Certified translation › Certificate of no impediment
Your certificate of no impediment (Ledigkeitsbescheinigung / Ehefähigkeitszeugnis) is translated at FÜD by a court-authorised sworn translator — certified, with a certification note, stamp and signature confirming accuracy and completeness. The foreign registry office where you marry accepts it as proof of single status; where that country requires an apostille, the competent German regional authority (in Berlin the LABO) adds it to the original — never the translator. A multilingual certificate under the 1980 Munich Convention often makes the translation unnecessary between contracting states. You upload the document and receive a binding fixed price from €59, certification and shipping included.
Court-authorised translators · certificate of no impediment vs certificate of capacity to marry (§ 1309 BGB) explained · a multilingual certificate under the Munich Convention often saves the translation · apostille route named · price includes postage
Short & clear
For a marriage abroad: almost always yes. The authority at your destination generally requires a certified translation of your certificate of no impediment or your certificate of capacity to marry, often together with an apostille.
The first question to settle, though, is which document your destination country actually requires — the straightforward certificate of no impediment, or the more far-reaching certificate of capacity to marry under § 1309 BGB. That decides everything that follows.
When is it needed?
It is nearly always a marriage with a foreign element — either abroad itself, or with a foreign partner in Germany.
Authority & apostille
The certificate of no impediment usually comes from the residents' registration register (Bürgeramt); the certificate of capacity to marry is issued by the German Standesamt (registry office). Both are requested by the authority in your country of marriage. For use there, an apostille is frequently also required.
That apostille is issued neither by FÜD nor — since this is not a court document — by the President of the Regional Court, but by the competent regional authority (Bezirksregierung, Regierungspräsidium or Landesamt; in Berlin the LABO). Sensible order: apostille on the original first, then the certified translation, which carries the apostille wording over as well. A multilingual certificate of capacity to marry under the 1980 Munich Convention (CIEC) often makes the translation unnecessary between contracting states.
Specialist value
With a certificate of no impediment, precision of terminology and law decides whether it is accepted abroad. The most common causes — and how we solve them.
| Pitfall | Why it matters | How FÜD solves it |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong document chosen | Bringing a certificate of no impediment when the destination country requires a certificate of capacity to marry means starting over. | We clarify in advance exactly which document the authority in your marriage country requires. |
| "Single" rendered imprecisely | Marital-status categories carry legal weight; an imprecise word changes the statement. | Marital status is rendered in legally sound terms and, where needed, with an explanatory note. |
| Name ≠ passport spelling | If the transliteration diverges from your passport, the foreign authority questions your identity. | We match the passport exactly; for non-Latin scripts, ISO-standard transliteration, both forms documented. |
| Apostille "ordered" from the translator | Only the competent regional authority issues the apostille; without it, the foreign authority refuses the document. | We do not issue apostilles, but we name the correct authority and order — then translate the apostille together with the certificate. |
| Date of issue too old | Certificates of capacity to marry are often valid for a limited time only; an old one is not accepted. | We flag validity periods and recommend a fresh document before translation where needed. |
| Multilingual certificate overlooked | A multilingual certificate of capacity to marry (Munich Convention 1980) often makes the translation unnecessary. | We check whether a multilingual certificate is an option, and translate only where genuinely needed. |
Certificate of no impediment or certificate of capacity to marry, with or without apostille, single- or multilingual — the authority in your marriage country decides. That is why we clarify this before the order, so the translation is right first time.
The wrong document can cost you your wedding date.
That's why we clarify first: certificate of no impediment, or certificate of capacity to marry under § 1309 BGB.
Typical cases
Marrying abroad, marrying a foreign partner, or a multilingual certificate — the case determines the document and its form.
Marriage abroad
Foreign partner
CIEC case
How it works
You upload a clearly legible scan and tell us your country of marriage. We clarify whether a certificate of no impediment or a certificate of capacity to marry is required, review the language pair, and name a binding fixed price. Once approved, a court-authorised translator produces the certified translation, seal and certification note included.
You receive the result in advance as a PDF, followed by the certified original by post. On request we clarify the order of steps and whether an apostille is needed beforehand, so nothing has to be repeated.
Quote & price
A certificate of no impediment and a certificate of capacity to marry are short documents, usually billed as a flat fee per document. We name a binding fixed price after a brief review — certification, an advance PDF and postal delivery included.
| Certified translation by a court-authorised translator | ✓included |
| Certification note, stamp & signature | ✓included |
| Advance PDF for review | ✓included |
| Postal delivery of the certified original | ✓included |
| Quality assurance & final check | ✓included |
Standard certificates are usually a flat fixed fee; longer documents from € 0.89 per standard line. We name the exact amount after a brief review. How the price is made up →
Common occasions for this translation: Getting married in Germany · birth certificate translation. There you will find the full document package with procedure and deadlines.
Sources
Every legal statement on this page is backed by a primary source. Acceptance in your specific case is always decided by the requesting authority.
FAQ
FÜD spotted straight away that Portugal wanted a certificate of capacity to marry, not just a certificate of no impediment — and explained the apostille route in the same breath. Our wedding went ahead without a single delay.
C. Fernandes · marriage abroad, Cologne
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