Database of translators and interpreters

In the State of Saarland, interpreters and translators who wish to be consulted by the courts or attorney/notaries of Saarland, may be generally sworn in pursuant to the Saarland Implementation Act (SAG GVG) dated 4th October 1972, most recently changed by the law dated 12th September 2007 (Amtsbl. P. 1954). The general swearing-in simply replaces the swearing-in for individual cases. However, it does not include any public appointment as interpreter or translator. The selection and appointment of an interpreter or translator in individual cases shall be made by the President of the respective court.

1. The application for general swearing-in must be rejected if the applicant
   1. is prevented from holding public office due to a criminal conviction, or
   2. is unable to perform the necessary tasks due to a mental or physical handicap, or has limited access to his/her assets due to a court injunction.

   Furthermore, the application shall be rejected if the applicant has been issued a court-ordered penalty or reform and security measures which would indicate his/her unfitness as a court interpreter/translator.

2. The application shall be rejected if the applicant
   1. is not a citizen of a member state of the European Union or another contract state to the European Economic Zone,
   2. is not of legal age,
   3. does not possess the required personal dependability,
   4. has not documented his/her professional qualification through a state or state-certified examination.

   The requirements pursuant to Sentence 1 No. a) and b) may be waived if the need for same arises, those of Sentence 1 No. d) may be waived if the professional qualification can be documented in other ways.

To verify the requirements for swearing-in, the following documents shall be submitted:

1. Official Form,
2. a police certificate of good-standing (to be requested from the Registration Authority or – for Germans residing abroad – from the Federal Office for Justice,
3. a hand-written brief curriculum vitae,
4. a certificate for
   1. the successful completion of interpreter/translator studies at a university within the jurisdiction of the “Grundgesetz” (German Constitution), or
   2. the successful completion of an interpreter/translator examination abroad recognized as being equivalent.

For further application forms and information on requirements, please visit our website at www.lg-sb.saarland.de (Functions/Interpreters and Translators).

The application and required documents may be submitted in person at the following address:

The application and required documents may be submitted by mail to the following address:

The President of the Rgional Court in Saarbrücken shall be responsible for the swearing-in procedure. Pursuant to §§ 68 ff. VwGO, an appeal may be filed against the rejection of the general swearing-in within one month after notification of said rejection, either in writing or to be recorded before the respective President of the Regional Court in Saarbrücken. Compliance with this deadline shall also be warranted by filing the appeal with the President of the Higher Regional Court of Saarbrücken. If the President of the Regional Court in Saarbrücken does not provide any relief in this matter, the President of the Higher Regional Court of Saarland shall decide on said appeal.