German Translation

German is the second most common target for documents leaving Türkiye. But Germany has its own system of sworn translators, and that directly determines whether a translation made here will be accepted there.

6 min readLast updated 1 September 2026

Short answer

In Germany, translators are sworn in by regional courts. Some German authorities accept only a translation by a translator sworn in Germany; others accept an apostilled Turkish translation. The receiving institution decides.

Sworn translator institution: Yes; appointed by a regional court
Term for a certified translation: Beglaubigte Übersetzung
Apostille: Germany and Türkiye are both parties
Grading scale: 1 is best, 6 is worst (inverse of Türkiye)

Who is a sworn translator in Germany?

In Germany translators are sworn in at state level, by a Landgericht or an Oberlandesgericht. The title varies by state: beeidigter Übersetzer, vereidigter Übersetzer or ermächtigter Übersetzer. All three describe the same role, and the translation such a translator produces is called a beglaubigte Übersetzung, carrying the translator's stamp and certifying formula.

The similarity with the Turkish system ends there. In Türkiye a translator swears an oath before a notary; in Germany, before a court. The two countries' registers are independent of one another: being sworn in Türkiye confers no status in Germany, and the reverse is equally true.

The German grading scale runs the other way

This is the most misread element in transcript and diploma translations. In the German system 1 is the highest mark and 6 the lowest; in Türkiye a high number out of 100 or out of 4 is good. When a German authority reads 4.00 from a Turkish transcript against its own scale, it sees something close to a fail.

The two scales side by side
German mark	Meaning	Roughly, on the Turkish 4-point scale
1.0 – 1.5	sehr gut (very good)	3.7 – 4.0
1.6 – 2.5	gut (good)	3.0 – 3.6
2.6 – 3.5	befriedigend (satisfactory)	2.3 – 2.9
3.6 – 4.0	ausreichend (sufficient)	2.0 – 2.2
5.0 – 6.0	nicht ausreichend (fail)	Fail

The two scales side by side

This table is not a conversion chart; it only shows which way each scale runs. We do not convert grades in translation: the source value is carried across as it stands and the scale it belongs to is stated. Conversion is done by the body assessing your recognition application. If your transcript carries no explanation of the scale, ask your university for a written statement of its grading system; that single page is the most useful annex a file can carry.

German documents and how we render them

Some documents arriving from Germany cannot be translated directly, because the Turkish administrative system has no counterpart. For these, the original name is kept and what the document is gets explained.

Frequently seen German documents
Document	What it is	Our approach
Führungszeugnis	Federal criminal record certificate	Rendered as a criminal record certificate, original name kept in brackets
Meldebescheinigung	Certificate of registered residence	Not functionally identical to the Turkish residence certificate; a note is added
Aufenthaltstitel	Residence permit	The specific type (Niederlassungserlaubnis and so on) is always stated
Abiturzeugnis	School-leaving certificate and university entrance qualification	Not simply a high school diploma; both functions are set out
Ausbildungszeugnis	Certificate from the dual vocational training system	No Turkish counterpart; the system is briefly explained
Approbation	Licence to practise for doctors, pharmacists and others	Not a diploma; rendered as a professional practice licence

Frequently seen German documents

What makes German demanding to translate

01
Compound nouns
German forms compounds of unlimited length: Aufenthaltserlaubnis, Krankenversicherungsnachweis. Because no single Turkish word matches them, the translation runs longer, and that shows in the page count.
02
All nouns capitalised
German capitalises nouns mid-sentence. That signal disappears in Turkish, so the translator has to tell whether a capital marks a proper noun or merely follows the grammar rule.
03
ß and umlauts
The letter ß is written ss in some systems (Straße / Strasse), and in names that difference can break document matching. Umlauts too can expand to ae, oe, ue: Müller / Mueller. The passport decides which spelling governs.
04
Long sentences in official register
German administrative and legal texts can carry several conditions in one sentence. Those sentences have to be broken up in Turkish, and keeping the link between the conditions intact while breaking them is the real work in a legal text.

Diploma recognition

In Germany the recognition of higher education degrees is assessed through a central database, while professional recognition varies by chamber and by state. For translation this has one practical consequence: the assessing body knows your institution and your courses only through the translation.

What an education file going to Germany should contain

The diploma, and any provisional graduation certificate
The transcript, all pages
A written statement of the grading system from your university
Course descriptions, where requested
Certificate of study duration
The identity page of your passport, for the name spelling
Apostilles on the documents

Frequently asked questions

Is a German translation made in Türkiye valid in Germany?

It depends. A notarised and apostilled Turkish translation is accepted by many German institutions, but civil registry offices and some universities require a translation by a translator sworn in Germany. Do not begin without asking the receiving institution: a translation made on the wrong side means paying twice.

How will the Turkish characters in my name appear?

The latinised spelling in your passport governs. German umlauts (ä, ö, ü) look like the Turkish ö and ü but belong to a different system; the ö and ü in a Turkish name usually appear as o and u in the passport. Send the identity page of your passport so no mismatch arises between documents.

Can a German notary certify a Turkish document directly?

A German notary certifies the signature of a translator on a translation produced in Germany. The certification chain for a translation produced in Türkiye is built in Türkiye: sworn translation, notarisation, apostille. The two chains do not substitute for one another.

Does the same process apply for Austria and Switzerland?

The language is the same but the systems are separate. In Austria translators are sworn in by the courts and appear on their own register; in Switzerland practice varies by canton, with notarisation more prominent in some. Tell us which country, and which canton or state, the document is going to.

Why does the German text come out longer than the Turkish?

German compounds pack a great deal into one word, and that information spreads across several words in Turkish. Official German formulas also take longer renderings. Since pages are counted on the source rather than the target text, this does not affect your quote.