Official Certification and Official Translation

An official certification is an official confirmation by specially authorised persons or authorities that the copy of a document corresponds to the original document, also known as an officially certified copy.

For this purpose, a copy of the original document will be created and affixed with the attestation clause, the original signature of the authorized person or authority, and the original seal.

Important: If you are required to provide an officially certified document, you must submit the officially certified copy with the certification note, the original signature and seal. A copy of this document will not be accepted.

An apostille is not required, but will be accepted.

A sworn translation of certificates and other documents is required into German or English. 

A sworn translation ist not required if the original documents were issued in English or German by the relevant institution, e.g. school and/or university, or as bilingual versions, i.e. in the original language with a translation into English or German.

What is an official translation?

An official translation, also called a certified or a sworn translation, is a translation that has been prepared by a court-certified translator, also known as certified or sworn translator.

Who is authorized to issue an official translation?

A sworn translator is a person with special authorisation as a sworn or publicly appointed/authorised translator. Such a sworn translator is authorised to officially translate documents, i.e. to produce so-called sworn or court-approved translations.

Sworn translators are only authorised to certify translations they have produced themselves, but no other documents, in particular not the original document on which the translation is based.

How has an official translation to look like?

An official translation contains the translation of the underlying document, which is affixed with the translation mark, the original signature, and the seal of the translator, as well as a copy of the original document that was translated.

Important: You must submit this sworn translation with the translation mark, the original signature and seal. A copy of this document will not be accepted.

If you need an officail certification, take the original document to a notary or one of the authorised persons or authorities.

The original document will be officially certified there. First, a copy of the original is made. A so-called attestation clause is made on this copy. The official certification is completed with the date, signature and seal of the person or authority responsible.

The official certification of foreign certificates and documents is only accepted by the following persons or authorities.

within Germany

An official certification in Germany can be issued by all authorities and offices that are authorised to use an official seal, e.g. residents' registration offices, the school issuing the certificate or the university issuing the certificate as well as notaries.

Certifications from health insurance companies, lawyers, auditors, associations, sworn accountants and so on are not recognised.

from an EU country

An officail certification of certificates and other documents is sufficient if it was issued by a notary, the school issuing the certificate or the university issuing the certificate.

from a non-EU country

The certification must be obtained from a German consular mission (embassy/consulate) or from an authorised notary.

Important: Sworn translators are not authorised to issue officail certification. Sworn translators may only notarise translations they have produced themselves, but no other documents.

An official certification must always contain:

1. Attestation clause

This is a note that confirms that the copy/transcript corresponds to the original document.

2. Original signature of the authorised person

3. Imprint of the original official seal

The official seal can be a seal stamp or an embossed seal. An official seal usually contains an emblem and a number. A simple written stamp is not sufficient.

4. Date of issue

5. The following must be observed!

• In the case of multi-page documents, it is generally sufficient if only one page bears the attastation clause, signature and seal. But, this only applies if all the pages of the document are folded out, placed on top of each other, stapled and sealed in such a way that part of the official seal appears on each page, see example.
  
  
• Each page can also be certified separately, i.e. each page bearing the attastation clause, signature and seal. In this case, care must be taken to ensure that the name of the holder of the certificate/document appears on each page of the original. If it is not stated everywhere, it must be included in the attastation clause on each page together with a reference to the type of document.
  
  
• If there is a copy on the front and back of a sheet of paper and the content of both sides is important, the attastation clause must refer to the front and back (e.g.: "This is to certify that the copy above/overleaf corresponds to the original."). If this is not the case, the front and back must be certified separately, i.e. front and back must contain the attestation clause, signature and seal.
  
  
• If there is a seal imprinted in the paper on the original (a so-called embossed seal), this will generally not be visible on the copy. The attastation clause on the copy must then be extended to state that there was an embossed seal of the issuer of the certificate/document on the original.