Will it be accepted?
Documents from Germany used in the UK
The rules that change because your document comes from Germany, and the ones that do not, each with its official source.
Every fact below links to its official source. Last checked 22 July 2026.
The short answer
An apostille has existed for German documents since 1966, and yet none of the UK organisations we checked asks for one on incoming paperwork. What their rules set out is how the English translation must be done.
The apostille position, answered
- Germany joined the Apostille Convention, in force since 13 February 1966, so its public documents can carry an apostille obtained in the issuing country
- The UK's own Legalisation Office states: "You cannot get documents issued outside the UK legalised using this service - get them legalised in the country they were issued"
- None of the official guidance we checked for the organisations below asks for an apostille or legalisation of the incoming document
Sources: HCCH status table; GOV.UK, Get your document legalised
The translation, done to each organisation's spec
- For degree documents, UK ENIC's Translation Waiver names German in its paid group, so for a Statement of Comparability you may not need a full certified translation
- ENIC's page prices that route at a £49.20 waiver fee inside a £118.80 total for the Statement of Comparability service
- Everywhere else, and for languages ENIC does not cover, its page says it "accepts certified translations from professional translators"
Sources: the linked official pages on each case page
Your case, organisation by organisation
These pages quote the exact published requirement for each receiving organisation. All of them apply to German documents.
Foreign qualifications, UCAS application
UCAS's official definition of an official translated qualification, quoted exactly.
Marriage certificate, spouse visa
The full certified translation rule and the four elements it must contain.
Birth certificate, Home Office
Any language is fine, but not in English or Welsh means original plus full certified translation.
Foreign documents as court evidence
England and Wales: file the original, file the translation, and the translator certifies it.
Divorce decree, notice of marriage
The stated rule asks only for a translation. The word certified is not in the official wording.
All published cases
The full list, including the health profession registers and UCAS, with a picker that routes you to your case.
Your German driving licence
EU licences use their own route in DVLA's tools, separate from the designated-country list. The official outcome states:
"You can drive in Great Britain on a full, valid driving licence from an EU country."
"You can drive in Great Britain until you're 70. If you're 67 or over when you become resident, you can drive for 3 years." After this time you must exchange your licence, and the official wording adds: "You do not have to retake your test."
One caveat from the same tools: "If you got your EU licence by exchanging a non-EU licence, you can only drive in Great Britain for 12 months."
Wording from GOV.UK's licence tools, EU outcome pages, checked 22 July 2026. Exchange uses a D1 form and the £43 fee, and the licence usually arrives within 3 weeks.
The embassy will not translate it
A common assumption is that the British Embassy can translate or handle your paperwork. The official guidance says otherwise: "British embassies, high commissions and consulates cannot translate documents."
For certified copies, the same guidance says: "If you're abroad and need a certified copy of a document for a reason other than legalisation, you should find a local notary to do it." Going the other way, with a UK document for use abroad? That is a different process: see our UK document legalisation guide.
1966
The Apostille Convention has been in force for Germany since 13 February 1966
Age 70
How long most EU licence holders can drive in Great Britain before exchanging
£49.20
ENIC's Translation Waiver fee for German, inside its £118.80 Statement total
Sources for this page
We only publish what an official source says, and we re-check these pages on a schedule. If a source changes, this page is reviewed before we rely on it again.
| What it confirms | Official source | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Germany and the Apostille Convention | HCCH status table | 22 Jul 2026 |
| The UK cannot legalise foreign-issued documents | GOV.UK, Get your document legalised | 22 Jul 2026 |
| Designated-country exchange list | GOV.UK, Exchange a foreign driving licence | 22 Jul 2026 |
| EU licence rules | GOV.UK, exchange tool, EU outcome | 22 Jul 2026 |
| ENIC's Translation Waiver languages and fees | UK ENIC, Translation Waiver Service | 22 Jul 2026 |
| What British embassies cannot do | GOV.UK, Documents for British people abroad | 22 Jul 2026 |
This page is general information based on the official guidance linked above, as it stood on the date shown. It is not legal or immigration advice, and requirements can change. The decision on any application always rests with the receiving organisation, so confirm the current requirements with them before you apply. Lingo Service is not responsible for decisions made by third parties.
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Common questions
Do I need an apostille on my German document for use in the UK?
Germany is a contracting party to the Apostille Convention, in force since 13 February 1966, so its public documents can carry an apostille obtained there. None of the official guidance we checked for the organisations covered by these pages asks for one on incoming documents, so confirm with the receiving organisation before paying for anything. The UK cannot add an apostille to a foreign document, so where one is wanted it comes from the issuing country.
Can I exchange my German driving licence for a UK one?
Germany is not on the designated-country list; EU licences use their own route. The official outcome states you can drive in Great Britain on a full, valid EU licence until you are 70, or for 3 years if you were 67 or over when you became resident, and when you do exchange, you do not have to retake your test. If your EU licence came from exchanging a non-EU licence, only 12 months. The decision is always DVLA's.
Does my German degree need a certified English translation?
For UK ENIC's Statement of Comparability, German is in the Translation Waiver's paid group, priced on ENIC's page at a £49.20 waiver fee inside a £118.80 total, so you may not need a separate certified translation for ENIC. For most other organisations, the published rules ask for a certified English translation. Our dedicated pages show the exact wording each organisation uses.
Will my document definitely be accepted?
No page can honestly promise that, and you should be cautious of any that does. What we can tell you is what the official guidance requires, with the source, so you can prepare your application exactly as the organisation asks. The decision always rests with the receiving organisation.
