Single point of contact for professional recognition, publicly appointed and sworn interpreters and translators

Prerequisites

The following apply to a general swearing-in:
1. Personal requirements: Age of majority, suitability and reliability of the applicant, existence of orderly economic circumstances.
Only for interpreting work in court(!): EU nationality or nationality of a contracting state of the Agreement on the European Economic Area or Switzerland or proof of a professional establishment or a place of residence in these states.
2. Technical requirements: A domestic examination passed by a state or state-recognized examination office for the interpreting and/or translator profession or another state or state-recognized examination for the interpreting and/or translator profession. An examination passed abroad that has been recognized by a competent state authority as being equivalent to one of these examinations. In all cases must   Basic knowledge of German legal language must be proven. These can also be purchased separately.

A written application must be submitted both for general swearing-in under the Court Interpreter Act and for public appointment and general swearing-in under the Hamburg Interpreter Act. This can be summarized in one form if the application is submitted at the same time. Documents must be attached to the completed application (see 'Documents').
Attention: in special individual cases, for example in the case of rare languages, the technical requirements can also be provided by alternative certificates of competence. Before submitting an application, it is essential to contact the competent authority.

Documents required

Completed application form, 1 photo, curriculum vitae in German, showing the educational and professional path and the extent of the foreign language skills, proven application for a current certificate of good conduct (document type 0) for submission to the authority, proof of professional suitability, declarations financial circumstances and criminal convictions (included in the application form).

• Application form: https://www.hamburg.de/contentblob/16961110/dc238b94fcbfe5fc326a1f46cd8f45cc/data/anmeldung-dolmetscher-u-uebersetzer.pdf

A notice:
Evidence must be submitted in the original or as a certified copy. Documents written in a foreign language must be submitted in a translation by a publicly appointed and generally sworn or authorized person in the Federal Republic of Germany.

Please note

The language mediators must be able to translate verbal and written statements in their mother tongue and working language in the area of activity of authorities and courts correctly and unambiguously. You must have a high level of linguistic competence in your mother tongue and working language, so that it can usually be assumed that you have a C2 language level. Basic knowledge of German legal language must also be proven.
Further information on the website of the Ministry of the Interior and Sport at: http://www.hamburg.de/dolmetscher. Telephone information at the following service times: Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on: 040-42839-3818. Since the office is located in a security area, personal appointments can only be made by prior arrangement.

Deadlines

No

Procedure

The application will be confirmed within one month. If necessary, additional documents will be requested. The procedure is usually completed within three months and, if the decision is positive, leads to a general swearing-in under the Court Interpreters Act and/or public appointment and general swearing-in under the Hamburg Interpreters Act. In justified individual cases, the duration of the procedure can be extended by one month.
The general swearing-in or public appointment and general swearing-in is carried out by the competent authority. Taking the oath requires the person mediating the language to appear in person at the responsible office.

Processing time

The completion of the procedure up to the swearing-in can usually take place within three months.

Fees

Fees are charged for the procedures according to the interpreter fee schedule (DolmGebO).

• For the application for public and general swearing-in according to § 1 paragraph 1 HmbDolmG, a fee range of EUR 100.00 to 500.00 is provided according to the annex to the DolmGebO in number 1.1.


• For the application for a general swearing-in according to § 3 paragraph 1 GDolmG, according to the annex to the DolmGebO in number 2.1. A fee framework of EUR 100.00 to 500.00 is provided.


• For the approval of an application for recognition of equivalence according to § 13 paragraph 1 sentence 2 HmbBQFG of an examination passed abroad with an examination according to § 1 paragraph 3 sentence 1 number 1 HmbDolmG is in the annex to the DolmGebO in number 3.1. a fee framework of 100, 00 to 500.00 EUR provided.


• For the approval of an application for recognition of equivalence according to § 13 paragraph 1 sentence 2 HmbBQFG of an examination passed abroad with an examination according to § 3 paragraph 2 sentence 1 number 1 GDolmG is in the annex to the DolmGebO in number 3.2. a fee framework of 100, 00 to 500.00 EUR provided.

Note: If the application is submitted at the same time in accordance with numbers 1.1 and 2.1 of the Annex, the fee in accordance with number 2.1. of the facility reduced by three quarters. This also applies to official acts according to Numbers 3.1 and 3.2 (cf. Section 3 Paragraph 1 of the Interpreter Fee Schedule).

Legal remedies

Objections can be raised within one month against the decision rejecting the application or applications.

Legal basis

Court Interpreter Act (GDolmG): https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/gdolmg/index.html




Hamburg Interpreting Act (HmbDomG): https://www.landesrecht-hamburg.de/bsha/document/jlr-DolmGHA2005V4P1




Interpreter fee schedule (DolmGebO): https://www.landesrecht-hamburg.de/bsha/document/jlr-DolmGebOHA2023rahmen