Procedure descriptions
Interpreters, translators residing or established in other countries - Applying for a general oath
Interpreters and translators from other federal states
You can be sworn in as an interpreter with a place of residence or professional establishment in another federal state in Baden-Württemberg or be publicly appointed and sworn in as a translator of documents.
Interpreters are court interpreters and sign language interpreters.
Please note: Are you already sworn in as an interpreter or translator in Baden-Württemberg or another federal state? If so, you can invoke your general oath in all federal and state courts until 31 December 2026. From 1 January 2027, only court interpreters who have been sworn in after 1 January 2023 in accordance with the provisions of the Court Interpreters Act in Germany will be able to invoke the generally administered oath.
Interpreters and translators from other countries
Are you an interpreter or document translator from another EU/EEA member state or Switzerland? Then the same requirements apply to you as to German nationals if you
- want to work permanently in Baden-Württemberg,
- but do not establish a place of residence or a place of business here.
As an interpreter or translator from another EU/EEA country, you can also provide services in Germany on a temporary and occasional basis. You can find more information on this in the procedure description "Interpreter and translator database (DÜD) - Applying for registration for temporary work (interpreters, translators from other EU/EEA countries)".
If you are resident or have a professional establishment in Baden-Württemberg, you can be sworn in. You can find information on this in the procedure description "Interpreters, translators residing or established in Baden-Württemberg - Apply for general swearing-in".
Responsible department
The President of the Regional Court of Stuttgart.
Details
Prerequisite
The requirements are
- Age of majority
- Suitability
- orderly financial circumstances
- Reliability
- Expertise in German and the language to be sworn in
You have the required specialist knowledge if you have a basic knowledge of German legal language and
- have either passed an interpreter or translator examination in Germany from a state or state-recognised examination office or another state or state-recognised examination
- or have passed an examination abroad that has been recognised as equivalent by a competent German office.
Interpreters and translators who are not nationals of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland also require a residence permit to work as a freelancer.
The"Examination Centre for Translators and Interpreters" at the Karlsruhe Regional Council is responsible for recognising the equivalence of an examination certificate.
Court interpreters and translators of documents can also prove the required specialist knowledge by other means instead of an examination if there is no state or equivalent examination for the language in question in Germany. The prerequisite is that there is a special need for general swearing-in.
Procedure
You must apply to the competent authority for general authorisation as an interpreter. This also applies to the public appointment and swearing-in as a document translator.
You can submit the application online or in writing.
The competent body will review your application. If the decision is favourable, the general swearing-in or public appointment and swearing-in follows. If the competent body rejects your application, you will receive a notice of rejection.
Note: Once you have been sworn in, the competent authority will enter your details in the nationwide Interpreter and translator database (DÜD) . You can object to the publication in whole or in part.
Note: The licence is limited to five years. You can apply to extend your licence for a further five years. You must enclose the following with your application for renewal
- a curriculum vitae
- a certificate of good conduct in accordance with Section 30 (5) of the Federal Central Criminal Register Act, which must not have been issued more than six months previously
- a declaration stating whether you have been sentenced to a criminal offence or detention order in the five years preceding the application.
Deadlines
none
Required documents
- a curriculum vitae
- a certificate of good conduct in accordance with Section 30 (5) of the Federal Central Criminal Register Act, which must not have been issued more than six months previously.
- a declaration stating whether you have been convicted of a criminal offence or detention order in the five years prior to submitting the application.
- a declaration stating whether insolvency proceedings have been opened against your assets and no discharge of residual debt has yet been granted or whether you are entered in the debtor register.
- if you are not a citizen of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland: Residence permit for the purpose of self-employment.
- for proof of personal reliability
- Declaration that no preliminary proceedings are pending against you.
If a criminal investigation is pending, you must provide details of this. - Declaration of financial circumstances in which you confirm that your financial circumstances are in order.
- Declaration that no preliminary proceedings are pending against you.
- Proof of a state or state-recognised interpreter or translator examination or a foreign examination that has been recognised as equivalent.
- Proof of basic knowledge of the German legal language, if this has not already been provided with the state examination.
- Declaration of consent to the publication of your data in the nationwide interpreter and translator database on the Internet.
If you do not agree to the publication of all or part of your data, you can submit a corresponding declaration.
In order to verify your identity, the competent body may request the submission of further documents such as an official identity document.
Costs
- general swearing-in as an interpreter: EUR 75.00
- Appointment and swearing-in as a translator of documents: EUR 75.00
- general swearing-in as an interpreter and appointment and swearing-in as a translator of documents in a combined procedure: EUR 100.00
- Renewal of the oath: EUR 25.00
- Determination of the equivalence of an examination certificate or other professional qualification as an interpreter or translator by the Examination Centre for Translators and Interpreters at the Karlsruhe Regional Council: EUR 100.00 to EUR 630.00 (usually EUR 200.00)
Processing time
As soon as you have submitted all the documents, your application will be processed within three months.
Miscellaneous
none
Legal basis
Gerichtsverfassungsgesetz (GVG):
- § 189 Dolmetschervereidigung
Zivilprozessordnung (ZPO):
- § 142 Abs. 3 Anordnung der Urkundenvorlegung
Gesetz über die allgemeine Beeidigung von Gerichtsdolmetschern (Gerichtsdolmetschergesetz)
Gesetz zur Ausführung des Gerichtsverfassungsgesetzes und von Verfahrensgesetzen der ordentlichen Gerichtsbarkeit (AGGVG):
- §§ 14 bis 15c Gerichtsdolmetscher, Gebärdensprachdolmetscher und Urkundenübersetzer
- § 46 Übergangsregelungen für Gebärdensprachdolmetscher und Urkundenübersetzer; Verweise; Widerruf
Verwaltungsvorschrift des Justizministeriums zur Durchführung des Gerichtsdolmetschergesetzes und der §§ 14 bis 15c AGGVG vom 17. November 2022
Landesjustizkostengesetz (LJKG):
- Nr. 4 Anlage zu § 1 Abs. 2 Gebührenverzeichnis
Nr. 14.4 Anlage zur Gebührenverordnung Kultusministerium (GebVO KM) (Gebührenverzeichnis)
Bundeszentralregistergesetz (BZRG):
- § 30 Absatz 5 Antrag
Release note
machine generated, based on the German release by: Justizministerium Baden-Württemberg, 06.09.2024