Sworn Translation in Cologne for Your Foreign Documents
Last updated: 2 October 2026
Do you live in Cologne (Köln) and need your foreign papers in German? We make a sworn translation (beglaubigte Übersetzung) of your Geburtsurkunde (birth certificate), Heiratsurkunde (marriage certificate), Scheidungsurteil (divorce decree) or Führerschein (driving licence). From a Turkish Evlenme Cüzdanı to a Syrian marriage contract, an Afghan Nikah-Khat or a Ukrainian divorce decision, our partner translators sworn by German courts translate it. We have no office in Cologne: you upload online, and we post the signed original to your address.
- Made for the Ausländeramt, the Standesamt Köln and the city's Kundenzentren
- Divorce documents translated for the recognition step at the Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf
- Names copied exactly as written, 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 €39 · You see the price before you pay
Is a sworn translation from outside Cologne valid in Cologne?
Yes. A sworn translation is valid throughout Germany, so it does not matter where your translator lives. The Standesamt Köln asks for a translator who is officially appointed (öffentlich bestellt) or sworn (beeidigt) in Germany. It does not ask for a translator from Cologne. The office makes the final decision.
Quick facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Who translates | Our partner translators sworn by German courts (beeidigt / ermächtigt) |
| German name | Beglaubigte Übersetzung (sworn translation) |
| Our office in Cologne | None. Online upload, signed original by post |
| Price | From €39 (English documents), from €49 (other languages); divorce decree €42 per page |
| Delivery | PDF in 3 working days, signed original posted to your German address (usually 1–3 working days) |
| Where to verify the translator | The official register at justiz-dolmetscher.de |
Beglaubigte Übersetzung Köln: offices and documents
In Cologne, one office handles both residence and citizenship: the Ausländeramt (foreigners' office) of the City of Cologne. Einbürgerung (citizenship) is a team inside it, under "Ausländerangelegenheiten – Integration". So your PR file and your citizenship file go to different teams of the same office.
| Office (German name) | What it may ask for in German | Our matching page |
|---|---|---|
| Ausländeramt – residence (Aufenthalt) | Marriage certificate, children's birth certificates | Translation for your Niederlassungserlaubnis · translation for family reunion |
| Ausländeramt – Einbürgerung | Birth, marriage and divorce documents | Translation for Einbürgerung |
| Standesamt Köln | Birth certificate, proof of single status, divorce decree; parents' documents after a birth | Translation for your Standesamt wedding · translation for your baby's birth registration |
| Kundenzentrum (driving licence service) | Your foreign driving licence | Translation for your licence conversion |
| Familienkasse (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) | Sometimes a child's foreign birth certificate | Translation for Kindergeld |
| Bezirksregierung Münster – ZAG | Degree and transcripts for doctors and other health professions | Translation for Anerkennung |
Check the office's own website for its current document list.
Marrying in Cologne: the Standesamt and two courts
If one of you is not German, the Standesamt Köln first gives you advice and a personal document list. It says that foreign birth certificates must be translated by a translator who is officially appointed or sworn in Germany. It also says that a check by the Oberlandesgericht Köln (Higher Regional Court) may be needed.
That check is often the exemption from the Ehefähigkeitszeugnis (certificate of no impediment to marriage). The Standesamt tells you whether it applies to you. Our page on the translation for your Standesamt wedding explains this step.
Were you married before? A divorce from abroad must often be recognised first. In North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), this is the job of the Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf, and it needs your divorce document in German. One more local point: if neither of you speaks German, the Standesamt Köln asks you to bring an interpreter to the appointment. That is a different service; we translate documents only.
Marriage and divorce documents by country
For a wedding or a divorce recognition, the paperwork differs a lot from country to country. Some marriages are registered by a civil registry, others by a religious or personal status court. This table shows the documents we see most often and what to keep in mind.
| Country | Typical document (local name) | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey | Evlenme Cüzdanı; Boşanma Kararı with Kesinleşme Şerhi (divorce judgment with finality note) | Apostille needed. Formül B (multilingual marriage extract) needs no translation or apostille. |
| Ukraine | Свідоцтво про шлюб; court decision on divorce | Apostille from the Ukrainian Ministry of Justice. |
| Russia | Свидетельство о браке; Свидетельство о расторжении брака | Issued by the ZAGS or a court. Apostille applies. |
| Syria | عقد زواج (marriage contract) from a Sharia court; divorce document | Database extracts can be legalised via the German Embassy in Beirut. Otherwise the office decides. |
| Iraq | عقد زواج and divorce judgment from the personal status court | Legalisation is suspended. The office or court decides at its discretion. |
| Afghanistan | Nikah-Khat (marriage certificate) in Dari or Pashto | No legalisation possible. The office decides whether it accepts the document. |
| India | Marriage certificate (Hindu Marriage Act or Special Marriage Act); divorce decree | No valid apostille for Germany; the office may ask for a verification. |
Your foreign driving licence in Cologne
In Cologne, you apply at a Kundenzentrum (customer centre) of your choice, for example in Ehrenfeld, Kalk or Porz. The city lists who may translate your licence, including German automobile clubs such as the ADAC and translators sworn by a court. So you can choose. Licences from Turkey, Russia, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and India need tests to convert; Ukrainian licences have special rules. See what we translate on a licence.
Doctors and health professionals in NRW
Did you train as a doctor, dentist or pharmacist abroad? In NRW, new applications for the Approbation (licence to practise) go to the Bezirksregierung Münster, whose central office is the Zentrale Anerkennungsstelle für Gesundheitsberufe (ZAG). This is true even if you live in Cologne. For other jobs, the portal Anerkennung in Deutschland shows the right office.
Ordering from Cologne
- 1Send a scan or photo of every page. That is usually all we need, but read your letter: a few offices want the translator to see the original.
- 2See your fixed price. You know the price and the date before you pay.
- 3Get your PDF. It comes in 3 working days, or 1 working day with express.
- 4Receive the signed original. We post it to your Cologne address. It usually arrives in 1–3 working days.
We translate the whole document, stamps and back side included, from Turkish, Arabic, Kurdish, Dari, Pashto, Persian, Ukrainian, Russian, English and Indian languages. Read more about how ordering works and what makes a translation sworn.
Prices for sworn translation in Cologne
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Document in English (e.g. marriage certificate) | from €39 |
| Document in another language (e.g. Turkish, Arabic, Dari, Malayalam) | from €49 |
| Divorce decree | €42 per page |
| Couple set | from €99 |
| Express: 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.
More details: our prices.
Living in another German city?
Family in another part of Germany, or a move coming up? Our guides for Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Stuttgart explain the offices there. You order the same way wherever you live.
Frequently asked questions about sworn translation in Cologne
Must my translator be sworn in North Rhine-Westphalia?
No. The translator must be sworn in Germany, not in Cologne or NRW. A translator sworn by a court in another federal state is fine. The office makes the final decision.
I was divorced abroad. Who recognises my divorce in Cologne?
In NRW, the Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf deals with the recognition of foreign divorces. The Standesamt Köln tells you if you need this step. The court usually needs a German translation of your divorce document.
Should the Kesinleşme Şerhi on my Turkish divorce judgment be translated?
Yes. The finality note shows that the divorce is final, so we translate it together with the Boşanma Kararı. Do not forget the apostille, which many offices want translated as well.
Can you translate a Nikah-Khat or a Sharia court marriage contract for the Standesamt Köln?
Yes. We translate Afghan Nikah-Khats in Dari or Pashto and Arabic marriage contracts from Syria or Iraq, including stamps and handwritten parts. The Standesamt decides whether it needs further proof.
Do we need an interpreter at the Standesamt Köln?
If neither of you speaks German, the Standesamt Köln asks you to bring an interpreter to the appointment. This is separate from document translation. We translate your documents only.
Can the ADAC translate my licence for the Kundenzentrum?
The City of Cologne lists German automobile clubs such as the ADAC and translators sworn by a court. Both are options. Check the current page of the city before you order.
Will the Ausländeramt ask for my original documents?
Many offices want to see your original certificates at the appointment. Bring them, together with our signed translation. Check the letter from the Ausländeramt.
Get your Cologne documents ready
Upload your documents and see your fixed price before you pay. Prefer a form? Start your quote here.
Questions? Email us: info@germantranslators.de