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Civil-status documents

Translating a birth certificate and certificate of good conduct for Germany

For marriage, family reunification, naturalisation or a job application, German authorities ask for civil-status documents — usually with a certified translation. Whether a translation is needed at all depends on which state issued the document. The differences are set out below, each with its official source.

Key facts

  • Documents from EU states need no apostille; with the multilingual EU form a translation is often unnecessary too (Regulation (EU) 2016/1191). [5]
  • Documents from non-EU states still need legalisation or an apostille — and a translation. [4]
  • The apostille goes on the original document, never on the translation. [4]
  • Führungszeugnis (certificate of good conduct): €13.00; from abroad you apply in writing and it takes longer. [1]

EU documents: when no translation is needed

  • For public documents from an EU member state, no translation may be required if the document is in an official language of the state where it is presented (Art. 6(1)(a) Regulation (EU) 2016/1191). [5]
  • Nor is a translation needed if a multilingual standard form is attached — provided the authority considers the information in it sufficient (Art. 6(1)(b)). Forms exist for, among others, birth, marriage and absence of a criminal record (Art. 7(1)). [5]
  • The multilingual form is attached on request, serves only as a translation aid and has no legal effect of its own (Art. 8(1)). It does not replace the document. [5]
  • Documents from EU states are also exempt from legalisation and similar formalities — no apostille is needed for them (Art. 4). [5]
  • If a certified translation is made after all, it is valid in all member states provided the translator is qualified under the law of a member state (Art. 6(2)). [5]

Documents from non-EU states: this does not apply

  • The EU simplifications expressly do not apply to documents issued by authorities of a third country, nor to certified copies of such documents (Art. 2(3) Regulation (EU) 2016/1191). [5]
  • For foreign public documents to be used in Germany, legalisation by the German mission abroad therefore still applies — or an apostille where international agreements provide for it. [4]
  • In practice: anyone presenting a Ukrainian, Turkish or Arabic document will as a rule still need authentication and a translation. Which form applies depends on the issuing state. [4]

Why translations are not apostilled

  • Translations count as expert services, not public documents. Legalisation and apostille procedures therefore do not apply to translations. [4]
  • Making translations and confirming their accuracy is in principle not a task of German missions abroad; each mission decides for itself whether to offer it. [4]
  • If you need an apostille, you need it for the original document — not for its translation. [4]

Certificate of good conduct (Führungszeugnis): application, fee, applying from abroad

  • Anyone aged 14 or over can apply for a Führungszeugnis. The fee is €13.00. [1]
  • If you live abroad, you apply in writing; applications from abroad take longer to process. For written applications the fee is paid in advance by bank transfer. [1]
  • The certificate itself has its headings printed in German, English and French; no other languages can be printed. [2]
  • There is no statutory period of validity. In practice, bodies usually accept the certificate for about three months from issue. [2]
  • Nationals of another EU member state receive the European certificate of good conduct; it also contains information from the register of their home state. Processing takes longer because that information must first be requested. [2]

Certificate of good conduct with an apostille from abroad: the order of steps

  • First, the applicant files an online application with the Federal Foreign Office agency (Bundesamt für Auswärtige Angelegenheiten, BfAA) for an apostille or final authentication. The BfAA then sends an application form with an application number by e-mail. [2]
  • Only then is the Führungszeugnis requested from the Federal Office of Justice (Bundesamt für Justiz, BfJ) — stating the country and that an apostille or final authentication is needed. [2]
  • Important: send the BfAA application form or BfAA application number to the BfJ together with the application for the certificate. [2]
  • The BfJ then sends the pre-authenticated certificate to the BfAA; the BfAA adds the apostille or final authentication and sends it back by post. [2]

Based on the official sources listed below (as of July 2026). In each case the body to which you present the document decides — check its current requirements.

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Sources

All information above comes from official sources:

  1. Bundesamt für Justiz — Führungszeugnis (Antrag, Gebühr, Ausland)
  2. Bundesamt für Justiz — Führungszeugnis: häufig gestellte Fragen
  3. Bundesamt für Auswärtige Angelegenheiten — Apostillen und Beglaubigungen
  4. Auswärtiges Amt — Internationaler Urkundenverkehr (Übersetzungen, Apostille, Legalisation)
  5. Verordnung (EU) 2016/1191 — Vereinfachung bei öffentlichen Urkunden (Art. 2, 4, 6, 7, 8)
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