Translation Agency and Interpreters for Gelsenkirchen

Key facts at a glance

• ✓Certified translations by translators authorised by the court, generally accepted throughout Germany
• ✓Interpreters on site in Gelsenkirchen, by video or phone often on the same day
• ✓Upload your documents as a photo or scan – the certified translation arrives by post
• ✓Drop-off in person without an appointment in Mülheim-Styrum, Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
• ✓No-obligation quote with price and delivery date before any costs are incurred

Which offices in Gelsenkirchen require a certified translation?

In Gelsenkirchen, it is mainly the registry office, the immigration office, the driving licence authority and the courts that require foreign-language documents as a certified translation into German. The reason: the official language is German. Under section 23 of the North Rhine-Westphalia Administrative Procedure Act (Verwaltungsverfahrensgesetz NRW), an authority may ask for a translation of foreign-language documents – and in justified cases for a certified one.

• Gelsenkirchen registry office (Standesamt): for getting married, for registering a birth or marriage that took place abroad (Nachbeurkundung) and for declarations on the choice of surname – usually with birth and marriage certificates or divorce decrees. More information: Birth certificate translation and Marriage certificate translation.
• City of Gelsenkirchen immigration office (Ausländerbehörde): for residence permits and family reunification, for example with translated marriage certificates and the children's birth certificates.
• Driving licence authority (Fahrerlaubnisbehörde): for exchanging a foreign driving licence – see Driving licence translation.
• Courts: for proceedings at Gelsenkirchen Local Court (Amtsgericht), at Essen Regional Court (Landgericht), whose district includes Gelsenkirchen, and at Gelsenkirchen Social Court (Sozialgericht) and Administrative Court (Verwaltungsgericht) – for example judgments, court orders and contracts.
• Training and higher education: for job applications, the recognition of a qualification or a degree programme, for example at the Westphalian University of Applied Sciences (Westfälische Hochschule), which is headquartered in Gelsenkirchen. Details: Diploma and certificate translation.

For companies in Gelsenkirchen, we also translate contracts, commercial register extracts and technical documentation – with or without certification.

Translator or interpreter: who do you need in Gelsenkirchen?

For written documents you need a translator, for conversations and appointments an interpreter – and for official purposes, both need special authorisation from the justice system. RAGUNATHAN provides both for Gelsenkirchen from a single source.

Authorised translators for certified translations

A certified translation is a translation whose completeness and accuracy have been confirmed by a translator authorised by the court, with a certification statement, stamp and signature. In North Rhine-Westphalia, translators are authorised (ermächtigt) under the state's Justice Act (Justizgesetz NRW). So if you are looking for a sworn translator in Gelsenkirchen, these are in practice the professionals you need. Authorities throughout Germany generally accept their certifications.

Generally sworn interpreters for courts and authorities

Interpreters who regularly work for the courts are generally sworn (allgemein beeidigt). Since 2023, this has been governed nationwide by the Court Interpreters Act (Gerichtsdolmetschergesetz). They take the oath once; in court, it is then sufficient for them to refer to it. Whether your appointment requires a sworn interpreter is decided by the body that has invited you – for example the court, the police or the notary.

Where do we provide interpreters in Gelsenkirchen?

RAGUNATHAN provides interpreters in Gelsenkirchen wherever people without a common language need to settle something important: at court and with the police, at the city administration, in hospitals, schools and companies.

• Justice and police: hearings at Gelsenkirchen Local Court, Essen Regional Court, Gelsenkirchen Social Court or Gelsenkirchen Administrative Court, police interviews at Gelsenkirchen police headquarters (Polizeipräsidium Gelsenkirchen) and notarisations at a notary's office.
• City administration and job centre: weddings at the registry office, appointments at the immigration office, the youth welfare office (Jugendamt) or Gelsenkirchen job centre (Jobcenter).
• Health and social services: consent discussions and medical consultations in hospitals and practices, therapy sessions and appointments at counselling centres.
• School and business: parent-teacher meetings, negotiations, training sessions and staff meetings.

On site, by video or by phone

For appointments in Gelsenkirchen, our interpreters come to you in person. Without any travel, interpreting works by video – via Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Jitsi or our own secure platform – or by phone. Video and phone assignments are often possible on the same day. Depending on the occasion, we interpret consecutively (section by section), simultaneously or as whispered interpreting right next to you.

You can request an interpreting appointment using the appointment form on our Interpreting page – with date, time, place and language – or by phone. The request form on this page is intended for documents. We also work in the neighbouring city: interpreters in Essen.

In which languages do we translate and interpret for Gelsenkirchen?

RAGUNATHAN translates and interprets for Gelsenkirchen in 170 languages and dialects – including Turkish, Polish, Romanian and Bulgarian, the languages of many families who have moved to the city. According to the City of Gelsenkirchen, immigrants used to come mainly from Poland, Portugal, Italy and Turkey. Today, besides people from Turkey, most newcomers come from EU countries such as Poland, Romania and Bulgaria.

Many people search for a certified translation in their native language: in Polish for a tłumacz przysięgły, in Romanian for a traducător autorizat, in Bulgarian for a заклет преводач and in Turkish for a yeminli tercüman. In Germany, all of these refer to an authorised translator.

We also translate Arabic, Ukrainian, Russian, Kurdish, Farsi and rare languages such as Tigrinya. More details: Certified Turkish–German translation, Montenegrin, Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian translation and Interpreters for rare languages.

Online or at our office – how do your documents get from Gelsenkirchen to us?

The easiest way is to upload your documents online – if you prefer to come in person, you can reach our office in Mülheim-Styrum from Gelsenkirchen by train or car. Gelsenkirchen lies in the northern Ruhr area, Styrum in the west of the region.

• Online: a photo, scan or PDF via the request form, by email or WhatsApp. The certified translation is sent to you in Gelsenkirchen as an original by post, and on request as a PDF in advance.
• By train: from Gelsenkirchen Hauptbahnhof (central station), for example, take the RB 35 to Oberhausen Hauptbahnhof and change to the S3 to Mülheim (Ruhr)-Styrum. Alternatively, travel to Essen Hauptbahnhof and change there to the S1 or S3.
• By car: our office is close to the A40 motorway, Mülheim-Styrum junction.
• No appointment needed: Limburgstraße 7, 45476 Mülheim an der Ruhr, Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. You will find all the ways to reach us on our Contact and directions page.

1. 01
   Send your document

   as a photo, scan or PDF online, by email or WhatsApp – or in person at our office.

2. 02
   Receive your quote

   price and binding delivery date, with no obligation.

3. 03
   Translation and certification

   an authorised translator translates the document in full, including stamps and notes.

4. 04
   Delivery

   the original with stamp and signature by post to Gelsenkirchen or for collection, with a PDF by email in advance.

How much does a translation or an interpreter for Gelsenkirchen cost?

The cost of a translation depends on length, language pair, subject area, certification and delivery time; for interpreting, the duration, language, type of interpreting and location are what count. For an on-site assignment in Gelsenkirchen, travel is factored into the price; by video or phone, there are no travel costs.

You always receive a no-obligation quote in advance – for translations with a fixed price and delivery date. Costs are only incurred once you accept. For express orders and short-notice appointments, it is best to call us.

Upload a document and get a quote

Why RAGUNATHAN?

• Translation and interpreting

  Certified translations and interpreters for Gelsenkirchen – one point of contact for both.

• Since 1986

  Experience with documents from all over the world and with assignments at courts, public authorities and hospitals.

• 170 languages and dialects

  Over 1,000 language professionals, including authorised translators and generally sworn interpreters.

• ISO 9001:2015

  Processes certified by TÜV SÜD. Owner Ayadurai Ragunathan is a member of the BDÜ – the German Federal Association of Interpreters and Translators.

Do you have questions about your document or your appointment in Gelsenkirchen? Call us on +49 208 99 04 77 (Mon–Fri 8:30 am – 4:30 pm) or email info@ragunathan.de.