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Certified German Bank Statement Translation
Certified translation of the documents that evidence bank accounts and balances in Germany, including the registry annotations and endorsements that carry the legal effect and that a reader unfamiliar with the system will otherwise skip.
$24.95/page
Flat rate per page, up to 250 words. No hidden fees.
100% USCIS acceptance
Every certified translation is guaranteed to be accepted by USCIS.
24-hour delivery
Most 1-3 page documents are delivered within 24 hours. Same-day available.
The Kontoauszug, and the Verwendungszweck
A German Kontoauszug lists each transaction with a Verwendungszweck — a free-text reference field the payer fills in — which German payers use heavily and precisely, carrying invoice numbers, rent months and case references.
That field is frequently the most informative part of a German statement and a translation that skips it as noise loses the substance. We translate every reference line.
IBAN, BIC, and the old account number
German accounts are identified by IBAN and BIC. Older documents show a Kontonummer and a Bankleitzahl, which are embedded in the IBAN and are what pre-SEPA records use.
We reproduce each as labelled. A US office matching an old document to a new one is looking at the same account under two identifier systems.
Digit grouping, and Soll and Haben
German numbers use a comma as the decimal separator and a point for thousands, so 1.234,56 € is one thousand two hundred thirty-four euros. Carrying the punctuation across unchanged is an error of a factor of a thousand.
Debits and credits are marked S (Soll) and H (Haben), and a reader who misses the marker reverses the direction. We convert the notation and expand the markers.
Schufa, which is a different document
A Schufa-Auskunft is a credit reference report, not a bank statement, and Germans obtain one routinely for tenancies and financing. It shows accounts, contracts and a score rather than transactions.
It appears in financial files and is regularly mistaken for a bank document. We name the issuer and the document type. See our German page.
Ordering, and what the certification covers
Upload the document, choose certified translation at $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, and it comes back typically within 24 hours as a PDF formatted to mirror the original, with a signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead. Marginal annotations are translated in place, in the margin, and every seal, stamp and registry endorsement is translated with the text. See how we translate and certified versus standard.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Verwendungszweck?
The payer's free-text reference on each transaction. German payers use it precisely and it is frequently the most informative part of the statement.
My old document shows a Kontonummer, not an IBAN.
The old account number and bank code are embedded in the IBAN. Same account, two identifier systems.
What do S and H mean?
Soll and Haben — debit and credit. Missing the marker reverses the direction of the entry.
Is a Schufa report a bank statement?
No. It is a credit reference showing accounts and a score rather than transactions.
Ready to get started?
Upload the document and receive the certified translation, typically within 24 hours.