Thanks to diverse history told through traditional and vibrant architecture, castles, palaces, cathedrals, and monuments, complemented by its scenic landscapes, mountains, and forests, as well as its delectable cuisine, Germany is one of the premier global travel destinations.
Based on the most recent statistics, 5 million Americans traveled by air to explore Germany in 2022.
If you’re thinking about traveling to Germany in the near future, there’s valuable information in this blog regarding certified document translation services that can save you time, money, and headaches.
Should I Translate My Travel Documents When Visiting Germany?
Considering this blog is authored by a professional document translation services company, it would lack authenticity if we failed to highlight the potential requirement for certified translations of certain travel and/or legal documents, particularly those listed below:
- Visa Documents – If you need a visa for your entry into Germany, you might need to translate accompanying documents, such as invitation letters or proof of accommodation.
- Driver’s License – If you’re planning to drive in Germany, you may need an international driver’s license or a certified translation of your standard driver’s license.
- Medical Records – Though not necessarily needed, if you have health issues, it might be a great idea to have translated copies of your most important medical records. Certified translations of your pre-existing conditions might be also very beneficial.
- Travel Insurance Documents – If you have travel insurance, it can be helpful to travel with translated versions of your travel insurance documents.
- Bank Documents – If you are going to be using your credit cars or might need evidence of financial capacity, keeping translated versions of your important bank documents or financial documents could be helpful.
We don’t believe all of these documents are required to be translated if you’re just visiting Germany. But you have to assess your situation, reasons for travel, and length of stay and then decide if you might need any of these documents translated. It might be a good idea to talk to the US Embassy in Germany for additional input.
Will I Need A Translation Certificate?
Some legal documents require a translation certificate. When you work with a professional translation services company, they are generally able to provide a translation certificate as part of the translation request. EPIC Translations provides a translation certificate with every official translation we perform for our clients.
Will I Need to Show the Original Document?
Generally speaking, when you’re asked to translate documents, you will need to show the original documents to the authorities in addition to the official translations.
What States Do Most Americans Visit in Germany?
Whether you’d like to appreciate art, architecture, history, business culture, or indulging in the Oktoberfest festivities, Germany attracts a diverse range of tourists from the USA.
For consumer vacationers, Berlin, Munich, Neuschwanstein, Garmisch-Parkenkirchen, and Black Forest are the top 5 places to visit in Germany according to the U.S. News.
For business travelers, the needs and reasons are a bit different. Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, and Cologne are the top destinations for trade and commerce purposes!
What To-Do and What Not-to-Do!
As you know, cultures and people vary throughout the world based on their religion, history, language, and civilization. With that in mind, here are a few important DOs and DON’Ts if you are visiting Germany.
DOs:
- Be on time
- Take time to separate recyclable materials from trash
- Carry cash
- Tip handsomely
- Chill and relax on Sundays. Most stores are not open.
DON’Ts:
- Jaywalk
- Wish someone happy birthday before their actual birthday
- Assume people speak English
- Make unplanned visits
- Engage in loud conversations or listen to music loudly in public areas
What is the Best Free German Translation Service?
If you don’t need a certified/official translation then you can use any of the various free online translation tools. But please note that there is no guarantee that the translated text or the full translated document will be accurate or accepted by the citizenship and immigration services authorities.
If you need a certified/official translation, then please consider working with a translation services company, such as EPIC Translations. While not free, you can rest assured that translations will be 100% done by human translators for flawless accuracy.
How Accurate is German Translation on the Free Google Translate Website?
Google Translate and most other translation software try their best to automatically guesstimate what the source text might be referring to. Sometimes they’re wrong and sometimes they’re right.
If you’re translating individual sentences it might be okay if you can accept 90% to 95% accuracy in the translations. But when you try to translate a full page or an entire document then the results might not be usable.
All in all, English to German translation is about 90% to 94% accurate on Google Translate service.
What English to German Translation Apps Do You Recommend?
There are quite a few translation apps you can use once you’ve landed in Germany. People really seem to like Google Translate app for translating informal content such as signs, menu items, and other text that they can’t understand.
People have also provided positive feedback for iTranslate, Dict.Leo, and German Translator Offline apps.
Start Your Journey with EPIC Translations
EPIC Translations is the go-to for certified document translation services for all European languages, including German.
Our English to German translators not only save you money on official/certified translations, but also match the format/layout of the translated documents with your source documents.
In a nutshell, EPIC Translations is here to have your back on all things translation—whether it’s personal documents or corporate documents. We got you covered!
Check out a quick video about EPIC Translations down below!
Looking for a quote for your next English to German translation project? Wanna chat about how we can amp up your German communication game? Just drop your info in the form below, and we’ll be in touch real soon. Or if you’re feeling chatty, give us a ring at (888) 214-2053!