Sworn translation: Certificate of conduct

Certified translation of certificate of good conduct

You will need a certificate of good conduct and the certified translation for many occasions: A new job, a voluntary social year or a public office.
If your certificate of good conduct is not in German or you are applying abroad, you need to have it translated.

Certified translation: German certificate of good conduct

If you want to use a German certificate of good conduct abroad, you can save time if you observe the following:

Apply for your certificate of good conduct with apostille right away

Your certificate of good conduct arrives ready and you only have to scan it, upload it and order the certified translation.

You have already received your certificate of good conduct? No problem!

If you want, we will not only take care of the sworn translation, but also the apostille.

Just use our apostille service!

Where can I get a certificate of good conduct?

In Germany, the certificate of good conduct is issued by the Federal Office of Justice. You can apply for it at the citizens’ office of your municipality or via the online portal of the German Federal Ministry of Justice.

It usually takes one to two weeks for your certificate of good conduct to reach you.
The certificate of good conduct is an extract from the Federal Central Register.
It contains convictions by German courts as well as decisions by administrative authorities and notes on incapacity. Convictions from abroad can also be entered in the register.
Only the person concerned can request information from the register.

Which certificate of good conduct do I need?

Depending on what you need the certificate of good conduct for, there are different extracts from the criminal record:

Private certificate of good conduct

You will need a certified translation of the private certificate of good conduct, for example, if you have applied for a job abroad and your new employer requires a certificate of good conduct.

Certificate of good conduct for submission to authorities

If you have to present a certificate of good conduct to a German authority, it contains extensive information from the register. You must indicate this when applying and your certificate of good conduct will be sent directly to the authority.

Extended certificate of good conduct

If you want to work with children, for example as part of a volunteer project in South America, you need an extended certificate of good conduct. In order to apply for it, you need a written request from the agency that requires it and that confirms that the requirements for the issuance of such a certificate of good conduct are met.

Multilingual certificate of good conduct

A German certificate of good conduct can also be issued in several languages. If it does not contain an entry, all information will also be entered in English and French. However, this does not mean that the authority for which you need your certificate of good conduct will accept it without a translation.

Again, check first  with the competent authority!

Certified translation of a certificate of good conduct from abroad

If you have to hand in a certificate of good conduct from abroad in Germany, we will provide you with a certified translation.

In some countries, there are police certificates of good conduct in addition to a central criminal record. It is therefore essential that you ask the relevant office in advance which document you need to submit.
Make sure that your certificate of good conduct from abroad is apostilled so that it is also recognized in Germany.

Find out beforehand whether the apostille must also be translated. Of course, you can order the certified translation of the apostille at the same time.
You can find it in the store under “Certified translation: Apostille“.