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Certified German Passport Translation
Certified translation of the documents that establish identity and nationality 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 doctorate goes in the name field
Germany allows a holder of a doctorate to have "Dr." entered in the passport, and it appears in the surname field rather than as a separate title.
A US system reading the field literally produces a surname beginning "DR" and a name mismatch against every other document. It is an entry Germany permits and not an error, and we say so explicitly in the translation.
The Personalausweis travels too
The German Personalausweis — the identity card — is a travel document within the EU and for a defined set of other countries, so a German client may present a card rather than a Reisepass.
They are different documents with different validity periods. Germany also discontinued the separate Kinderreisepass for children, so recent child documents are ordinary passports.
No address, and no parents
A German passport shows no address and no parents. Address is proved by a Meldebescheinigung from the registration office, and parentage by a register extract.
So a German passport on its own proves identity and nationality and nothing else, and a US office asking for proof of address or relationship needs different documents. We name them where a client asks.
Umlauts, and the machine-readable line
The printed page shows Müller and the machine-readable zone shows MUELLER, and ß becomes SS. Both are on the same document and a reader comparing them sees two spellings.
That is the standard transliteration, not a discrepancy. We reproduce the German and note the machine-readable rendering. 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
Why does my passport surname start with Dr?
Germany permits a doctorate in the name field. It is an authorised entry, not an error, and we say so in the translation.
Can my client travel on the ID card?
Within the EU and a defined set of other countries, yes. It is a different document from the Reisepass.
Does the passport show my address?
No, and it does not show parents. Address needs a Meldebescheinigung and parentage a register extract.
Müller or MUELLER?
The printed page and the machine-readable line. The standard transliteration, not a discrepancy.
Ready to get started?
Upload the document and receive the certified translation, typically within 24 hours.