Criminal Record Certificate Translation for Germany

Which body asks for it, and in which application

In Germany the criminal record certificate is most often required in professional recognition (Anerkennung) and recruitment procedures, and for some types of residence permit by the Ausländerbehörde. Different recipients may expect different documents, the criminal record certificate or the archive record, so asking at the outset avoids having a document of the wrong scope translated. Because the certificate is usually submitted together with other employment documents, the person’s name must be written the same way on all of them and in the passport.

If the name on the criminal record certificate is transliterated differently from the passport, matching the identity becomes harder and the file may be held up. The translation therefore carries the name and identity details across exactly as they are written in the official documents, without interpretation.

The barcode and the verification link

The barcode, the QR code and the verification reference on an e-Devlet printout are what make the document checkable afterwards; the translation notes that they are there, with [barcode] and [QR code], but makes no attempt to decode their content. The verification wording on the document gives the German side the means to check it against its source, so it should not be dropped from the translation; an omitted verification note opens the authenticity of the document to needless argument.

“No record” is the substance of the document

Usually the only substantive information a criminal record certificate carries is whether the person has a record. The statement that there is no criminal record is the substance of the document and must be translated plainly, exactly as it stands; a vague or partial rendering weakens the assurance the document gives. Where there is a record, every line – the nature of the offence, the decision, the date – is carried across exactly; no part is summarised or left out. The name of the document is translated with the right distinction as well, criminal record certificate or criminal record archive certificate, because the two cover different ground.

Criminal record terminology: counterparts, not interpretations

The document carries the heading of the Ministry of Justice’s General Directorate of Criminal Records and Statistics, the person’s identity details and the outcome. These institutional names and official formulae are given with descriptive counterparts; the name of the institution is not altered at will. The German side’s own document is the Führungszeugnis, but describing the Turkish document as a “Führungszeugnis” would be wrong; it is a Turkish criminal record certificate and is carried across with that identity, with a bracketed explanation where one is needed.

The QR-coded e-Devlet document and the wet signature

Criminal record certificates are now mostly obtained through e-Devlet, with a QR code, a barcode and electronic verification; some bodies, though, want a copy from the courthouse bearing a wet signature and a seal. In translation the presence of the QR code and of the verification wording is noted with [QR code] and [e-signature verification]; no attempt is made to decode the content of the code. Since which form is accepted, electronic or wet-signed, varies from body to body, settling which copy to obtain before the application is made saves the trouble of having the document issued again.

Currency: the document is read as short-lived

A criminal record certificate shows a position on a particular date, which is why a good many German bodies expect a recently issued copy. The translation carries the date of issue across exactly and cannot bring an old document up to date; once the date has passed, the document itself has to be renewed. It is safer, then, to have the translation made while the document is fresh rather than long before the application. Rather than fix on a particular number of days, work to the test of a recently issued document, and find the precise period from the announcements of the body you are applying to.

The order of certification and common mistakes

The order is this: the criminal record certificate is obtained, an apostille is added if one is needed, and the document is then translated, apostille included. A translation submitted to an official body in Germany must bear the stamp of a court-appointed sworn translator (öffentlich bestellter und beeidigter Übersetzer). Common mistakes:

• Translating the “no record” statement vaguely or incompletely.
• Equating the document with a German one such as the Führungszeugnis.
• Obtaining the apostille after the translation and having to have the document translated a second time.

Germany is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention; confirm the current position from the official HCCH list. You can see the level of certification other documents need in our document guide, look at the cost on our pricing page and upload your document for a quote. The details vary with the procedure; check with the body concerned before you apply.