Database of translators and interpreters

1. Requirements

   Under this law any person may be authorised and/or generally sworn in as translator and/or as interpreter who

   • is a national of a member state of the European Union or of a state signatory to the Agreement on the European Economic Area or Switzerland or who is professionally domiciled or has his or her residence in one of these states,
   • is of legal age,
   • is suitable,
   • lives in orderly financial conditions,
   • is dependable and

   • has the required expert knowledge of the German and the respective foreign languages.

   Any person shall be deemed to have the required expert knowledge who

   1. has basic knowledge of the German legal terminology and
   2. has passed a translator or interpreter examination of a state or state-approved examination body or any other state or state-approved examination for the translator or interpreter profession in Germany

   or

   3. has passed an examination abroad that has been recognised as being equivalent to such an examination as provided in section b) above. Proof of basic knowledge of the legal German terminology can also be provided by taking such an examination as described in sections b) and c) above.

   Only in cases when in Germany for the respective foreign language

   • no translator or interpreter examination of a state or state-approved examination body or any other state or state-approved examination for the translator or interpreter profession is available

   or

   • with regard to an equivalent examination taken abroad there is no translator or interpreter examination qualified as equivalent by any German authority and there is particular need for general swearing-in or authorisation, proof of the required expert knowledge may be provided by producing certifications of qualification under §§ 3 section 1 and 4 section 1 LDÜJG in connection with § 4 section 2 sentence 2 GDolmG.

2. Jurisdiction

   Under the LDÜJG, the president of the Higher Regional Court (Oberlandesgericht) in whose district the applicant is domiciled, or – if this is not warranted – the district in which the applicant resides, shall be responsible for the authorisation or general swearing-in. If the applicant is neither domiciled nor resident in the State of Rheinland-Pfalz, the responsible entity shall be the president of the Higher Regional Court in Koblenz.

3. Application

   For the application, any applicant must use the form provided on the website by the Higher Regional Court in Koblenz or the Higher Regional Court in Zweibrücken. The following documents shall be attached to the application for the authorisation or swearing-in:

   • a curriculum vitae,
   • a certificate of good conduct issued under § 30 section 5 of the Federal Central Register Act (Bundeszentralregistergesetz) not earlier than six months prior to the application,
   • a statement on whether or not for the last five years prior to the application there has been any sentence or detention order imposed against the applicant,

   • a statement on whether or not any insolvency proceedings had been initiated with regard to the applicant’s assets where residual debt discharge has not been granted yet or whether the applicant has been listed in the debtors’ register,

   and

   • any documents necessary to prove the applicant has the required expert knowledge.

4. Legal Remedies

   An appeal may be filed against the rejection of the authorisation within one month after the notification date of said rejection, either in writing or to be recorded before the responsible president of the Higher Regional Court. The responsible president of the Higher Regional Court shall decide on any such appeal.

Provision of temporary services as interpreter and / or translator in Rheinland-Pfalz

Here you will find information on the possibility of working temporarily and occasionally in Rheinland-Pfalz as an interpreter and/or translator while being domiciled in another member state of the European Union or in another state signatory to the Agreement on the European Economic Area (temporary services under the provisions of the EU Services Directive - Directive 2006/123/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on services in the internal market of 27 October 2009, § 7 of the State Act on Interpreters and Translators in Judicial Matters (LDÜJG)).

1. Requirements

   Under § 7 of the State Act on Interpreters and Translators in Judicial Matters (LDÜJG), any person shall be generally sworn-in and/or authorised who

   1. is legally domiciled in another member state of the European Union or in another state signatory to the Agreement on the European Economic Area for the execution of one of the activities mentioned in § 1 section 1 LDÜJG or any comparable activity. In cases where both the activity and the training for such activity are not regulated in the state of the person’s domicile, this shall apply only if the person was executing such activity for a period of at least one year during the preceding ten years.
   2. prior to providing his or her service for the first time, has declared the beginning of such activities in writing. Such declaration must include:
   • name, address, telecommunication addresses and the respective language,
   • a certificate confirming that the person is legally domiciled in another member state of the European Union or in another state signatory to the Agreement on the European Economic Area for the execution of one of the activities mentioned in § 1 section 1 LDÜJG or any comparable activity and that the execution of such activity has not been prohibited, not even temporarily, at the time of presentation of the certificate.
   • a proof for a professional qualification under § 3 section 1 or § 4 section 1 LDÜJG respectively in connection with § 3 section 2 or § 4 GDolmG,
   • in cases where both the activity and the training for such activity are not regulated in the state of the person’s domicile, a proof that the person was executing such activity for a period of at least one year during the preceding ten years, and
   • specification of the professional title pursuant to § 7 section 4 LDÜJG under which the temporary services shall be provided in Rheinland-Pfalz. Any confusion between the titles mentioned in § 3 section 2 LDÜJG or § 4 section 3 LDÜJG shall be ruled out.

2. Jurisdiction

   The president of the Higher Regional Court in whose district the translator or the interpreter assumes his or her temporary activities is responsible for receiving the declaration and carrying out the swearing-in and authorisation.

3. Legal Remedies

   An appeal against the rejection of the authorisation may be filed within one month after the notification date of said rejection, either in writing or to be recorded before the responsible president of the Higher Regional Court. The responsible president of the Higher Regional Court shall decide on any such appeal.