No appointments and no originals in the post. You can order from a PDF or a scan of your certificate.
Send the PDF, a scan or a clear photo. If your passport spells a name differently, tell us in the comments.
Every field is translated, including notes recorded on the certificate and any apostille.
Typically within 24–48 hours, ready to upload with your application. Add a printed copy by post if you need one.
Your translation is compared line by line with your passport and other documents, so it has to be complete and exact.
You can do all of this from Australia.
Home Affairs may ask for a police certificate from every country where you lived for at least 12 months in the past 10 years since you turned 16. Some visas, such as the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189), ask for them when you apply. Certificates are valid for 12 months from the date of issue.
Home Affairs' instructions for Germany name the Führungszeugnis (Certificate of Conduct), issued by the Federal Office of Justice (Bundesamt für Justiz) in Bonn.
Apply online at the Federal Office of Justice if you have a German ID card or residence permit with the online function. Otherwise apply by post: your details and signature must be certified by a German mission, a foreign authority such as the police, or a notary. The fee is EUR 13.
Since 1 October 2026 a digital Führungszeugnis can be ordered online as a PDF. The Federal Office of Justice says it cannot carry an apostille, so if one is asked for, order the paper certificate.
| On the certificate | What it is | In your translation |
|---|---|---|
| Führungszeugnis | Certificate of conduct from the Federal Central Criminal Register | Certificate of Conduct |
| Bundeszentralregister | The Federal Central Criminal Register kept by the Federal Office of Justice | Federal Central Criminal Register |
| Personal details | Printed in German, English and French on every certificate | Rendered in English as printed |
From the Department of Home Affairs' guidance on documents in languages other than English:
Our certified translations carry the translator's NAATI stamp and certification statement, on our letterhead with our address and telephone number.
Partly. The Federal Office of Justice prints your personal details in German, English and French, and a clean result also appears in English. The rest of the certificate is in German, and Home Affairs asks for an English translation of documents not in English, so we translate the whole certificate.
A certified translation reproduces names exactly as they are written on the certificate. If your passport shows a different spelling or order, mention it in the comments when you order so we can discuss it with you before translation starts.
The typical turnaround for a police certificate is 24 to 48 hours. An urgent option is available when you order.
Home Affairs' instructions for Germany do not mention an apostille. If another authority asks for one, the Federal Office of Justice can arrange it with the Federal Office of Foreign Affairs when you apply; the digital certificate cannot carry one. An apostille is translated as an extra page.
Yes. The certified translation is always delivered as a PDF by email, and you can add a printed copy sent by post when you order.
Another country, or another document? See German police certificate translation.
Upload it now and see your price before you pay. Certified by a NAATI translator, delivered as a PDF.
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