German Translation Services
DHCTranslations translates German documents into English for US filings from $54 per document, with the signed translator certificate and the PDF included; a document past 400 words is charged at $0.12 per word. The certificate carries the translator's name, the date and our contact details, which is what an officer or an evaluator looks for first.
Client Rating
Based on 314 verified Google Business Profile reviews.
Certified Translations
For USCIS, US courts, WES, ECFMG and CGFNS.
Quote Response
Same-day certified PDF delivery available for most documents ordered before 4pm ET.
Request a Free Official Quote
Upload your document or provide details below for a prompt human-reviewed quotation.
Prepared For Submissions To US Agencies & Credential Services
*Authority names are referenced as industry benchmarks of compliance. All official translation orders are processed directly through DHCTranslations.
German documents we translate most often
Birth certificate
The Geburtsurkunde in the copy you hold, with every Randvermerk translated in place.
Marriage certificate
The Heiratsurkunde, with the Standesamt, the register number and any marginal notes.
Divorce judgment
The Scheidungsurteil, with the court, the Aktenzeichen and the date the marriage ended.
Police clearance
The police clearance, under whichever of the three names the issuing country uses, named as issued.
Academic transcript
Notenspiegel and transcripts with the German 1-6 grading scale explained.
Degree or diploma
Diplom, Bachelor and Master certificates, with the institution as issued.
Driving license
The driving license, for a state DMV or an exchange application.
Passport
The data page and the machine-readable strip, set out as printed rather than described.
Medical records
Arztberichte, hospital discharges and specialist letters, handled confidentially.
Court documents
Judgments and orders, laid out so a US court can follow the original.
Powers of attorney and sworn statements
Powers of attorney and sworn declarations, with the certifying officer's reference kept.
Bank statements
Bank statements and bank letters, with every figure, date and account reference intact.
Can't find your specific document type?
We translate document types that are not listed here. Send us the document and we will confirm the price before you order: [email protected].
What a certified German translation costs
Certified translations start at $54 per document: from $0.12 per word after the first 400 words into English, and from $0.14 per word for English into another language, with some pairs quoted higher.
Certification is the translator's signed statement, and it is included in the price.
A translation for USCIS, a US court or a US university is certified by the translator's signed statement, and nothing further is added to the quote.
$54
From, per document
$0.12+
Per word after 400, into English
How It Works: 3 Steps to a Certified Translation
A simple route from a phone photo to a certified PDF prepared for the receiving authority.
Send Your Document
Upload a clear scan or photo of every page, including seals and reverse sides.
- The complete document
- Language pair and deadline
- Who will receive it
Approve the Quote & Pay Securely
Review a fixed, itemized quote and pay through the encrypted gateway.
- Major credit/debit cards accepted worldwide
- Secure global payment gateway integration
- Instant invoice and receipt generation
Receive Your Certified Translation
Certified PDF, often the same day when ordered before 4pm ET, with printed copies available on request.
- Certification page and translator credentials
- Layout, stamps and seals mirrored
- Certification wording the receiving body asks for
What comes with a certified German translation
A German order is returned with a signed statement of accuracy that names the translator and carries their signature, the date and our contact details.
What the certification includes
- Signed statement of accuracy: the translator's name, signature and date, their CIOL or ITI membership number, our company stamp and our contact details.
- Stamps and seals: a Standesamt stamp, a court seal and the Aktenzeichen are part of the record. Each is reproduced where it appears, and described in brackets when it cannot be set as text.
- Randvermerke: the notes printed in the margin of a German civil record mark a later marriage, a divorce, a name change or a death. They are translated in place, because they change what the certificate says.
- Certified PDF: the certified file is emailed at no extra cost, which is what a US filing accepts. A printed set can be arranged if a receiving body insists on paper, and is quoted per order.
Certified for
Prices are per document and start at $54 — see what a translation costs.
German by country of issue
German is issued in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, and the same document carries a different name depending on where it was issued. The table below sets the names for a police clearance side by side, and the English states the country of issue so an Austrian record is not presented as a German one.
Police clearance
- What usually appears
- Führungszeugnis (DE), Strafregisterbescheinigung (AT), Strafregisterauszug (CH)
- What we do with it
- The name the issuing country uses is kept, and the country of issue is stated on the certificate
Birth or marriage record
- What usually appears
- Standesamt heading, Randvermerke, the register number
- What we do with it
- Translated in full, with every marginal note where it sits on the page
Academic record
- What usually appears
- Zeugnis or Notenspiegel, marks on a 1-6 scale, an institution seal
- What we do with it
- Each subject and mark carried across, with the 1-6 scale set out in a note
Court judgment
- What usually appears
- Amtsgericht or Landgericht heading, Aktenzeichen, hearing date
- What we do with it
- Set out as the court set it out, so the US reader can follow the page
The names in the middle column are the ones a reader sees on the document itself, and they differ between the countries that issue German-language records. The English gives each document its English name and states the country of issue.
What our clients say
Rated 4.9/5 from 314 verified reviews for USCIS submissions, court filings and credential evaluations.
“The police clearance certificate was translated for a work visa and accepted without a query.”
Jonas W.
“Needed a 5 page translation done from German to English, contacted them Friday evening and the translation was completed and in my inbox by Monday morning, signed and certified. Done at a very good price and to a high standard, definitely my go-to translation agency.”
Peter Muller
“A handwritten reference was transcribed and certified within 24 hours.”
Aisha B.
The certification, the price and the turnaround are the same for German documents sent from anywhere in the United States. Start with the page that matches what you need:
Frequently asked questions
DHCTranslations works in the US and translates German records into English. The translator who handles the file signs the certificate, so the name on it belongs to the person who did the work. Tell us the office that will read it and the quote is sent in writing first.
One document is $54, which covers the translation, the certificate and the PDF. Anything past 400 words runs at $0.12 per word into English; a German version of a US document is $0.14. A bundle of certificates is priced on the words in all of them together.
Payment cleared before 4pm ET on a weekday usually means the PDF arrives that day for a single page. Several civil records normally follow the next business day. A judgment, a Notenspiegel or a long medical report is quoted with a date instead of an estimate.
Yes. The requirement in 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) is a complete English translation with a certificate: the translator's competence, their signature, the date and contact details. Nothing is left out of the English, and the certificate travels with it rather than arriving later as a separate letter.
Germany, Austria and Switzerland each issue the police clearance under a different name. The English gives each its English name and states the country of issue, so an Austrian certificate is not presented as a German one in a US filing.
The notes printed in the margin of a German civil record, marking a later marriage, a divorce, a name change or a death. They are part of the certificate, so they are translated where they sit rather than collected at the end of the document.
No. A German Beglaubigung certifies a copy of a document, not a translation of it. What a US filing needs is the translator's signed statement, with the name, the date and contact details, and that is what our certificate provides.
Yes. Austrian and Swiss records use German but their own office names, court headings and form numbers, and those are translated as issued with the country of issue stated. A Swiss record is not relabeled as a German one.
No. Photograph or scan each page flat, front and back where the record continues, and that is enough to work from. Sending the originals adds days and the risk of loss without changing the translation, and the certified PDF is emailed back ready to print.
Yes. That is the direction nearly all US filings need: $54 for the first page, then $0.12 per word beyond the 400-word allowance. The English is written to be read as an American document, which is not the same as following the German sentence order.
Yes, at $0.14 per word, the rate for work out of English. The German version is certified the same way, with the translator's statement attached, and is used for registrations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Say which country will receive it, since the office names differ.
Still have a question?
We aim to answer every inquiry within 30 minutes, or e-mail us at [email protected]
Last reviewed: