Apply for general swearing-in as a court interpreter with a professional qualification from abroad

Online application: (will be available shortly)

Application
You submit an application for general swearing-in as a court interpreter to the competent office. You can submit the application with the documents to the competent office or send it by post. You will find the link to the application form under "Forms".

The competent body will then check whether you have the necessary specialist knowledge and meet all other requirements.

Notice of equivalence
In order to apply for general swearing-in, your professional qualification must already have been recognized in Germany. This is a different procedure at a different competent authority. The equivalence of your qualification from abroad with a German qualification is checked. If your qualification is equivalent, you will receive a notification. This allows you to prove your professional suitability for the general swearing-in procedure at the competent authority.
If there is no comparable interpreter examination in Germany for your foreign qualification, you may be able to prove your specialist knowledge in another way. For example, a foreign university degree or language skills at level C2 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The office responsible for the general oath will inform you.

Possible results of the examination
If you provide evidence of the necessary specialist knowledge and meet all other requirements, you will be sworn in as a general court interpreter. You may then use the title:

• "Generally sworn interpreter for [specify language]" or "Generally sworn interpreter for [specify language]"

The right to invoke the general swearing-in ends after 5 years.

More information

Legal remedy:
You can take legal action against the decision of the competent authority within a certain period of time (for example, by lodging an objection). The decision will then be reviewed. Details can be found in the information on legal remedies at the end of your decision. You should first speak to the responsible office before taking legal action against the decision.

There are many advisory services available. You can find these on the Recognition in Germany portal.
Seek personal advice on this procedure and your qualifications. The advisors will also help you with your documents before you submit your application. The advice is free of charge.
You can also call the hotline of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. The hotline will answer your questions on the subject of "Working and living in Germany".
If you are abroad: You can also contact the Central Service Center for Professional Recognition (ZSBA) via the hotline. This offers you in-depth advice and support in the recognition procedure and provides location advice.
Further links can be found under "Further information".

• Personal evidence:
  
  1. 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 6 months previously (certificate of good conduct document type O for submission to an authority)
  2. a curriculum vitae (in tabular form)
  3. a declaration stating whether you have been sentenced to a penalty or detention order in the 5 years prior to submitting the application or whether preliminary proceedings were pending against you
  4. a declaration as to 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
  5. a certificate that you are not entered in the debtor register of the Central Enforcement Court
  6. a negative certificate from the insolvency court in accordance with Section 26 (2) of the Insolvency Code, which must not have been issued more than 6 months ago
  7. if you are not a citizen of an EU member state, you must also provide proof that you are permitted to work as a self-employed person by the competent immigration authority in the Federal Republic of Germany
  8. identity document
  9. a declaration that you are available for short-term assignments - even those of considerable scope - if required. If you are in a dependent employment relationship, a corresponding certificate of exemption from your employer must be submitted
• Technical evidence:
  
  1. Proof of language proficiency: by passing an examination abroad that has been recognized by a competent German authority as equivalent to an examination of a state or state-recognized examination office in Germany or another state or state-recognized examination for the interpreting or translation profession,
  2. as well as proof of basic knowledge of the German legal language. Proof of no. 2 can also be provided by means of an examination in accordance with no. 1.

• Application for general swearing-in as an interpreter or authorization as a translator
  

Fees are charged in accordance with No. 4 of the Schedule of Fees under the Bremen Judicial Costs Act (Annex to Section 1 (2)) and the notes.

The fee for the application is reduced if the application is withdrawn before a decision is made (see Schedule of Fees, No. 4.3, Note b)).

The fee is only charged once if the general swearing-in as a court interpreter, interpreter for prosecutorial and notarial purposes and the authorization as a translator are applied for at the same time and for the same language or communication technology.

If the general swearing-in as a court interpreter, interpreter for prosecutorial and notarial purposes and the authorization as a translator is applied for in more than one language, the fee for the second and each additional language or communication technique shall be increased in accordance with no. 4.3, note d).

The fees are due upon submission of the application (advance payment obligation).

What deadlines must be paid attention to?

There are no deadlines for submitting your application.

How long does it take to process

The competent body shall confirm receipt of the documents submitted by the applicant within one month of receipt of the application and, if necessary, request him/her to submit further documents. The procedure will be completed within 3 months of receipt of all documents. This period may be extended by one month in justified cases.
If there is any doubt as to the authenticity of the certificates or evidence submitted or if further information is required, the authenticity can be verified by contacting the competent authority in the country of origin. Corresponding information can also be obtained. The expiry of the deadline is suspended for the duration of the investigation.

• Gesetz über die allgemeine Beeidigung von gerichtlichen Dolmetschern (Gerichtsdolmetschergesetz - GDolmG)
• § 189 Gerichtsverfassungsgesetz (GVG)
• Bremisches Justizkostengesetz in der Fassung der Bekanntmachung vom 4. August 1992 - Transparenzportal Bremen

• Dolmetscher:in / Übersetzer:in - Hanseatisches Oberlandesgericht in Bremen
• Hanseatisches Oberlandesgericht in Bremen
• Portal Anerkennung in Deutschland Hotline
• Portal Anerkennung in Deutschland Beratung
• Portal Anerkennung in Deutschland - Beratungssuche
• Portal Anerkennung in Deutschland Zentrale Servicestelle Berufsanerkennung
• Informationen zur Anerkennung ausländischer Berufsqualifikationen auf dem Portal Anerkennung in Deutschland
• Finanzielle Hilfen für das Anerkennungsverfahren
• Dolmetscher- und Übersetzerdatenbank
• Gemeinsamer Europäischer Referenzrahmen für Sprachen (GER)