German ID Card Translation
German ID card translation for a USCIS filing, a US bank account or a background check. We translate the German Personalausweis front and back, the Austrian and Swiss identity cards, and the address stickers added after a move, with a signed certification on every order.
- 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 id card records
Front, back and the address that changes
Germans must hold a valid Personalausweis or passport from age 16, so for many people the ID card is the identity document they use every day, and the one that records where they lived.
The back of the card
The front of the card issued since November 2010 carries name, birth name, date and place of birth, nationality and expiry, with labels in German, English and French. The back is mostly German: the Anschrift, height, eye colour, the issuing authority and any Ordens- oder Künstlername. A translation of the front alone leaves half the card unread, so we always do both sides.
Address stickers
When a German moves, the Bürgeramt does not issue a new card. It puts a sticker with the new address on the back, and some cards carry two or three. We translate every sticker in order, with the office stamp beside it, so the reader can see which address is current. A full address history comes from a separate registration record, not from the card.
Older cards, Austria and Switzerland
Before 2010 the Personalausweis was a larger laminated card, and some people keep an expired one as proof of an old name or address. Austria's Personalausweis is optional and less common than the passport. A Swiss Identitätskarte gets the same treatment, field by field, with the Swiss field names kept as printed.
Who is asking for your German id card 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.
State DMVs and Social Security offices
An ID card offered as proof of identity or date of birth is accepted with a certified translation. A few offices want it notarized as well, so check with your office before you order.
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.
Before you upload
Three things that save a day of back and forth on a German id card.
Scan both sides
The issuing office, the expiry date and the address are usually on the back. Upload the front and the back in one order so the translation covers the whole card.
Give us the spelling you use in English
The translation shows the name as the card prints it and notes the spelling on your passport or green card. Say which at checkout so the two documents match.
A phone photo works if every character is readable
Lay the card on a plain surface, avoid glare on the hologram and take one picture per side with the whole card in frame.
Details and pricing
What is included in a German id card 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 id card 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 ID Card FAQ
Most questions about pricing and turnaround can be answered faster by requesting a quote.
- Can I use a German Personalausweis as ID in the US?
- Not as primary identification. USCIS, banks and employers generally want a passport for identity, but the ID card can back it up, for example to show a birth name or an address history abroad. If you submit it, USCIS wants a full English translation of both sides like any other foreign document.
- Which number on the card goes on a US form?
- The Ausweisnummer, the nine-character document number at the top right of the front. The six-digit Zugangsnummer elsewhere on the front only opens the chip for online use. We copy both exactly as printed and label each one, so nobody enters the wrong number on a US form.
- Can a German ID card be apostilled?
- Not the card itself. Offices that need a verified copy usually want a beglaubigte Kopie made by a German Bürgeramt or notary, and the certification on that copy can then be apostilled. We translate the copy with its certification stamp, and can notarize our translation when the recipient asks.
- 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
ID card translation in other languages
Each of these pages is written for that language's id card records.
Sending it with an application? Read the USCIS translation requirements, Notarized translations before you order.