Professional Qualification Certificate Translation for Germany

Anerkennung and reglementierte Berufe

Some professions in Germany are regulated (reglementierte Berufe), and working in them depends on the qualification being formally recognised (Anerkennung). The recognition application is made to a competent body (zuständige Stelle) that varies by profession and by federal state, and the certificate is usually submitted within a recognition file alongside a diploma, an employment certificate and identity documents. The translation is what allows that body to read correctly which profession and which scope the qualification was awarded for; equating a qualification directly with a German occupational title, on the other hand, is not the translator’s job but the recognition authority’s decision.

In professions that are not regulated, formal recognition may not be compulsory, and the document is then usually assessed by the employer. Even so, conveying the name and the scope of the qualification accurately is what lets an employer see what the person can genuinely do. Translating the name of a qualification freely can make the scope of the profession look broader or narrower than it is, so the name and the scope travel in the form the document defines them.

Which body is competent depends on the occupational group; in commercial and technical fields the chambers of industry and commerce and, in the skilled trades, the chambers of crafts are usually the recognition authorities. An assessment may end in full recognition, or in partial recognition, where part of the qualification is recognised and a further step such as an adaptation period or an examination is required for the rest. Which of these outcomes applies is not for the translator to judge; the translation only lays the ground for the authority to read the qualification correctly, and the decision rests with the authority.

anabin/ZAB and the DQR/EQF level

In classifying foreign qualifications Germany relies heavily on the anabin database and on ZAB, the authority that assesses equivalence, and the level information the document carries is what allows the qualification to be read at a comparable standing. The level under the Turkish Qualifications Framework is understood on a shared scale through the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and its German counterpart, the DQR, and that level, together with any ECTS credits shown, is conveyed in full in the translation. Getting the level wrong distorts the comparative value of the qualification.

A certificate is not to be confused with an educational diploma or with an employment certificate issued by an employer; the three prove different things and may sit side by side in a recognition file. The translation preserves that distinction, because ZAB or the competent body assesses each document by its own function. Consistency of name, date and profession across the documents puts it beyond argument that the file belongs to one and the same person.

Document identity and verification

A professional qualification certificate carries a document number, details of the issuing organisation and, in most cases, some verification element; these make up the document’s identity and are preserved unchanged in translation. Where a certificate has been produced electronically or can be verified online, the information about the verification code is carried into the translation and the electronic nature of the document is stated, which is what enables the German authority to confirm that it is genuine.

These identity elements gain further value in recognition files, where the certificate is submitted together with other documents, since the zuständige Stelle can confirm the document both from its content and from its verification record. Leaving out identity and verification details weakens the auditability of the document and can hold up the recognition process. A qualification document whose identity and verification record are carried across accurately makes a far stronger case before a German authority.

• Convey the name and scope of the qualification exactly; do not equate it with a German title.
• Reproduce the DQR/EQF level information in full.
• Preserve the document number and the verification record.

Approval: apostille and sworn translator

As this document is issued within a public-authority framework, the apostille, where it is needed, is usually obtained from the governor’s office or the district governor’s office. A translation submitted for official use in Germany carries the stamp of a court-sworn translator (öffentlich bestellter und beeidigter Übersetzer). Germany is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention; confirm the current position from the official HCCH list. You can run your file through our single office in Ankara Kızılay, see the cost on our pricing page, and upload your document to request a quote. This page is for general information only; the conditions for professional recognition vary by profession and by federal state, so confirm the exact requirements with the zuständige Stelle that will carry out the recognition.