Sworn Translation in Hamburg for Your Foreign Documents
Last updated: 2 October 2026
You live in Hamburg, and an office has asked for your foreign documents in German. We make a sworn translation (beglaubigte Übersetzung) of your Geburtsurkunde (birth certificate), Heiratsurkunde (marriage certificate), Führerschein (driving licence) or degree. We handle Arabic and Kurdish papers from Syria and Iraq, Afghan documents in Dari or Pashto, Turkish, Ukrainian, Russian and Indian certificates. We have no office in Hamburg: you upload online, and we post the signed original to your Hamburg address. Our partner translators sworn by German courts do the work.
- Made for Hamburg offices: the Einbürgerungsabteilung, the Hamburg Welcome Center, your Standesamt and the LBV
- No visit needed: upload from Altona, Harburg, Wandsbek or anywhere else in the city
- Every stamp, seal and handwritten note translated, including old Soviet-era certificates
- 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
Do I need a translator from Hamburg for a sworn translation?
No. A sworn translation is valid throughout Germany, so your translator does not have to live in Hamburg. A translator sworn by any German court can translate for any German office. What matters is that the translator is sworn in Germany and that the translation is complete. 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 Hamburg | None. We work online and send the signed original by post |
| Price | From €39 (English documents), from €49 (Arabic, Kurdish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Russian, Dari and other languages) |
| 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 Hamburg: which offices ask for it?
Hamburg is a city and a federal state at the same time. So many tasks sit with state offices, such as the Behörde für Inneres und Sport (interior authority) or the Sozialbehörde (social authority). Your marriage and your baby's birth are handled by the Standesamt of your district (Bezirksamt).
This table shows the offices you may meet and what they may ask for in German. Check the office's own website for its current document list.
| Office (German name) | What it may ask for in German | Our matching page |
|---|---|---|
| Amt für Migration – Einbürgerungsabteilung (Behörde für Inneres und Sport) | Birth certificate, marriage certificate, divorce decree for your citizenship file | Einbürgerung translation |
| Hamburg Welcome Center (HWC) | For skilled workers and their families: marriage certificate, children's birth certificates, degree | PR (Niederlassungserlaubnis) translation · family reunion translation |
| Standesamt of your district | Birth certificate, proof of single status, divorce decree; parents' documents after a birth | Standesamt marriage translation · baby's birth registration |
| LBV Führerscheinstelle (Landesbetrieb Verkehr) | Your foreign driving licence | Driving licence conversion |
| Familienkasse (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) | Sometimes a child's foreign birth certificate | Kindergeld translation |
| Landesprüfungsamt (LPA) of the Sozialbehörde | Degree, transcripts and registration for doctors, nurses and other health jobs | Degree recognition translation |
Residence permits: the Hamburg Welcome Center focuses on skilled workers and their family members. Other residence matters can go to a different Hamburg immigration office. Your letter tells you which office is yours.
Marriage: in Hamburg, the Standesamt of the district where one of you is registered is responsible. With a foreign partner, the Standesamt first gives you advice. Ask for your personal document list at that appointment.
Your foreign driving licence at the LBV
Hamburg's official service description asks for your foreign licence, where needed with a translation by an officially sworn translator (amtlich vereidigter Dolmetscher). Whether you also need driving tests depends on the country that issued your licence. You can drive with it for 6 months after registering your residence.
| Country | Typical document (local name) | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Ukraine | Посвідчення водія | Special rules. Since 18 August 2026, certain classes can be exchanged without a theory or practical test. |
| Turkey | Sürücü Belgesi | Not on the Anlage 11 FeV list: theory and practical test needed. |
| Russia | Водительское удостоверение | Not on the list: theory and practical test needed. |
| Syria, Iraq | Driving licence in Arabic (Iraq: sometimes also Kurdish) | Not on the list: theory and practical test needed. |
| Afghanistan | Driving licence in Dari or Pashto | Not on the list: theory and practical test needed. |
| India | Driving licence card, often English + a regional language | Not on the list: theory and practical test needed. |
Ask the LBV which translation it accepts before you order. Our driving licence conversion page explains the full process.
Doctors, nurses and other professions in Hamburg
Do you want to work in Hamburg as a doctor, dentist, pharmacist or nurse? Then the Landesprüfungsamt (LPA) of the Sozialbehörde deals with your recognition. It usually needs your degree and transcripts in German. For other professions, the official portal Anerkennung in Deutschland shows the right office.
Arabic, Cyrillic, Dari: how we handle names, stamps and old certificates
We translate the whole document: stamps, seals, handwritten notes and the back side. Names are copied exactly as written and transliterated from Arabic, Cyrillic, Persian or Devanagari script. If your passport spells a name differently, the translator adds a note, so the office can match your papers.
- Soviet-era papers: older Ukrainian certificates are often in Russian. We translate them like any other document.
- Kurdistan Region: Iraqi documents from there may be in Kurdish and Arabic. We translate both parts.
- Afghan documents: a Tazkira or Nikah-Khat in Dari or Pashto, often with handwritten entries.
- Bilingual Indian certificates: English plus Hindi or a regional language, all translated in full.
Hamburg files often combine the same papers: a birth certificate and a marriage certificate. Order them together for consistent names. See the languages we translate.
Apostille, legalisation or nothing? A short guide
The translation and the check of the original are separate steps. Turkish, Ukrainian and Russian documents usually need an apostille. Syrian database extracts can be legalised at the German Embassy in Beirut. Iraqi and Afghan documents cannot be legalised, so the office decides. Indian documents may need a verification instead of an apostille.
How it works from Hamburg
- 1Upload your documents. 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. You see the price and the delivery date before you pay.
- 3Check your PDF. It arrives by email in 3 working days, or 1 working day with express.
- 4Receive the signed original. We post it to your address in Hamburg. It usually arrives in 1–3 working days.
Have a Termin (appointment) soon? Choose express and tell us your date. More: how our process works and what a sworn translation is.
Prices for sworn translation in Hamburg
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Document in English (e.g. birth certificate) | from €39 |
| Document in another language (e.g. Arabic, Kurdish, Dari, Russian, Hindi) | from €49 |
| Express: PDF in 1 working day | + €15 |
| Tracked post | + €5 |
| Extra signed paper copy | + €9 |
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.
You can also see all prices.
Living in another German city?
Hamburg is one of six cities with its own guide. If you move or your family lives elsewhere, read about Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Stuttgart or Cologne. We serve all of them online, with the same prices.
Frequently asked questions about sworn translation in Hamburg
Can I bring my documents to your office in Hamburg?
No. We have no office in Hamburg or in any other German city. You upload your documents online, and we post the signed translation to you. This saves you a trip.
Which Standesamt in Hamburg is responsible for my marriage?
The Standesamt of the district where one of you is registered, with a main or second address. If one of you is not German, the Standesamt gives you advice first. There you get your personal document list.
Does the LBV need a translation of my foreign driving licence?
Often yes, because your licence is not from an EU country. Hamburg's official service description mentions a translation by an officially sworn translator. Check with the LBV before your appointment.
Can I exchange my Ukrainian licence in Hamburg without a test?
Possibly. Since 18 August 2026, valid Ukrainian licences can be exchanged more easily, and certain classes need no theory or practical test. The LBV tells you what applies to you and which translation it wants.
My Iraqi documents from the Kurdistan Region are in Kurdish and Arabic. Can you translate both?
Yes. We translate the Kurdish and the Arabic parts, plus all stamps. Note that legalisation of Iraqi documents is suspended, so the Hamburg office decides whether it accepts them.
My passport spells my name differently from my Tazkira. What happens?
The translator copies the name exactly as written in the Tazkira and transliterates it. The passport spelling is added in a translator's note, so the office can link both documents.
Do I need the translation before my Termin?
Yes, it is best to have it before your appointment. A missing translation can mean a second appointment. Order early, or choose express if your date is close.
I am moving from Hamburg to another city. Is my translation still valid?
Yes. A sworn translation is valid throughout Germany. The office in your new city makes the final decision.
Get your Hamburg documents ready
Upload your documents today and see your fixed price before you pay. You can also get your fixed price online.
Questions? Email us: info@germantranslators.de