Certified German translation for UAE ministries, courts, free zones and employers, from an MOJ-licensed legal translation office. We translate German, Austrian and Swiss documents into Arabic, and Arabic or English documents into German for use in German-speaking countries.
Trusted Credentials
What Trips People Up
Three points often cause delays with German documents: the legalisation chain, the spelling of names, and how German grades and court decisions are read.
Germany, Austria and Switzerland all issue apostilles, but the UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention. A German document usually needs pre-certification (Vorbeglaubigung) by the competent German authority, sometimes a final certification by the Federal Office for Foreign Affairs (BfAA), then legalisation by the UAE Embassy, then UAE MOFA attestation. Which German office pre-certifies depends on the document and the federal state, so check before you post anything.
A German certificate says Müller or Weiß, but the passport's machine-readable line says MUELLER or WEISS. Visas and Emirates IDs often follow that line. We transliterate names into Arabic to match the spelling your UAE records already use, and keep the German original in brackets where it helps.
On a German transcript 1.0 is the top grade and 4.0 is the lowest pass. We translate the grade as written and keep the grading key that appears on the document, so an equivalency officer does not read a 1.3 as a weak result.
German Documents We Translate
Into Arabic for UAE use, and into German for use in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Birth and marriage certificates, certified register extracts showing parents and later entries, and certificates of no impediment to marriage (Ehefähigkeitszeugnis).
German family court divorce decisions with the note of finality (Rechtskraftvermerk), plus custody and maintenance decisions, for UAE personal status matters.
Bachelor, Master, Diplom and Staatsexamen certificates, Abitur results and transcripts, for degree recognition (MoHESR) or school equivalency (MOE), health licensing and employment.
German Führungszeugnis, Austrian Strafregisterbescheinigung and Swiss criminal record extracts, for UAE employment and licensing files.
Commercial register extracts (Handelsregisterauszug), GmbH articles, shareholder resolutions and notarised powers of attorney, for UAE branches, free zone companies and bank accounts.
UAE certificates, judgments, contracts and employment records translated into German for visas, residence, recognition of qualifications or court use in German-speaking countries.
How It Works
If the document is for a UAE authority, complete the German pre-certification, UAE Embassy legalisation and MOFA attestation first. Then send us the attested document.
WhatsApp a scan of all pages, including back pages, apostilles and legalisation stickers. We confirm the page count and price first.
A legal translator renders the text, stamps and annotations. Names, birth names (geb.) and dates are checked against your passport and UAE records.
You get the signed, stamped translation as a PDF, with the apostille or legalisation stamps translated too. Ask if you need a hard copy. Same-day delivery is available for many single certificates.
Where It Is Used
Transparent Pricing
Excl. 5% VAT
Fees charged by German offices, the embassy and MOFA are separate and go directly to them. SWLT does not notarise; notarisation, where required, is arranged with our legal partner.
FAQ
Our public rate is AED 150 per 200-word page, excluding 5% VAT, in either direction. We count the pages from your scan and confirm the price before we start.
Generally: pre-certification by the competent German authority (which one depends on the document and the federal state), a final certification by the Federal Office for Foreign Affairs if the embassy asks for it, legalisation by the UAE Embassy in Berlin, then MOFA attestation in the UAE. Some UAE missions offer a single online application covering embassy and MOFA. Confirm current requirements with the embassy first.
Not by itself. The UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention, so UAE authorities expect embassy legalisation and MOFA attestation. Our apostille vs attestation guide explains the difference in more detail.
Yes. The terms differ: Swiss documents use "ss" instead of "ß" and their own civil status and register terms, and Austrian records have documents such as the residence registration (Meldezettel). Each country has its own pre-certification route before the UAE Embassy there.
By sound, matched to the spelling already on your UAE visa or Emirates ID. We keep the birth name (geb.) on marriage certificates, double-barrelled surnames such as Müller-Schmidt as one surname, and particles such as "von" with the family name. All given names are translated, not only the one you use day to day.
UAE courts and authorities usually want to see that the decision is final. On German decisions this is the Rechtskraftvermerk, a note of finality. Make sure your copy carries it before legalisation, and we translate it with the decision.
Yes. Legalise the UAE document first, then we translate it. German authorities often prefer translations by a translator sworn or authorised by a German court, so ask the receiving office whether a translation made in the UAE is enough for your purpose.
Same-day delivery is available for many single certificates. Court decisions, company files and long contracts take longer, and we confirm the delivery time with the quote.
SWLT is an MOJ-licensed legal translation office, and our translations are accepted across the UAE, including by Dubai Courts. The court may still ask for the original document to be legalised and attested.
You May Also Need
Why an apostille alone is not enough for the UAE.
The embassy step for documents issued abroad.
The final attestation step in the UAE.
Certified translation of personal and corporate documents.
Get an instant estimate — final quote via WhatsApp
WhatsApp a scan of every page and tell us which authority it is for. We confirm the page count, the price at AED 150 per page + VAT, and the delivery time.