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commercial register extract translations - certified commercial register extract translator English German

Certified translation › Commercial register extract

Company register extract translation for the German Handelsregister.

Commercial register extract translation runs €59 per document from a sworn, court-authorised German translator — for a Handelsregisterauszug (Germany), Firmenbuchauszug (Austria) or Swiss cantonal register extract. Banks, notaries and the Handelsregister accept it with a signed certification statement for account opening, tenders and shareholdings. Where an apostille is needed, it comes from the register court in the document's country of origin, not from us; this guide shows the sequence. Fixed price includes certification and shipping.

Get a fixed priceWhen is it required? Germany +49 30 2023 5227 0 Austria +43 1 3050 647 Switzerland +41 44 586 82 97

Court-authorised (sworn) translators · certification note under Section 142 (3) ZPO · B2B framework pricing · confidential, NDA on request

DIN EN ISO 17100registered · Reg. 7U517
Accepted by registerscertification note included
Price up frontbinding fixed price
ConfidentialGDPR-compliant · NDA on request

Short & clear

Where a Handelsregisterauszug has to be certified: legal form, Prokura, capital — for Germany

Reviewed by specialists · termbase editorial team

For business abroad, almost always yes. Registers, banks, notaries and tendering bodies abroad ask for the commercial register extract as proof of a company's existence, legal form and power of representation — and generally accept it only as a certified (Germany, Austria) or notarised (Switzerland) translation, often together with an apostille.

On the German side the counterpart is the commercial register (Handelsregister) kept by the register court (Amtsgericht) — section HRA or HRB — and that is the vocabulary your translation has to land in: legal form, power of representation, commercial power of attorney (Prokura), share and nominal capital, register details. Mapping an LTD, LLC, PLC or Pty Ltd onto German register terminology without over-claiming an equivalence calls for legal precision — see also our legal translation service.

When is it required?

Six situations that call for a certified commercial registry excerpt.

The extract is a company's central proof of existence and representation. In cross-border business, these are the situations that come up most often.

Founding a subsidiary or a branch

To set up a branch or subsidiary abroad, the local register usually asks for the translated extract of the parent company, often with an apostille.

Corporate account, credit line, KYC check

Banks abroad require the translated commercial register extract for a company account, credit line or KYC check.

Tenders and public procurement

Public and private tenders abroad ask for proof of existence and representation as a certified translation.

M&A, joint ventures and shareholdings

For a share purchase, joint venture or investment, the counterparty and the notary review the translated extract as part of due diligence.

Contracts and notarial powers of attorney

For contracts and notarial powers of attorney abroad, power of representation is evidenced through the translated extract.

A foreign extract for German notaries, banks and courts

German notaries, banks or courts require a certified translation into German of a foreign-language register extract.

Abroad, only what reads as clearly certified counts.

Legal form, representation and capital have to be transferred precisely — which is why it takes a court-authorised translator with legal expertise.

Register & apostille

The Amtsgericht keeps the register; the Landgericht president issues the apostille.

The commercial register is kept electronically by the register courts (Amtsgerichte); anyone can inspect it via the joint register portal of the federal states (Section 9 HGB). Section HRA covers sole traders and partnerships (e. K., OHG, KG), section HRB covers companies with limited liability (GmbH, UG, AG). There is a current extract and a chronological (historical) extract.

Because the extract comes from a court, it is a document of the judicial administration. If it needs an apostille for use abroad, that is issued by the president of the regional court (Landgericht) — or the relevant state judicial administration — not by the translation provider. termbase does not issue apostilles; we name the competent authority and then translate the apostille together with the extract.

Commercial register extract translation — the register, certification and apostille authority, Germany vs Austria vs Switzerland
 GermanyAustriaSwitzerland
RegisterHandelsregister (HRA/HRB), kept by the register court (Amtsgericht)FirmenbuchCantonal Handelsregisteramt, published centrally via Zefix (Federal Office of the Commercial Registry, EHRA)
Certified byCourt-authorised translator, with stamp, signature and certification noteCourt-sworn translator, with round court seal, signature and certification noteA translator signs to certify accuracy; a Swiss notary then certifies that signature
Legal basis§ 142 (3) ZPO§ 14 SDGSwiss company-register law for the register; cantonal notarial practice for certification
ApostilleIssued by the president of the regional court (Landgericht), or the relevant state judicial administrationIssued by the president of the Landesgericht, for use outside the EUIssued by the state chancellery (Staatskanzlei) of the canton where the register is kept

Commonly called a “certified translation”, the correct term throughout is a confirmed translation (bestätigte Übersetzung) — the translator's own certification note, not a notary's or court's.

Order of work: current extract, then apostille, then translation

Pull a current extract, check the apostille requirement with the receiving body, and — if needed — have the apostille affixed by the regional court first. We then produce one certified translation covering both the extract and the apostille, so the foreign body has nothing left to request.

Quality you only notice at the register

Six errors a legal translator catches before the receiving body does.

A commercial register extract is checked against legal form, power of representation and register details. These are the most common pitfalls — and how a court-authorised translator avoids them.

Pitfalls in commercial register translations and how termbase resolves them
PitfallWhy it goes wrongHow termbase solves it
Legal form equated with "Ltd/LLC/Inc."GmbH, UG, KG or e. K. have no identical counterpart in the target country; a false equivalence changes liability and legal status.The legal form stays in the original and is placed in context with an explanatory translator's note, without implying a foreign company type.
Power of representation & Prokura shortened"sole power of representation", "exempt from Section 181 BGB" or "Prokura" affect liability; an imprecise rendering puts the transaction at risk.Representation rules and Prokura are translated in full and true to meaning, explained where needed.
HRA/HRB & register number wrongThe register section, number and register court identify the extract; errors make it unusable for the receiving body.HRA/HRB, register number and court are carried over completely and in the correct position.
Register court translated instead of namedA "translated" Amtsgericht cannot be found by the foreign body.The name of the register court stays in the original, with an explanatory equivalent in brackets.
Capital & shareholding figures impreciseShare/nominal capital, shareholdings and contributions matter for review; rounding or omissions stand out at due diligence.Capital, shareholding and contribution figures are carried over exactly and in the correct format.
Apostille "ordered" from the translatorFor a register extract, the apostille comes from the president of the regional court — without it, the foreign body will reject the document.We do not issue apostilles; we name the competent authority and then translate the apostille together with the extract.

How it works

From your upload to the certified extract — named translators, B2B rates.

Upload a current, complete extract (current or chronological printout) and tell us the destination country and receiving body. We review the scope and language direction and confirm a binding fixed price — for ongoing business abroad, also as a B2B framework rate. Once approved, a court-authorised professional translator renders legal form, representation, capital and register details precisely.

You receive the document as a PDF in advance and the certified original by post. If an apostille is planned, we agree the sequencing with you. Go to document upload or send a B2B framework enquiry.

Before you upload

What to send us so the corporate record clears at the first attempt.

With this information, a court-authorised professional translator can render your extract accurately from the start.

For ongoing business abroad, we set up a B2B framework with fixed terminology and named contacts — so company names and representation terms stay consistent across every translation.

Use cases

Three real cases: subsidiary, corporate account, procurement file.

The purpose determines the version, language direction and apostille requirement. Three common scenarios in B2B business.

Company formation

HRB extract for a newly formed subsidiary

Starting point
A GmbH is setting up a subsidiary abroad; the local register requires the apostilled, translated HRB extract of the parent company.
Process
We clarify the apostille requirement, flag the sequencing via the regional court, and produce a certified translation of the extract and apostille together, with legal form and representation placed in context.
Outcome
Certified translation with a certification note — PDF in advance, original by post, matched to the foreign register's requirements.

Bank

Register extract for opening a corporate bank account

Starting point
A bank abroad requires the translated commercial register extract for a company account and KYC checks.
Process
We produce a certified translation of existence, legal form and power of representation, carrying over register and capital details in position.
Outcome
A verifiable proof of existence and representation that the bank accepts without a query.

Tender

Proof of representation for a procurement process

Starting point
For a tender abroad, a company must prove existence and power of representation as a certified translation.
Process
A court-authorised professional translator renders the representation rules and Prokura in full and explains liability-relevant terms.
Outcome
A certified translation the procurement body accepts as a duly formed proof.

Quote & price

What does a certified Handelsregisterauszug cost to translate?

A standard extract is usually billed at a flat fee per extract; longer, chronological extracts are priced per standard line. For ongoing business abroad, we offer B2B framework rates. We confirm a binding fixed price after a brief review — certification and postal delivery included.

Binding fixed price
flat fee per extractstandard extract · longer/chronological extracts from € 0.89 per standard line · B2B framework rates
everything included · postage included
Certified translation by a court-authorised translator✓included
Certification note, stamp & signature✓included
Advance PDF for review✓included
Postal delivery of the certified original✓included
Quality assurance & final check✓included

A standard extract is usually a flat fixed fee; longer documents from € 0.89 per standard line. We confirm the exact amount after a brief review — certification and postal delivery included. How the price is made up →

Request a quote

Common reasons for this translation: setting up abroad, opening a foreign bank account, a cross-border tender, or ongoing financial and annual report translation for group reporting.

Sources & legal basis

The register portal and statutes this page relies on.

The facts above come from the official commercial register portal and the relevant statutes.

FAQ

What managing directors ask about register extracts.

Does my commercial register extract need a certified translation?

For business abroad, almost always yes: registers, banks, notaries and tendering bodies generally accept the extract only as a certified translation by a court-authorised translator, often together with an apostille. German bodies, conversely, require the same for a foreign-language register extract.

What is the difference between HRA and HRB?

Section HRA covers sole traders and partnerships such as e. K., OHG and KG; section HRB covers companies with limited liability such as GmbH, UG and AG. We translate both types of extract as certified translations; the register section and number are carried over exactly as they appear.

Do I also need an apostille — and who issues it?

For many countries, yes. Because the extract comes from a register court, the apostille is issued by the president of the regional court (Landgericht) or the relevant state judicial administration, not by the translation provider. It belongs on the document before translation; we then translate it together with the extract.

How are the legal form and the power of representation translated?

Legal forms such as GmbH or KG stay in the original and are placed in context with a translator's note, rather than being equated with Ltd or LLC. Power of representation and Prokura are translated in full and true to meaning, because they affect liability.

Should the extract be current or chronological?

That depends on the receiving body. A current extract is often enough; for due diligence or a history check, the chronological extract is required. Tell us the requirement and we translate the matching version.

What does a certified translation of a commercial register extract cost?

A standard extract is usually translated at a flat fixed fee; longer, chronological extracts are priced by scope. For ongoing business abroad we offer B2B framework rates. Certification, an advance PDF and postal delivery are included.
Our notary was blunt about it: the articles have to be filed in a certified German translation because the Commercial Code says so, not because the court prefers it. termbase delivered them with the register extract in one go, and the entry went through without an intermediate order from the registry.
★★★★★

Alejandro Ruiz Cárdenas · managing director, Monterrey (Mexico) · articles of association → registry court

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