German to Greek Translation

This direction is used when a German document has to be submitted in Greece or Cyprus. The typical applicant has completed a stage of education or a career step in Germany, Austria or Switzerland and is returning to Greece or settling there: people applying to a Greek university or to a public sector post with a German diploma, or entering the Greek market with German company documents. The source is German in the Latin alphabet; the target is the Greek alphabet.

Second-generation members of the Greek diaspora returning to Greece account for a significant share of this direction: people born and raised in Germany, whose documents were drawn up in German, have to submit those documents to Greek authorities in Greek. The document carries a German reality, but the Greek authority assesses it according to its own alphabet and administrative language.

Where Cyprus is involved, the question of the target language is asked separately: English is also in widespread use in the island’s administrative structure and some institutions may accept an English translation directly, so whether a translation into Greek is really needed is clarified before the application. For second-generation applicants returning to Greece, on the other hand, it is normal for all documents drawn up in German to be requested in Greek, and the file is prepared from a single source with consistent terminology.

Technical issues specific to German into Greek

The alphabet transition works the other way round in this direction: German personal and place names in the Latin alphabet are usually kept in their original Latin spelling within the Greek text, with their pronunciation given in the Greek alphabet where necessary. Keeping the person’s name exactly as it is spelt in Latin characters in the passport is critical if the Greek authority is to match the identity. German umlauts and the letter ß may be carried over unchanged or supported with an explanation.

German’s long compound nouns cannot be matched by a single word in Greek; they are unpacked. The company form GmbH is not automatically converted into the Greek Ε.Π.Ε. or Α.Ε. structure; the original abbreviation is kept and an explanation added. The grading system is not converted either; the German 1–6 scale is explained.

The noun-phrase-based structure of German official style is rebuilt according to Greek sentence order. The date stays in the German day-month-year order; to prevent day-month confusion the month is written out in words where necessary. Seals and registration details on the document are preserved with their position.

Recognition of diplomas in Greece is handled by DOATAP, and that body asks for a detailed breakdown of courses, credits and content; a summarised translation puts the assessment into deadlock from the start. The position of the seal and date of entry in the German document is preserved in the Greek translation, because the Greek authority also verifies the original form of the document. Keeping the person’s name unchanged in the Latin spelling used in the passport secures identity matching in the Greek records system; using the original spelling on one document and a simplified one on another is avoided.

Which documents call for this direction

• German or Austrian diploma, Zeugnis and transcript
• Residence, birth and marriage records
• Trade registry extracts and signature documents
• Pension and social security correspondence
• Powers of attorney and court documents

For recognition of a diploma the Greek recognition body DOATAP asks for a detailed breakdown of courses and credits; a summarised translation puts the assessment into deadlock. Consistency of names and terms is maintained across documents belonging to the same person.

In family and civil registry files, carrying the name over unchanged in the Latin spelling used in the passport is necessary for the Greek authority to match records. In commercial documents the company form and registry number are given in their original form.

For second-generation applicants returning to Greece the documents are often drawn up entirely in German, and the Greek authority wants them translated into its own language; German institution names are therefore constructed according to their function rather than carried over word for word. German abbreviations (i.V., gem., for example) are unpacked. As for length, German’s long compound nouns spread across several words in Greek, so the line plan is reworked in the narrow spaces of sealed documents. In powers of attorney the formula setting the limits of authority is preserved to the letter.

The chain of approval

After the closure of the Foreign Ministry’s translation service, Greece transferred the power of certification to lawyers and sworn translators; official translations are certified through that channel. The document coming from Germany is expected to carry an apostille. It should not be forgotten that English is also widely accepted in Cyprus.

To see these different routes and Greece’s approval regime, look at the country page and the requirements for the document type. Tell us the Latin spelling of the name in the passport and the target institution before you send the document.

Upload your document to obtain the page count and the current fee, and compare unit prices.

The account here summarises the typical case; notarisation and apostille steps are costed as separate items. For definitive information, go by the relevant institution’s current announcements.