Birth Certificate Translation for Germany: Sworn and Complete

Which birth certificate do you have? Documents by country

Some countries issue a classic certificate, others an extract from a family or civil register. We translate all of them. What people usually bring:

Do I need to translate a Turkish Formül A?

Usually not. According to the German Embassy in Turkey, the international multilingual extracts Formül A (birth), Formül B (marriage) and Formül C (death) need neither a translation nor an apostille in Germany. They are based on the Vienna Convention of 8 September 1976 (CIEC). Ask your office whether a Formül A is enough before you order.

A Nüfus Kayıt Örneği or a Doğum Belgesi, however, needs an apostille and a sworn translation, and many offices want the apostille translated too. We translate the extract, the e-Devlet barcode note and the apostille as one set.

No birth certificate? Tazkira, affidavits and other proof

If you never received a birth certificate, we translate the documents you have instead. Many Afghans, for example, have no birth certificate and use their Tazkira together with an affidavit. The German office decides at its discretion whether it accepts these documents, because legalisation in Afghanistan is not possible.

• Afghanistan: Tazkira or e-Tazkira in Dari or Pashto, plus a sworn statement about your birth
• Syria: an Ikhraj Qaid or family statement from the civil registry, if the birth certificate is missing
• India: a non-availability certificate from the registrar together with an affidavit

See what your translation will look like

The sample above shows an example with dummy data. Translations from every country follow the same pattern and include:

• The full text in German, in the original order
• A description of every stamp, seal, signature, barcode and QR code
• A translator's note wherever a name is spelled differently in your passport
• The certification statement, stamp and signature of the sworn translator

How we write your name

A sworn translator renders names exactly as on the document, never changing the order or spelling. Names in Latin letters are copied letter by letter. Names in Arabic, Cyrillic, Persian or an Indian script are transliterated. If your passport spelling is different, we add it in a translator's note.

If your names differ a lot between documents, see our page on name differences and name change documents.

Common problems with birth certificates, and how we handle them

1. 1Your first name is missing. Some older certificates, for example from India, were issued before the child was named. We translate it exactly as it is. Your office may ask for an affidavit too; we can translate both.
2. 2Entries on the back side. Ukrainian and Russian certificates often carry later stamps or corrections on the back. Always upload both sides.
3. 3Soviet-era or mixed-language documents. An old Ukrainian certificate may be in Russian, an Iraqi one in Kurdish and Arabic. We translate every language directly.
4. 4Parents' names are spelled differently on other documents. If you also need a marriage certificate translation, order both together. Every name stays as printed on each document, with notes where needed.

Apostille or legalisation: what does your country need?

An apostille or legalisation confirms the document is genuine; the translation confirms its content. They are separate steps. What applies depends on the issuing country:

When do you need your birth certificate in German?

• For your citizenship application (Einbürgerung)
• For your permanent residence application (Niederlassungserlaubnis), if your office asks for it
• When bringing your family to Germany, for your children's certificates
• When registering your baby's birth at the Standesamt, for both parents' certificates
• When getting married in Germany
• For Kindergeld, if the Familienkasse asks for your child's certificate

What language is your birth certificate in?

We translate directly into German from every language on your certificate: Turkish, Arabic, Kurdish (Kurmanji and Sorani), Dari, Pashto, Persian (Farsi), Ukrainian, Russian and English. For Indian certificates we also translate Hindi and other Indian languages.

Indian languages: English · Hindi · Punjabi · Urdu · Tamil · Telugu · Bengali · Marathi · Gujarati · Malayalam

Birth certificate translation for Germany: price and delivery

All prices shown are starting prices incl. VAT and postage within Germany. Your exact fixed price comes in a written quote after upload, before you pay.

Ordering a family's certificates together keeps names consistent. See all prices or read how it works.

Your files are transferred encrypted and deleted after 30 days (GDPR).

If your office asks for a change to our translation, we correct it free of charge.

What should I upload?

• A clear photo or scan of the front and back of your certificate or extract
• The apostille or legalisation page, if your document has one
• The photo page of your passport, so the translator can add a note on your passport spelling (recommended)

Usually a clear scan or photo is enough. Some offices want the translator to see the original, so check your letter.

Frequently asked questions about birth certificate translation