An office wants a certified translation I don't have
The situation
A Behörde, university, or employer rejected your foreign document — birth certificate, degree, marriage certificate — because it needs a certified German translation (beglaubigte Übersetzung) or a certified copy you do not have.
The way out
Two different things get confused here — find out which one they actually want.
- Certified translation (beglaubigte Übersetzung): must be done by a court-sworn translator (vereidigter/beeidigter Übersetzer) — not any translator, not you, not a friend. Find one through the official justice directory (justiz-dolmetscher.de).
- Certified copy (beglaubigte Kopie): a stamped "true copy of the original" — get it cheaply at your Bürgeramt, or from a Notar. Many offices accept these instead of you surrendering originals.
- Ask which they need, and in what form — a translation, a certified copy, or an apostille/legalisation on the original from your home country. Guessing wastes weeks.
- Never post originals unless it is required and trackable — certified copies exist precisely to protect your originals.
- Reuse them. You will need the same documents repeatedly (Anmeldung, permit, university, marriage) — order two or three certified copies at once.
Rule for next time: bring your key personal documents pre-translated by a sworn translator — it is the single most reused paperwork of the whole journey.
General information, not legal advice. If your case has deadlines or legal stakes, free migration counselling (Migrationsberatung) exists in every city — use it.