Guide · Certified translations
Which translations does the embassy require for family reunification?
A visa application at a German mission is a separate preparation stage. The later immigration authority’s checklist does not answer every question about it.
Reviewed on 27 October 2026
The short answer
Use the competent German mission’s current checklist for your reunification category. Country, family relationship and personal history determine the document set. Check translation requirements alongside originals, copies and authentication. A spouse-reunification checklist is not automatically the checklist for every family situation.
Select the correct visa checklist
Record the mission, application location and reunification category. Save the current checklist before obtaining records, including any instructions concerning children or previous marriages.
The spouse-reunification checklist for Türkiye, for example, requests translations of detailed population-register extracts. This illustrates why an international certificate and a full register extract cannot simply be substituted for one another.
Read more: German missions in Türkiye: spouse reunification checklist
Organise records by person and event
Give each applicant a separate section in your inventory. Match birth, marriage, divorce and custody matters to the evidence actually requested.
Include differing name spellings and available passport details with your translation enquiry. Keep marginal entries and reverse sides visible so events and people can be identified clearly.
Coordinate the visa and later submissions
Record the versions needed for the appointment and which files may be used later. Ask about additional issued copies in advance rather than assuming an ordinary photocopy is equivalent afterwards.
A certified translation does not replace a visa decision or complete official document verification. Track outstanding steps in a shared list with responsibilities and dates.
Your next steps
Identify the mission and reunification category.
Match complete records to each family member.
Clarify translations, copies and authentication separately.
Enquire with the checklist, sources and appointment date.
More questions
Does the Türkiye checklist apply to other countries?
No. It is a specific example. Use the checklist of the mission handling your visa application.
Are immigration-authority requirements identical?
Clarify the later submission separately. Keep both lists distinct and identify shared records.
Can I translate only parts of a register extract?
Ask the recipient about acceptable scope first. Do not independently omit relevant remarks.
Sources and further reading
The receiving organisation’s current instructions matter for your assignment. Send them to us with your documents.
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