a birth or marriage record that shows the current name. If your name changed more than once, send each step in order. Keep them in date order, so the officer can follow the name from one record to the next.
- 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
Change of name translation in other languages
Each of these pages is written for that language's change of name records.
Sending it with an application? Read the USCIS translation requirements, Apostille service before you order.