Guide · Certified translations
Does my Certificate of Good Standing concern professional or company status?
The English term describes different certificates depending on context. Identify the issuer and subject before establishing translation scope.
Reviewed on 27 October 2026
The short answer
In professional procedures, a Certificate of Good Standing can concern professional status. For a company, different register information is involved. Companies House now calls its former good standing statement a summary statement. These records are not universally interchangeable with each other or with criminal-record evidence. Use the exact wording from your recipient’s checklist.
Identify professional licensing and standing evidence
Record the profession, licensing authority and country of issue. Establish which issuer is accepted and whether a particular current version is required.
Service Berlin lists a Certificate of Good Standing alongside other reliability evidence in the described physiotherapy procedure. This illustrates why a police certificate should not be treated as identical without checking.
Read more: Service Berlin: physiotherapy recognition and a Certificate of Good Standing
Read corporate evidence separately
For company records, note the company name, register and document title. Current Companies House guidance describes a summary statement as particular additional register information, not a professional certificate.
Do not select a familiar German term solely from the English heading. Supply the complete source so its content and purpose remain clear from the record itself.
Read more: Companies House: certified documents and summary statements
State issuer, meaning and recipient together
Include the required language and additional certifications with your enquiry. Supply attachments or authentication pages and identify missing parts before completion.
Translation certifies the rendering of the content supplied. It obtains no professional standing and changes no register position. Treat obtaining the correct source evidence as a separate preparation step.
Your next steps
Identify the professional or corporate purpose.
Check the issuer and exact document name.
Clarify the accepted version and additional format.
Send the complete source with the recipient’s requirement.
More questions
Does it always mean a criminal record certificate?
No. Check the meaning and issuer of the certificate expressly requested.
Can a company certificate replace professional evidence?
These records concern different matters. Establish the appropriate document type first.
Does Companies House still call it a good standing statement?
Current guidance uses summary statement and explains the former term. Supply the actual version you hold.
Sources and further reading
- Companies House: certified documents and summary statements
- Service Berlin: physiotherapy recognition and a Certificate of Good Standing
The receiving organisation’s current instructions matter for your assignment. Send them to us with your documents.
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