Employment Contract Translation for Germany

Which document, and in which procedure

In Germany the employment contract is asked for in work permit procedures – skilled employment in particular – and in professional recognition, sometimes alongside a letter of offer. The Ausländerbehörde or the professional chamber wants to see that the post and the terms agree with the document, which is why every page of the contract and every annex is translated. The type of contract, fixed-term or open-ended, and the information about its term can affect the scope of the work permit, so both are carried across exactly.

The translator carries that information about type and term across without interpreting it, and does not force the term stated in the document into a German contract template. The assessment is for the authority concerned to make.

Annexes, working hours and the signature block

The annexes attached to the contract – the job description, the salary scale, the working time schedule – form an inseparable part of the document and are included in the translation. Weekly working hours, the probationary period and notice periods for termination are translated exactly as the document has them. Signatures and seals are marked in square brackets; the place of signature and the date are carried across exactly. An annex left out opens the completeness of the contract to question; in contracts running to several pages the page order is preserved.

Skilled employment and the part played by the salary line

On routes such as skilled employment and the Blue Card (Blaue Karte) in Germany, the salary line in the contract can bear directly on whether an application qualifies; the authority compares the figure stated in the document against the conditions of the application. Carrying the salary across in its own currency and as it stands, without interpretation, is therefore critical: the translator works out no euro equivalent and simply carries across the amount written in the document. The comparison and the assessment of eligibility are for the authority concerned. In the same way the job title is translated faithfully, since it affects which occupation the work permit will be assessed under. When salary, working hours and post form a consistent whole, the file reads quickly; an inconsistency in any one of these three fields can lead the authority to ask for further explanation. The safest course is to learn the current thresholds and conditions from the authority’s own official announcement.

Title and post: mind the protected titles

The job title and post in the contract affect which occupation the work permit will be assessed under. A Turkish title is translated with its intelligible German counterpart; some titles in Germany, however, are protected (occupational titles such as ‘Ingenieur’, for instance, depend on conditions being met). The translator translates the title but does not assign a protected German title to the person; the title stated in the document is carried across faithfully, with an explanation in brackets where that is needed. This keeps the post from being fitted to the wrong occupational description.

Salary and currency stay as they are

The salary in the contract is carried across as it stands, together with its currency (TL/₺); it is not converted into a euro equivalent, because what the document shows is the amount agreed in the contract. Currency conversion is no part of the translator’s work, and a wrong conversion distorts the contract. Items such as the payment period, benefits and bonuses are likewise translated exactly as the document has them; figures and dates are preserved exactly.

The numbering of the articles is preserved

An employment contract is a legal text; the number and the order of its articles determine which provision the parties are referring to. The translation has to preserve that numbering exactly, whether it runs 1, 2, 3 or follows an arrangement marked with §; merging articles, skipping one or reordering them makes any later reference to an article meaningless. Sub-paragraphs and subsections are carried across in the same arrangement. That allows the German side to compare the translation with the original article by article.

Confidentiality and non-competition clauses

Clauses such as confidentiality (Verschwiegenheit) and non-competition are the parts of an employment contract that demand the most care; because they carry legal consequences, they are translated in full and with the right terms. The translation neither softens them nor strengthens them; it carries across exactly the scope the document sets out. The following points are reviewed before delivery:

• Verify that the title has not been assigned to a protected German title.
• Check that the salary is preserved with its currency and has not been converted into euros.
• Confirm that the article numbers have been carried across exactly.

Certification, and common mistakes

Where the contract is notarised or an apostille is needed, the order holds: notarisation or apostille first, then a translation that includes the apostille. In Germany an official translation must bear the stamp of a translator sworn in by a court (öffentlich bestellter und beeidigter Übersetzer). Germany is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention; confirm the current position on the official HCCH list. You can see the level of certification required for other documents on our document types page, review the cost on our pricing page, and upload your document for a quote. This page is for general information and is no substitute for legal advice; confirm current requirements with the authority concerned.