Why a certified translation?
German licensing authorities need to read and verify the data on your license: your name, categories (A, B, C, etc.), issue date, and issuing country. If your license uses a non-Latin script — Cyrillic for Ukrainian and Russian licenses, Arabic, Chinese, and so on — that’s simply not possible without a translation.
A regular translation (e.g. from Google Translate, a language school, or a friend who speaks the language) is not accepted. You need a certified translation from one of two recognised sources.
ADAC or a sworn translator?
The ADAC↗ (Germany’s large motoring club) offers a standardised translation service at its major branches. For common languages like Russian, Ukrainian, Arabic, Polish, and Turkish, this is usually the fastest and cheapest option. Book online in advance.
A sworn translator (vereidigter Übersetzer) is a court-certified professional whose translations are legally binding documents. This option is better if your language isn’t covered by ADAC, if you need the translation quickly without travelling to an ADAC branch, or if you’re also translating other documents at the same time.
What to bring
To the ADAC or sworn translator: just your original foreign license. You’ll receive back the translation on the same day or within a few days. Always keep the translation and original license together — neither is valid without the other.