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Certified German Language Certificate Translation
Certified translation of the documents that certify language proficiency 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.
Four certificates, four different scales
German proficiency is certified by several bodies and they do not report the same way. Goethe-Zertifikat and telc state a CEFR level from A1 to C2 and a pass. TestDaF does not: it reports a TestDaF-Niveaustufe — TDN 3, 4 or 5 — separately for each of the four skills, with no overall grade at all.
So a TestDaF certificate reading 5-4-4-3 is four findings, and reducing it to "C1" is an invention. We reproduce the four values and name the scale.
DSH, and what universities actually ask for
German universities set their own admission requirement, commonly DSH-2 or TestDaF TDN 4 in all four skills. DSH is examined by the university itself and graded DSH-1, DSH-2 or DSH-3, so a DSH certificate comes from a named university rather than from a national body.
We name the examining university and the grade. A US credential evaluator seeing a university-issued language certificate may treat it as an internal course result; it is the admission examination.
The DSD, taken at school abroad
The Deutsches Sprachdiplom is taken at German-programme schools abroad, in two stages — DSD I at B1 and DSD II at B2/C1 — and DSD II satisfies the language requirement for German university admission without a further test.
It appears in school files rather than as a standalone certificate, and it carries the Kultusministerkonferenz's authority. We name the stage and the awarding body.
Why the certificate is being read
German language certificates reach US offices in credential evaluations, in academic admissions where a German-taught degree needs explaining, and in employment files. They also appear in German immigration files that later come to the US, where A1 is required for a spouse visa and B1 for naturalisation.
Each reader wants a different thing from the same page, and the safe approach is to reproduce the level, the scale and the issuing body exactly. 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 does TDN 4 mean?
A TestDaF level reported separately for each skill. There is no overall grade, and reducing four values to a single CEFR level is an invention.
Why is my certificate from a university?
The DSH is examined by the university itself and graded DSH-1 to DSH-3. It is the admission examination, not a course result.
Is DSD II enough for a German university?
It generally satisfies the language requirement without a further test. We name the stage and the awarding body.
Will you convert my Goethe level to a score?
No. Goethe states a CEFR level and we reproduce it as issued.
Ready to get started?
Upload the document and receive the certified translation, typically within 24 hours.