German Criminal Record Translation
German criminal record translation for immigrant visas, green cards and US employers. We translate the Führungszeugnis from the Bundesamt für Justiz, an Austrian Strafregisterbescheinigung or a Swiss Strafregisterauszug, and the court papers behind a listed conviction, into certified English.
- 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 criminal record records
German police certificates and what they list
Germany keeps one national register, the Bundeszentralregister in Bonn, and the Führungszeugnis is an extract from it, not a local police report.
Which Führungszeugnis to ask for
For a US immigrant visa you need the Privatführungszeugnis, Belegart N, which is sent to you. The Behördenführungszeugnis, Belegart O, goes straight to a German authority and is no use to a US consulate. An erweitertes Führungszeugnis is for work with children. From abroad you apply online with the eID function of your Personalausweis or by written application to the office in Bonn.
Keine Eintragung and day-fines
Most read Inhalt: Keine Eintragung, no entry, and the translation is short. When there is an entry, it lists the court, the date, the Aktenzeichen, the offence by its StGB section and the sentence. German fines are Tagessätze: 60 Tagessätze zu je 30 Euro means sixty day-units of thirty euros each. We translate that literally, since a day-fine has no US equivalent and the total alone hides how the court graded it.
What the certificate leaves out
A first conviction to no more than 90 Tagessätze, or up to three months in prison, usually does not appear on a Führungszeugnis, and entries drop off after set periods. USCIS asks about arrests and convictions regardless. If you have a Strafbefehl, an Urteil or an Einstellung, a dismissal, those court papers are what an officer will want in English alongside the certificate.
Who is asking for your German criminal record translation?
The translation is the same. What changes is whether the recipient wants anything added to it.
USCIS and the National Visa Center
Consular processing asks for police certificates with a complete English translation and a signed certification. No notarization is needed.
IRCC
IRCC accepts a certified translation with the translator's affidavit. Order the certified translation and add notarization if your application guide asks for it.
Residency applications abroad
A US 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 criminal record.
Get the certificate first, then the translation
Most police certificates are valid for a few months. Have the certificate issued, then upload it, so the translation and the original are current together.
Check which authority the checklist names
A state letter, a federal letter and a court record are different documents. Read the consulate or USCIS checklist and send the one it asks for, or all of them.
Keep the QR code and verification number in the scan
Online certificates carry a QR code or a verification code. They are translated with the rest and are how a consulate confirms the document is genuine.
Details and pricing
What is included in a German criminal record 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 criminal record 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 Criminal Record FAQ
Most questions about pricing and turnaround can be answered faster by requesting a quote.
- Does the US consulate accept a German Führungszeugnis?
- The State Department's reciprocity page for Germany lists the Führungszeugnis as the police certificate for immigrant visa applicants who lived there long enough to need one. It must be in English or come with a certified translation. We translate the certificate, the letterhead of the Bundesamt für Justiz and the seal.
- How recent does the Führungszeugnis have to be?
- No expiry date is printed on it, but the National Visa Center and USCIS want a recent one, and an employer may set its own limit. Order the certificate, wait for it to arrive, then send it to us. Turnaround starts from 24 hours, and the certificate is usually one page at $25.
- Can you translate a Strafbefehl or court judgment?
- Yes. A Strafbefehl is a penalty order issued without a trial, and once accepted it has the effect of a final judgment. An Urteil is a full judgment with reasons. Both name the StGB section, which we give with a plain English description of the offence rather than a US crime name that may not match.
- 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
Criminal record translation in other languages
Each of these pages is written for that language's criminal record records.
Sending it with an application? Read the USCIS translation requirements before you order.