Translation of Education Documents for Germany

Not a recognition decision but a classification: how anabin works

In Germany the standing of a Turkish diploma is not settled by the issue of a single “recognition certificate”; it is determined through the classification held in the anabin database maintained by the ZAB. The database carries two separate records: the status of the higher education institution you graduated from, and the German equivalent of the degree you were awarded. The two are read together. An institution may appear to be recognised while the degree itself sits at a different level, and the reverse happens too. That is why the right order in Germany is to look at how the institution and the programme appear in the database before having any document translated. The outcome of the classification changes, from the very start, which documents you need to prepare and in what detail.

Where you apply to a university directly, however, the party you deal with is usually not the ZAB but the university’s own admissions office or application centre. They look at the same classification, but may add conditions of their own. In postgraduate applications the department’s academic assessment is what decides the matter; in undergraduate applications, what is sought is that your secondary education record fits the German system. It would not be wrong to say that the same documents have two different readers.

Which document is asked for, and why

A diploma proves that the degree exists, but for a German assessor the real information lies in the transcript. By setting out the courses, the credits and the marks, the transcript shows how demanding the programme was. Because arguments over the conversion of marks arise often in Germany, the explanation of the marking system on the transcript – the information about the scale – carries considerable weight; if that explanation appears on the reverse of the transcript or on a separate sheet, that part must be included in the translation as well. Course contents come into play only where the equivalence of content is in dispute, particularly in regulated professions and in transfer applications.

Document	What the reader is looking for
Diploma	The name of the degree and how the awarding institution appears in anabin
Transcript	Credit load, course titles and the explanation of the marking scale
Course contents	How far the programme content overlaps with its German counterpart
Language certificate	Whether the language of instruction fits the programme applied for

Where education applications most often come unstuck

The most common refusal or notice of missing papers has nothing to do with what the document says and everything to do with whether it is complete: only the front of the transcript is translated. On Turkish transcripts the marking scale, the graduation average and the explanatory notes are usually on the reverse or on the last page. If that part is missing, the German side cannot interpret the marks and puts the file on hold. The second frequent problem is a name spelt one way on the diploma and another in the passport; where a surname has changed through marriage, the document showing that must be in the file as well. The third is an apostille obtained on a photocopy rather than on the original.

Where the translation and the approvals fit in

The correct order is generally this: the original document is obtained, the apostille is completed in Türkiye if required, and the document is then translated in full, the apostille certificate included. The translation comes last, because an apostille obtained afterwards creates fresh text that has to be added to the translation, and the work is done twice. In education files bound for Germany the translation is prepared as a sworn translation, in keeping with the regime of translators authorised by a court, and bound to the source document. To see which level of approval applies to which document, look at our document types page, and you can follow the comparison between countries in our country guide.

What to finish before you leave Türkiye

Asking a Turkish university for a fresh document once you are in Germany is harder than it first looks. Student affairs offices will often hand over a wet-signed and sealed document only in person or to a representative holding a power of attorney; not every institution will send one by post. The practical rule for German files is therefore to obtain, in advance, more than one original copy of any document you might need. That applies above all to the transcript, the course contents and the graduation certificate; planning for one copy to stay with the university, one to go to the recognition review and one to remain in your hands covers the requests that may come later.

In the same way, the difference between printouts taken from an electronic system and wet-signed documents needs to be settled at the outset. Some German institutions accept a QR-coded electronic document, while others want a printed copy bearing the institutional seal and signature. Since the form required varies from one institution to another, preparing both is the safest course; the translation works from the same text for either form, but the authentication elements on the document itself are reflected separately in the translation.

Finally, the file may need to be kept up to date after it has reached Germany. New documents obtained after graduation, a change of address or a change of programme all create a need for further translation; keeping a record of the terminology chosen for the first set of translations keeps the later additions consistent with it.

A practical word on timing: university application periods and the recognition review do not run to the same calendar. Having a translated set in hand before the application portal closes is safer than waiting for the classification result. To see the cost by number of pages in advance, look at our pricing page, and you can upload your documents to request a quotation.

This content is for information only; a country’s practice on apostilles or consular legalisation may change. The final requirement is set by the authority you are applying to; confirm it in advance.