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Certified translations in Hannover
Certificates, diplomas and official documents required by registry offices, courts and authorities – translated and certified by sworn translator Andrea Melletat.
What is a certified translation (beglaubigte Übersetzung)?
A certified translation is the translation of a document to which the sworn translator adds, at the end, a certification statement, certification stamp and signature confirming that the translation is accurate and complete. Only certification turns your translation into a legally valid document.
When is it required?
If you have documents translated in order to submit them to registry offices, courts or other authorities, the translations generally have to be certified. This applies, for example, to:
- Birth, marriage and death certificates
- Employment, school or university certificates
- Driving licences and ID documents
- Commercial register extracts, articles of association and balance sheets
- Tax office certificates
- Wills and divorce decrees
Who may certify?
The translation must be produced by a translator who is sworn, publicly appointed or authorised for the language in question. A notary or lawyer is not required: certification is carried out by the sworn translator herself.
Andrea Melletat is a sworn translator and interpreter (BDÜ) for Spanish and English, sworn in for the judicial district of the Hannover Regional Court (Landgericht Hannover). Of course we also certify translations prepared elsewhere.
What you need to bring
For certification we need the original or a certified copy of the original.
Which requirements an authority sets in an individual case – for example whether legalisation or an apostille is also needed – is best clarified in advance with the body to which you will submit the document.
Documents
Typical certified documents
These are the documents we translate and certify most often:
- Birth certificate
- Marriage certificate
- Death certificate
- School, university and vocational certificates
- Driving licence
- Passport and ID documents
- Commercial register extract
- Articles of association
- Balance sheets
- Wills
- Divorce decrees
- Employment contracts
- Judgments and court orders
- Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs)
- Academic documents
- Statutes and legal briefs
Process
How a translation works with us
Short, personal and straightforward.
Enquiry
Call or write to us: document, language and desired deadline.
Price
You receive a non-binding estimate – depending on volume, difficulty and urgency.
Translation
The sworn specialist translator translates and researches specialist terminology where needed.
Certification
For certified translations, please provide the original or a certified copy.
FAQ
The essentials at a glance
What is a certified translation?
With a certified translation (in German: beglaubigte Übersetzung), the sworn translator confirms by means of a certification statement, stamp and signature that the translation is accurate and complete. It is often required by registry offices, courts and other authorities.
When do I need a certified translation?
Whenever you have to submit a document to an authority, a court or a registry office – for example birth, marriage and death certificates, diplomas, driving licences, commercial register extracts, wills or divorce decrees. The requirements in each individual case are determined by the body concerned. If in doubt, ask them first.
Do I need a notary or a lawyer for this?
No. The certification is carried out by the sworn translator herself, who adds a certification statement, certification stamp and signature to the translated document.
What is the advantage of the translator also being a lawyer?
Contracts, judgments and certificates follow the concepts and systems of their respective legal order. As a licensed lawyer, Andrea Melletat understands not just the words but the legal meaning behind them – and conveys it precisely in the target language. You can find out more about the law firm at melletat.de.
Can’t I just use AI or an online translator?
Such tools can be useful for getting the gist of a text. For documents that matter, however, they are not enough: authorities and courts often require a certified translation for official purposes, and only a sworn translator can produce and certify one – AI cannot replace that certification. With contracts, judgments and certificates, the exact legal terminology of the respective legal system is decisive, and even a slightly imprecise wording can change the legal meaning. Data protection is another point: online tools and chatbots often process your texts on third-party servers, which is a risk for confidential documents. With us, a specialist translator who is also a lawyer personally stands behind the result.
Do I have to submit the original?
Yes. For certification we need the original or a certified copy of the original, because only certification turns the translation into a legally valid document.
How much does a translation cost?
The minimum order price is €40 for standard translations and €55 for certified translations, each plus 19% VAT. As a rule we charge €1.55 per standard line (55 characters including spaces). For assignments from courts and public prosecutors, the statutory remuneration under the JVEG applies. We will gladly give you the exact price without obligation on request.
Contact
Do you have a document or a text? Get in touch.
Call us or send an email. We will get back to you with a non-binding estimate.
- Monday to Thursday 9:00–18:00
- Friday 9:00–13:00