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The three main types of German application files
Documents submitted from Türkiye to Germany mainly concern three procedures: visas and family reunification, qualification recognition and skilled migration, and civil status registrations such as marriage and birth. Their document lists and certification requirements differ.
Germany is party to the Hague Apostille Convention; apostilles are standard for official documents. For administrative documents, the apostille is obtained from a governor's office or district governor's office.
Visas and family reunification
Marriage certificates and population registry extracts are central to family reunification visa files. German authorities often accept multilingual international documents, such as Form B, without translation; standard copies require German translations.
For family reunification, spouses are generally required to provide proof of basic German (A1), and the language certificate is included in the file; exemptions exist for certain groups, such as spouses of EU Blue Card holders. The consulate's current checklist is the basis of every file.
Qualification recognition and skilled migration
Recognition of the diploma in Germany is decisive for employment-related migration. The university and programme are checked in the anabin database; a ZAB Statement of Comparability (Zeugnisbewertung) is obtained where necessary.
We explain this process step by step on our German diploma translation page. For regulated professions such as healthcare, law, and teaching, recognition is also handled separately through professional bodies.
Civil status registrations
For marriage, birth registration, and citizenship procedures in Germany, apostilled originals of Turkish documents and German translations are required. Some civil registry offices (Standesamt) may require the translation to be prepared by a translator authorised in Germany (beeidigt).
This requirement varies between offices; asking the relevant Standesamt in advance prevents the need to have the translation prepared twice.
Practical order of steps
- Obtain a recently issued document (population registry documents more than six months old are often not accepted)
- Obtain the apostille from the governor's office or district governor's office
- Have the document and apostille translated together into German and complete notarisation
- If the institution requires a further apostille on the translation, obtain a second apostille on the notarisation
Frequently asked questions
I have a Form B marriage certificate — is a translation still required?
Multilingual international forms are accepted without translation for many procedures in Germany. However, some offices may request additional documents or a translation; confirm the requirements of the authority receiving your application.
Could my translation prepared in Türkiye be rejected in Germany?
Most authorities accept apostilled translations notarised in Türkiye; some local offices require a sworn translator in Germany. You can eliminate this risk by asking one question before applying.
This content is for information purposes. The documents and procedures required by institutions may change; we recommend confirming the requirements with the relevant institution before applying.
