passport and ID translations - certified English German translator for passports and ID cards

Certified translation › Passport & ID card

Passport and ID translation for German authorities and banks.

Passport and ID translation is €59 per document from a sworn, court-authorised German translator — for a bank, notary or authority that needs your identity document in German. Names are matched exactly to the ICAO machine-readable zone so they stay consistent across your file. A German, Austrian or Swiss authority accepts the certified translation with its signed certification statement. Fixed price includes certification and shipping.

Sworn & certifiedfor DACH authorities
Valid in D-A-CHauthorities & courts
ICAO MRZ transliterationpassport-exact
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Get a fixed price When is it needed? Germany +49 30 2023 5227 0 Austria +43 1 3050 647 Switzerland +41 44 586 82 97

Court-authorised translators · certification note under Section 142 (3) ZPO · passport spelling (ICAO) as reference · price includes postage

DIN EN ISO 17100registered · Reg. 7U517

Accepted by authoritiescertification note included

Price up frontbinding fixed price

ConfidentialGDPR-compliant · NDA on request

Short & clear

When an authority or a bank requires a certified German translation of your ID.

Reviewed by specialists · termbase editorial team

For many procedures abroad, yes. Banks, notaries, registries and authorities abroad often require a certified (Germany, Austria) or notarised (Switzerland) translation of your passport or ID card as proof of identity. Conversely, a German, Austrian or Swiss authority needs a certified translation of a foreign-language ID document that is not already in the local language.

A court-authorised translator renders every entry true to form and layout and matches the name spelling against the passport's machine-readable zone (ICAO). Important: an apostille is usually not placed on the ID document itself — more on that below.

When is it needed?

Six situations that call for translated proof of identity.

The ID document proves identity and nationality. These are the situations — abroad or before German authorities — that most often call for a translation.

Opening a bank account and passing the KYC check

To open an account and pass anti-money-laundering (KYC) checks, banks abroad ask for a translated proof of identity.

Company formation: a shareholder's ID for the register

Registries and notaries require a certified translation of a shareholder's ID to register or invest in a company.

Marriage and civil status: identity and nationality

For a wedding or civil-status matter abroad, the passport is translated as proof of identity and nationality.

Property purchase and powers of attorney before a notary

Buying property or signing a power of attorney abroad, the translated ID belongs with the identification documents.

University enrolment and residence procedures

Universities and immigration offices ask for a translated proof of identity to enrol or process a residence matter.

A foreign ID document for a German authority, bank or employer

German authorities, banks or employers require a certified German translation of a foreign-language ID document.

Your name has to be the same, everywhere.

Passport, ID card and certificates belong together — so we match every name spelling against the passport's machine-readable zone (ICAO).

Apostille & authorities

An identity document is not a civil-status certificate — so the apostille goes on a notarial copy.

A passport and ID card are identity documents, not issued civil-status certificates in the classic sense. An apostille is therefore, as a rule, not placed on the ID document itself. If a foreign body requires apostilled proof of identity, what is usually produced instead is a notarised copy of the ID.

That notarisation is a notarial deed — its apostille is issued by the president of the Regional Court (Landgericht) (in some countries by the ministry of justice), not by the translation provider. We then translate the ID, the notarial certification and the apostille together. Which countries the apostille applies to, rather than full legalisation, follows the Hague Apostille Convention.

Passport and ID card translation — typical use, certification and apostille, Germany vs Austria vs Switzerland
	Germany	Austria	Switzerland
Typical use	Proof of identity abroad, or a foreign ID document for a German authority	Proof of identity abroad, or a foreign ID document for the Niederlassungsbehörde/MA 35	Proof of identity abroad, or a foreign ID document for the cantonal Migrationsamt or a Swiss bank
Certified by	Court-authorised translator (ermächtigter Übersetzer)	Court-sworn translator (allgemein beeideter und gerichtlich zertifizierter Dolmetscher)	A translator signs to certify accuracy; a Swiss notary then certifies that signature
Legal basis	§ 142 (3) ZPO	§ 14 SDG	Cantonal notarial practice
Apostille (where required)	Issued by the president of the Regional Court (Landgericht), or the ministry of justice in some countries	Issued by the president of the Landesgericht, or the BMEIA for a federal-authority document; a notarised copy is often produced instead	Issued by the cantonal Staatskanzlei of the canton where the notarisation took place

In every country the name is matched to the passport's machine-readable zone (ICAO); an apostille is rarely placed on the ID document itself.

Notary first, then apostille, then translation

If the receiving body wants an apostilled ID copy, the order is: notarised copy, apostille from the Regional Court president, then the certified translation of the copy, the notarisation and the apostille. That way everything is accepted on the first attempt.

Quality you only notice at the counter

Six ID pitfalls a court-authorised translator catches: MRZ, transliteration, dates.

An ID document is checked against names, numbers and security features. These are the most common pitfalls — and how a court-authorised translator avoids them.

Pitfalls with ID and passport translations and how termbase resolves them
Pitfall	Why it is critical	How termbase solves it
Name from a non-Latin script "Germanised" by ear	If the transliteration differs from the passport or earlier certificates, the authority treats it as a different person — and the document is rejected.	Transliteration to the relevant ISO standard plus the ICAO passport spelling; any discrepancy is explained in the certification note.
Machine-readable zone (MRZ) ignored	The MRZ carries the authoritative name and document coding; skip it and there is no reference to check the entries against.	We match the visible entries against the MRZ and record the authoritative spelling.
Document number & issuing authority mistranscribed	Document number, issuing authority and validity identify the ID; errors make it unusable.	Numbers, authority and dates are transcribed completely and in the right position.
Date formats carried over unchanged	"03/04/2020" means a different date at home than in Germany — a wrong date of birth or expiry is critical.	Date and number formats are rendered unambiguously, with a translator's note where needed.
Security features & official markings left out	Missing endorsements, stamps or markings make the translation incomplete and unfit for certification.	Endorsements, stamps and markings are described and translated; anything illegible is flagged as such.
Expecting an apostille on the passport	The ID itself is usually not apostilled; waiting for one on the document costs time.	We explain the route via a notarised copy and the apostille from the Regional Court.

Legal basis

Bestätigte Übersetzung: the stamp a sworn translator adds under Section 142 (3) ZPO.

Reviewed by specialists · termbase editorial team

Commonly called a "certified translation", the correct term is a confirmed translation (in German: bestätigte Übersetzung) — produced by a court-authorised (sworn) translator with stamp, signature and certification note. Under Section 142 (3) ZPO it is recognised nationwide before authorities and courts.

You receive the translation in advance as a PDF and then the certified original by post. For use abroad, we clarify in advance whether a notarised copy with an apostille is required, and whether the destination country only accepts a translation from a translator admitted there.

How it works

From your scan to the certified identity document — how an order runs.

You upload a clearly legible scan of your ID card or the passport data page (including the machine-readable zone) and tell us the destination country and receiving body. We name a binding fixed price. Once you approve, a court-authorised translator renders every entry true to form and layout and matches the name spelling.

You receive the document in advance as a PDF and as a certified original by post. If an apostilled copy is required, we agree the sequence with you. On to the document upload.

Before you upload

What to send with the scan so nothing has to be redone.

With this information, a court-authorised translator can render your ID correctly straight away.

Clearly legible scan including the MRZ — don't crop off the machine-readable zone at the bottom edge.
Destination country & receiving body — bank, notary, registry or authority; it determines language and form.
Authoritative name spelling — if the ID and other certificates differ, tell us which one to use as the reference.
Apostille clarified? — whether a notarised copy with an apostille is required; that is issued by the Regional Court president, not the translation provider.
Language direction — which language to translate from and into.
Deadline & delivery — by when you need the advance PDF and the original.

Not sure whether a copy with an apostille is required? termbase clarifies this with you before translating — so the form matches the procedure.

Use cases

Three routes: a bank's KYC file, a notarial copy with apostille, an immigration office.

The purpose decides the form and whether an apostille is needed. Three common scenarios.

Bank

Passport data page for a bank's KYC file

Starting point: A bank abroad requires a translated proof of identity to open an account and complete KYC checks.
Process: We certify-translate the passport data page, match the name against the MRZ, and transcribe numbers and the issuing authority in position.
Result: Certified translation with certification note — PDF in advance, original by post, matching the bank's identification requirements.

Notary

Notarial copy plus apostille for a property purchase

Starting point: For a property purchase abroad, the notary requires an apostilled, translated copy of the ID.
Process: We explain the sequence — notarised copy, apostille from the Regional Court — then certify-translate the copy, the notarisation and the apostille together.
Result: Matching identification documents that the notary accepts without a query.

German authority

Foreign ID document for the immigration office

Starting point: A German immigration office requires a certified German translation of a foreign-language ID document.
Process: A court-authorised translator transcribes every entry, transliterates the name to the ISO standard and records the passport spelling.
Result: Certified German translation that ties the ID unambiguously to you for the authority.

Quote & price

What an ID card or passport data page costs: a flat fee per document.

We usually bill an ID card or passport data page as a flat fee per document. After a quick review we name a binding fixed price — certification, advance PDF and postal delivery included.

Binding fixed price

flat fee per documentID card / passport data page · special cases by length, from € 0.89 per standard line

everything included · postage included

Certified translation by a court-authorised translator	✓included
Name transliterated & matched to your passport	✓included
Certification note, stamp & signature	✓included
Advance PDF & postal delivery of the original	✓included
Quality assurance & final check	✓included

An ID card or passport page is usually billed at a flat fixed price; longer documents from € 0.89 per standard line (55 characters incl. spaces). We name the exact amount after a quick review. How the price is made up →

Request a quote

Common reasons for this translation: Naturalisation · Moving to Germany & residence. There you'll find the full document package with procedure and deadlines.

FAQ

Name spelling, apostille, scans: what people ask about ID translations.

Do I need to translate my passport or ID card?

For many procedures abroad, yes: banks, notaries, registries and authorities require the ID as a translated proof of identity. Conversely, German authorities require this for foreign-language ID documents.

Does the passport itself get an apostille?

Usually not on the document itself. If a foreign body requires apostilled proof of identity, a notarised copy is usually produced instead; its apostille is issued by the president of the Regional Court, not by the translation provider.

Why does the name spelling matter so much?

If the transliteration of the name differs from the passport or other certificates, the receiving body treats you as a different person. We transliterate to the ISO 9 standard and match it against the machine-readable zone (ICAO), so your name reads the same everywhere.

Is a scan enough, or do you need the original?

A clearly legible scan including the machine-readable zone is usually enough for the translation. Whether the certification refers to the original, a certified copy or the scan depends on the requesting body — we note the reference used.

Where is the certified translation recognised?

In Germany, recognition follows Section 142 (3) ZPO. For use abroad, the receiving body often additionally requires an apostilled copy and sometimes a translation admitted in the destination country — we clarify this in advance.

What does a certified translation of an ID cost?

We usually translate an ID card or passport data page at a flat fixed price; special cases are priced by length. Certification, advance PDF and postal delivery are included — we name the exact price after a quick review.

Opening the account and registering my address both stalled on the same page of my Kenyan ID. termbase translated the identity page and the endorsements exactly as printed, including the lines nobody usually bothers with, and both counters took the same document.

★★★★★

Otieno Ochieng · logistics manager, Kisumu (Kenya) · passport and national ID → bank and registration office