Christopher Köbel has been sworn in by Landgericht Gießen (Regional Court) and is authorized to issue “certified translations” from German into French and English and vice-versa.
By stamping and signing the certification statement, he confirms the “completeness and accuracy” of the translation. It is then recognized as legally binding by all European courts and authorities and is accepted in third countries with an Apostille applied by the competent German or foreign authority.
Mr Köbel draws up most certified translations for consumer clients:
- Vital records like certificates of birth, marriage or death
- Certificates of naturalization and certificates of good conduct (CRB checks in the UK)
- School leaving and university diplomas as well as other education certificates
- Job references, training certificates and other qualifications
However, a certified translation may also be used by corporate clients, for example for compulsory documents such as compliance documents, e.g. in the area of sustainability and environmental protection, building statics and trade licences, but also for contractual texts such as Terms and Conditions (T&C) or tender documents, e.g. performance specifications.
Usually, paper documents to be translated and confirmed can be scanned (or photographed in a clearly legible way) and sent by e-mail in advance so that we can inform you about the processing time and costs. For certification, you must then either send us the original by post or present it for comparison when you pick your translation up on our premises, so that Mr Köbel can certify that the translation has been done “from the original”.
In the case of confirmed translations, Mr Köbel generally follows the Justiz-Vergütungs- und Entschädigungs-Gesetz (JVEG – Judicial Remuneration and Compensation Act), even for private clients. The costs are based on the actual text volume of the document, which Mr Köbel will have to count first:
Example:
School-leaving certificate from Madagascar
The document only fills half of the page, or is written in extra-large letters, there is a lot of white space, e.g. school-leaving certificates or a certificate of residency.
In many cases, only the minimum fee of EUR 20.00 plus 19% VAT, that is, EUR 23.80, will apply.
Example:
French Certificate of Birth
The document is written in normal-sized letters and fills a little more than half a page. There are a number of stamps or official seals that need to be described and translated.
These documents often cost between EUR 50.00 and 75.00 net, including 19% VAT, that will be EUR 60.00–90.00.
Example:
US Marriage Certificate
The document contains a whole page densely filled with text and small print, e.g., there is a table with many small notes and explanations.
These documents often cost between EUR 90.00 and 120.00 net, incl. 19% VAT, that will be EUR 110.00–145.00.
We can only give you the exact costs if you first send us your document by e-mail (as a clearly legible and complete photo or scan) so that we can count the number of German standard lines of text.
Please note: Mr Köbel is primarily a technical translator. For texts with a high degree of legal terminology or complexity, we therefore might suggest, on a case-by-case basis, to involve one of our colleagues specialising in legal translation as a proofreader, to subcontract such a colleague for the current project, or to transfer the entire project to them so that you will obtain the best possible result. In accordance with the Professional and Honorary Code of Conduct of the Federal Association of Interpreters and Translators (Bundesverband der Dolmetscher und Übersetzer e.V.), Mr Köbel will not accept any assignments for which he cannot ensure adequate quality.