Whether for studies or a job, for your business or investments, whether for your wedding or the birth of a child – if you cross borders with your private or professional plans, certified translations are often required as proof.
My name is Torsten Schnabel, I am an authorized translator and sworn interpreter for the languages English and French.
My office in the heart of Berlin
In the beautiful Prenzlauer Berg, I run an office where customers from Berlin with very urgent requests can visit me, personally pick up their translations and use them immediately.
I am very proud of my network of experienced and reliable colleagues. Together with them I offer other languages such as Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic and Polish. Via this link you will find all documents that we can quickly translate in community.
Here you will find information if you:
- need a certified translation for the first time and have questions about the process of the order, the appearance of such a translation and want to make sure that you get exactly what you need to submit
- if you are familiar with certified translations and need a price offer quickly.
Answers to the most frequently asked questions
In which specific cases do I need certified translations? What exactly do they look like? Who performs them? How do they differ from normal translations? And last but not least: What do certified translations cost?
Do I need a certified translation at all?
As a rule of thumb, a certified translation is necessary if you could make it, but are not allowed because you have not sworn the necessary oath, so:
- Whenever you are asked to provide a certified translation, e.g. by public authorities or educational institutions
- If you want to give your translation credibility, e.g., when applying for jobs, if you want to enclose translated work references.
Who needs a certified translation?
For private individuals and companies, different types of documents are possible:
Individuals:
- Translations of civil status documents such as birth certificates, registration certificates, marriage certificates, marriage aptitude certificates (no impediment) and divorce certificates for new marriages with foreigners or abroad, as well as
- school and academic certificates for applying to a university or to a job abroad
- References from a previous employer
- Documents to enter into an inheritance, such as death certificates and wills
Companies:
- Translations of extracts in the commercial register for business activities abroad,
- Articles of association for start-ups, tax returns or tax recoveries, opening of bank accounts, etc.
- Proofs and applications for participation in international tenders
What is the difference between certified and normal translations?
Certified translations are made by professionals who have completed a course of study or a similar training as a translator with an appropriate examination and who have also taken an oath and are therefore authorized to perform them.
This oath is usually taken at a state institution, such as a regional court or a higher regional court. After these institutions have obtained proof of the translators’ qualifications and suitability, they authorise them to confirm the completeness and accuracy of the translations with their signature and their own stamp.
The newly created document becomes official. With this confirmation as well as with the signature and the stamp, it becomes a certified translation.
Why is a normal translation not enough?
The profession of translator is not protected. Anyone who claims to speak a foreign language may call themselves a translator. Anyone who considers himself capable of doing so can therefore translate texts into another language. For this reason, it is particularly important for state institutions to have access to a pool of proven qualified translators for official and legal documents.
Where can I find a certified translator?
There are three options available to you:
- Web search for a provider such as a large translation agency
- Search for languages and location via the official list valid throughout Germany
- Trusted and personal contact about Torsten Schnabel
Translation agencies – usually expensive fun
If you are asked to provide a certified translation, you must hire an authorized or sworn translator. These can be found by simply searching the Internet, but this usually turns out to be long, tedious or very expensive.
Another possibility are translation agencies, which must be princely rewarded for the service of a certified translation.
Interpreters and translators on the official list of courts
The direct route via the official lists is much easier.
It is an important contact point for people who are looking for sworn translators. This list is valid throughout Germany and can be accessed via the website www.justiz-dolmetscher.de. Here you can use the search function to search for linguists for your desired language combination and contact them via the stored data.
Advantage: This list offers the advantage that customers could also be searched for translators by state and place of residence by languages, e.g. if more than two languages are required for their request. Direct contact is also possible in this way.
Disadvantage: However, the disadvantage of this list is that it outputs a large number of translators, many of whom are not immediately accessible due to current obligations and can only devote themselves to the translations late.
A selected partner nearby
Certified translations in Berlin
Of course, I not only offer my translations to customers from the capital, but also ship them frequently to other cities in Germany and around the world.
But for those who are in a hurry, closeness is crucial. And I warmly welcome these customers to my office in Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg. Call (phone number below) and come by.
Using a very simple form, you can upload your document in advance and quickly get an offer.
What does a certified translation cost?
Most customers have no idea about the prices of certified translations and are usually surprised by the supposedly high prices for simple civil status documents.
How the prices for certified translations are exactly composed and exemplary prices for selected documents can be found on our page on the costs of a certified translation.
In addition, translators are presented here, whom you can rely on for your needs without hesitation. This list is gradually being expanded.