Certified translation › Passport & ID card translation
Your passport or ID card is translated at FÜD by a court-authorised sworn translator — certified, with a certification note, stamp and signature confirming accuracy and completeness. A German authority accepts it to read a foreign-language ID document, while banks, notaries and registries abroad accept it as proof of identity for a bank account, a company formation, a marriage or a property purchase; names and document numbers are matched against the passport's machine-readable zone (ICAO). An apostille is normally not placed on the ID document itself. You upload the document and receive a binding fixed price from €59, certification and shipping included.
Court-authorised translators · certification note · passport spelling (ICAO) as reference · price includes postage
Short & clear
For many procedures abroad, yes. Conversely, a German authority needs a certified translation of a foreign-language ID document that is not in German.
A court-authorised translator renders every entry true to form and layout and matches the name spelling against the passport's machine-readable zone (ICAO). Important: an apostille is usually not placed on the ID document itself — more on that below.
When is it needed?
The ID document proves identity and nationality. These are the situations — abroad or before German authorities — that most often call for a translation.
To open an account and pass anti-money-laundering (KYC) checks, banks abroad ask for a translated proof of identity.
Registries and notaries require a certified translation of a shareholder's ID to register or invest in a company.
For a wedding or civil-status matter abroad, the passport is translated as proof of identity and nationality.
Buying property or signing a power of attorney abroad, the translated ID belongs with the identification documents.
Universities and immigration offices ask for a translated proof of identity to enrol or process a residence matter.
German authorities, banks or employers require a certified German translation of a foreign-language ID document.
Your name has to be the same, everywhere.
Passport, ID card and certificates belong together — so we match every name spelling against the passport's machine-readable zone (ICAO).
Apostille & authorities
A passport and ID card are identity documents, not issued civil-status certificates in the classic sense. An apostille is therefore, as a rule, not placed on the ID document itself. If a foreign body requires apostilled proof of identity, what is usually produced instead is a notarised copy of the ID.
That notarisation is a notarial deed — its apostille is issued by the president of the Regional Court (Landgericht) (in some countries by the ministry of justice), not by the translation provider. We then translate the ID, the notarial certification and the apostille together. Which countries the apostille applies to, rather than full legalisation, follows the Hague Apostille Convention.
If the receiving body wants an apostilled ID copy, the order is: notarised copy, apostille from the Regional Court president, then the certified translation of the copy, the notarisation and the apostille. That way everything is accepted on the first attempt.
Quality you only notice at the counter
An ID document is checked against names, numbers and security features. These are the most common pitfalls — and how a court-authorised translator avoids them.
| Pitfall | Why it is critical | How FÜD solves it |
|---|---|---|
| Name from a non-Latin script "Germanised" by ear | If the transliteration differs from the passport or earlier certificates, the authority treats it as a different person — and the document is rejected. | Transliteration to the relevant ISO standard plus the ICAO passport spelling; any discrepancy is explained in the certification note. |
| Machine-readable zone (MRZ) ignored | The MRZ carries the authoritative name and document coding; skip it and there is no reference to check the entries against. | We match the visible entries against the MRZ and record the authoritative spelling. |
| Document number & issuing authority mistranscribed | Document number, issuing authority and validity identify the ID; errors make it unusable. | Numbers, authority and dates are transcribed completely and in the right position. |
| Date formats carried over unchanged | "03/04/2020" means a different date at home than in Germany — a wrong date of birth or expiry is critical. | Date and number formats are rendered unambiguously, with a translator's note where needed. |
| Security features & official markings left out | Missing endorsements, stamps or markings make the translation incomplete and unfit for certification. | Endorsements, stamps and markings are described and translated; anything illegible is flagged as such. |
| Expecting an apostille on the passport | The ID itself is usually not apostilled; waiting for one on the document costs time. | We explain the route via a notarised copy and the apostille from the Regional Court. |
Legal basis
Commonly called a "certified translation", the correct term is a confirmed translation (in German: bestätigte Übersetzung) — produced by a court-authorised (sworn) translator with stamp, signature and certification note. It is recognised nationwide by authorities and courts.
You receive the translation in advance as a PDF and then the certified original by post. For use abroad, we clarify in advance whether a notarised copy with an apostille is required, and whether the destination country only accepts a translation from a translator admitted there.
How it works
You upload a clearly legible scan of your ID card or the passport data page (including the machine-readable zone) and tell us the destination country and receiving body. We name a binding fixed price. Once you approve, a court-authorised translator renders every entry true to form and layout and matches the name spelling.
You receive the document in advance as a PDF and as a certified original by post. If an apostilled copy is required, we agree the sequence with you. On to the document upload.
Before you upload
With this information, a court-authorised translator can render your ID correctly straight away.
Not sure whether a copy with an apostille is required? FÜD clarifies this with you before translating — so the form matches the procedure.
Use cases
The purpose decides the form and whether an apostille is needed. Three common scenarios.
Bank
Notary
German authority
Quote & price
We usually bill an ID card or passport data page as a flat fee per document. After a quick review we name a binding fixed price — certification, advance PDF and postal delivery included.
| Certified translation by a court-authorised translator | ✓included |
| Name transliterated & matched to your passport | ✓included |
| Certification note, stamp & signature | ✓included |
| Advance PDF & postal delivery of the original | ✓included |
| Quality assurance & final check | ✓included |
An ID card or passport page is usually billed at a flat fixed price; longer documents from € 0.89 per standard line (55 characters incl. spaces). We name the exact amount after a quick review. How the price is made up →
Common reasons for this translation: Naturalisation · Moving to Germany & residence. There you'll find the full document package with procedure and deadlines.
FAQ
For opening an account abroad, my passport was certified-translated within two days — with exactly the name spelling from the machine-readable zone. The bank didn't ask for anything else.
S. Aydın · bank account, Frankfurt
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