Document Translation and the Certification Chain in German Family Reunification Visas

For anyone hoping to move to Germany through family reunification, the most decisive item in the file is the set of documents relating to civil status. When marriage, birth and civil registry documents are not prepared with the right translation and certification, the process can stall right at the start.

Marriage and birth certificates sit at the centre of the chain

In family reunification, the marriage certificate and the birth certificate are usually the first papers that need to be translated. For these documents an apostille is generally obtained first, and the German translation is made afterwards. The order matters, because the apostille annotation may also need to be included in the translation. Since which document requires an apostille and which certification varies from one application to another, the current list of the relevant consulate should be taken as the basis.

The certification chain should be planned document by document

The work does not end with the translation; depending on the document, additional approval steps can come into play. For one document a sworn translation may be considered sufficient, while for another an apostille may be required as well. Rather than applying a single template, it is therefore safest to map out the certification chain separately for each document.

The problem that arises most often in family reunification files is the order of translation and apostille being mixed up, or a document being submitted with incomplete certification. Planning the document set as a whole and in sequence makes it easier to be ready in time for the appointment. At our Ankara Kızılay office we prepare family reunification papers together with their chain, clarifying which document needs an apostille first and a translation afterwards.