Certified German Translation for UK Passport Applications
Last updated: 2 October 2026
Are you British and living in Germany? Or is your baby British and born here? HM Passport Office (HMPO) needs a certified German translation for UK passport applications when a document is not in English or Welsh. This is often a German birth certificate (Geburtsurkunde), a marriage certificate (Heiratsurkunde) or proof of a name change. Our own German–English translators translate the whole document. Then we sign a certificate that the translation is accurate. This is not a German sworn translation (beglaubigte Übersetzung). HMPO asks for a certified translation, and you send it together with your original German document.
- Made for the HMPO rule: your original German document plus a certified translation
- Signed paper translation posted to you, ready to go in the envelope with your originals
- Names kept exactly as on your document, with your passport spelling in a translator's note
- PDF in 3 working days, signed original posted to your German address (usually 1–3 working days)
Fixed price from €25 · You see the price before you pay
Do I need a certified translation of a German birth certificate for a UK passport?
Yes. GOV.UK says that if a document is not in English or Welsh, you send a certified translation with the original. This is true for a first adult passport and for a first child passport. HMPO does not take photocopies of these documents, not even certified copies. So you post the German original and our signed translation together.
Quick facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Who translates | Our own professional German–English translators (not a German sworn translator) |
| German name of the document | Geburtsurkunde, Heiratsurkunde / Eheurkunde, Scheidungsurteil, Namensänderungsurkunde |
| Price | From €25 per document (+ €9 for a signed paper copy by post), shown before you pay |
| Delivery | PDF in 3 working days, signed original posted to your German address (usually 1–3 working days) |
| What to upload | A clear scan or photo of every page, front and back |
| Where to verify the translator | On the certificate: name, signature, membership. Not on justiz-dolmetscher.de, as this is not a German sworn translation. |
What HM Passport Office asks for, by application
| Your application | German documents that may need translating | What GOV.UK says |
|---|---|---|
| First adult passport | Your Geburtsurkunde | Send original documents. Photocopies are not accepted. Add a certified translation if a document is not in English or Welsh. |
| First passport for a child born in Germany | The child's full Geburtsurkunde (with both parents' details), sometimes the parents' marriage or birth certificates | Send originals or official copies. Photocopies are not accepted, even certified copies. Send certified translations as well as the originals. |
| New name after marriage or divorce | Heiratsurkunde / Eheurkunde, Scheidungsurteil, Namensänderungsurkunde | Send at least one document for each change of name. |
| Renewal in the same name | Usually none | Your old British passport and new photos |
If you apply from Germany, you use the overseas service. The HMPO guidance for applying from outside the UK asks for an "official translation". It says the translation must be signed and stamped by a translator who is a member of a recognised professional organisation. For HMPO orders, we use a translator with such a membership, and our certificate names the organisation and membership number. The same guidance says your new passport and your supporting documents come back to you separately.
Already living in the UK? The UK service also asks for originals and a certified translation. Always follow the document list for your application.
Geburtsurkunde Übersetzung Englisch: a baby born in Germany
When your baby is born in Germany, the Standesamt (local registry office) issues the Geburtsurkunde. For a first child passport, HMPO asks for the child's full birth certificate. This is the one with the parents' details on it. So ask the Standesamt for a certificate that shows both parents.
Some registry offices also issue a multilingual extract (internationale Geburtsurkunde). The GOV.UK pages we checked do not say if this replaces a translation, so check with HMPO. We can translate every German entry and stamp on it.
Is your child British? That is a nationality question. Check GOV.UK or ask HMPO. We only translate and do not give nationality advice.
Your new name after marriage or divorce
Did you marry at a German Standesamt? Then your marriage certificate (Heiratsurkunde or Eheurkunde) shows your new name. Send it with a certified translation. Going back to an earlier surname after a divorce? The German divorce decree (Scheidungsurteil or Scheidungsbeschluss) and your name declaration (Namenserklärung) may need translating too.
We copy every name exactly as it appears on the German document, letter by letter. If your passport spelling is different, we add it in a translator's note. This helps the examiner link it to your passport.
| On your document | In your passport | In our translation |
|---|---|---|
| Lena Schäfer | LENA SCHAEFER (machine-readable line) | Lena Schäfer (translator's note: passport spelling LENA SCHAEFER) |
| Priya Groß geb. Nair | PRIYA GROSS | Priya Groß née Nair (translator's note: passport spelling PRIYA GROSS) |
What our certified German translation for UK passport forms contains
Each translation comes with a signed certificate. It includes:
- A statement that the translation is accurate and complete
- The date of the translation
- The translator's full name and signature
- Our contact details and company stamp
- The translator's professional organisation and membership number
We translate everything, including stamps, seals, margin notes and the back. The layout follows the German original, so the examiner can compare both easily.
How it works
- 1Upload a scan or photo of your German document. Usually a clear scan or photo is enough. Some offices want the translator to see the original, so check your letter.
- 2Get your fixed price and the delivery date. You pay online.
- 3Check the draft and tell us if a date looks wrong.
- 4Receive the signed translation. The PDF comes by email. The signed paper original comes by post to your German address.
Read more about How our process works.
Prices
| Option | What you get | Delivery | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Full translation + signed certificate as PDF | PDF in 3 working days | from €25 per document |
| Signed paper copy | Signed original posted to your German address | usually 1–3 working days by post | + €9 |
| Express | Same, faster | PDF in 1 working day | + €15 |
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.
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.
For HMPO, order the signed paper copy, because the office works with paper originals. See all prices or Get a fixed-price quote for your exact files.
Other plans: visas, other countries, German offices
Applying for a UK visa, settlement (ILR) or British citizenship? See our certified German translation for UK Home Office. Moving elsewhere? See certified German translation for USCIS, German translation for Canada (IRCC) or German translation for Irish immigration. All destinations are on our German to English translation page.
Need a document in German instead? See English to German sworn translation. For German offices, we arrange sworn translations for German offices.
Frequently asked questions about German translations for UK passports
Can I send a photocopy of my German documents to HM Passport Office?
No. GOV.UK says HMPO needs original documents or official copies of certificates. For a first child passport, it says photocopies are not accepted, even certified copies. Send the German original together with the certified translation.
Will I get my German birth certificate back?
Yes. The HMPO guidance for applications from outside the UK says your new passport and your supporting documents are returned separately. They may arrive on different days.
Do I need a translation to renew my UK passport?
Usually not, if your name has not changed. A renewal mainly needs your old passport and new photos. If your name changed through a German marriage or divorce, you send the German document and a certified translation.
Is this a German sworn translation?
No. It is a certified translation by our own German–English translator, with a signed certificate. A beglaubigte Übersetzung is made for German offices. HMPO asks for a certified translation, not a German sworn one.
Can I translate my child's Geburtsurkunde myself?
We do not recommend it. The overseas guidance asks for a translator who is a member of a recognised professional organisation. A self-made translation does not meet this.
Will HM Passport Office accept my translation?
Our translation contains the details the GOV.UK guidance asks for. But only HM Passport Office decides on your application. We cannot guarantee a decision.
Ready to apply for your UK passport?
Upload your German document today. You see the fixed price before you pay. More questions? Read our general FAQ.
Questions? Email us: info@germantranslators.de