Certified translation in Germany is an official requirement for all foreign documents used in a residency application. German certified translation has its own standards. This article explains the requirements.
What certified translation in Germany requires
Certified translation for German official applications must be carried out by a sworn translator (vereidigter Übersetzer). This is a translator recognised by a German court, bearing an official seal. Machine translation or informal translation is not accepted for residency documents.
All non-German documents must be translated into German for the application: diplomas, transcripts, birth certificates, marriage certificates, criminal record certificates and work experience records. Translation can be done by a sworn translator in Germany or in the country that issued the original document.
Translation and legalisation process
For Vietnamese applicants, there are two options. Option 1: translate in Vietnam through a notary office or recognised translator, then have it consular-legalised (Department of Foreign Affairs + German Consulate in Vietnam). Option 2: send the original documents to Germany and have them translated there by a vereidigter Übersetzer.
Option 1 is more common for people who have not yet been to Germany. Option 2 is usually faster if someone in Germany can already handle it. Translation fees in Germany are usually 30-60 EUR per page, higher than in Vietnam.
Notes on preparing documents
Names, dates and figures must match exactly across all documents. If the name on the passport differs from the one on a diploma (due to different transliteration), a notarised explanation must be included. This is a common cause of application delays.
Those interested should prepare translations early, as soon as the original documents are available, rather than waiting until close to the submission date. Each translation and legalisation takes 1-4 weeks, so processing multiple documents in parallel saves time.
You should refer to Make it in Germany and trang Bo Noi vu Lien bang Duc to check current conditions.
Summary
Certified translation for a German application must be carried out by a sworn translator (vereidigter Übersetzer). Two options: translate in Vietnam plus consular legalisation, or translate in Germany (30-60 EUR per page). Names and dates must match across documents; names differing due to transliteration require an explanation. You should prepare early and process multiple documents in parallel.
