Certified translation of an Austrian passport and ID card, name matched to the machine-readable zone

Certified translation › Passport & ID card

Passport & ID Translation Austria.

Passport and ID translation is a certified translation of an Austrian Reisepass or Personalausweis — proof of identity for a bank, notary or visa office abroad, or of a foreign ID document for an Austrian authority — produced by a sworn, court-certified Austrian translator. Names are matched to the ICAO machine-readable zone. From €59 incl. certification and shipping.

Court-sworn§ 14 SDG
Valid Austria-wideauthorities & courts
ICAO MRZ transliterationpassport-exact
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Customer service When is it needed? +43 1 3050-647

Court-sworn translators · § 14 SDG · name matched to the ICAO passport zone · round court seal · fixed price in EUR

DIN EN ISO 17100registered · Reg. 7U517

Court-sworn translators§ 14 SDG

Price up frontbinding fixed price, EUR

ConfidentialGDPR-compliant · NDA on request

Short & clear

Do you need to translate your Austrian passport or ID card?

Reviewed by specialists · FÜD editorial team · kept current

For many procedures abroad, yes. Banks, notaries, registries, visa offices and universities abroad often require a certified translation of your Austrian passport or ID card as proof of identity — for opening a bank account, forming a company, applying for a visa, marrying, signing a notarial deed, or enrolling at a foreign institution. Conversely, an Austrian authority — the Niederlassungsbehörde, or MA 35 in Vienna — needs a certified German translation of a foreign-language ID document that is not already in German.

A court-sworn translator (in German, gerichtlich beeideter und zertifizierter Übersetzer), authorised under § 14 SDG and entered in the official register at a Regional Court (Landesgericht), renders every entry true to form and layout and matches the name spelling against the passport's machine-readable zone (ICAO) — the reference the receiving body actually checks. Important: an apostille is usually not placed on the ID document itself — more on that below.

When is it needed?

When a passport or ID translation is required.

The ID document proves identity and nationality. These are the situations — abroad or before an Austrian authority — that most often call for a certified translation.

Bank account abroad

To open an account and pass anti-money-laundering (KYC) checks, banks abroad ask for a translated proof of identity.

Company formation abroad

Registries and notaries require a certified translation of a shareholder's ID to register or invest in a company.

Marriage & civil status

For a wedding or civil-status matter abroad, the passport is translated as proof of identity and nationality.

Property & notarial deed

Buying property or signing a power of attorney abroad, the translated ID belongs with the identification documents.

Visa application

Many consulates and visa offices require a certified translation of the passport data page alongside the application.

Study & enrolment abroad

Universities abroad ask for a translated proof of identity to enrol, alongside your certificates and transcripts.

Your name has to be the same, everywhere.

Passport, ID card and certificates belong together — so we match every name spelling against the passport's machine-readable zone (ICAO).

Apostille & authorities

Why the passport itself rarely gets an apostille.

A passport and ID card are identity documents, not personal-status certificates in the classic sense. An apostille is therefore, as a rule, not placed on the ID document itself. If a foreign body requires apostilled proof of identity, what is usually produced instead is a copy authenticated before a notary (Notar).

That authentication is a notarial deed — its apostille is issued by the president of the Landesgericht (Regional Court); for a document issued by a federal authority, by the BMEIA instead. Never by the translation provider — the FÜD does not issue apostilles. We then translate the ID, the notarial certification and the apostille together. Which countries the apostille applies to, rather than full legalisation, follows the Apostille Convention.

Notary first, then apostille, then translation

If the receiving body wants an apostilled ID copy, the order is: copy authenticated before a notary, apostille from the Landesgericht president, then the certified translation of the copy, the authentication and the apostille — by a court-sworn translator under § 14 SDG. That way everything is accepted on the first attempt.

Quality you only notice at the counter

Errors only a professional translator catches.

An ID document is checked against names, numbers and security features. These are the most common pitfalls — and how a court-sworn translator avoids them.

Pitfalls with Austrian passport and ID translations and how FÜD resolves them
Pitfall	Why it is critical	How FÜD solves it
Name from a non-Latin script transliterated by ear	If the transliteration differs from the passport or earlier certificates, the receiving body treats it as a different person — and the document is queried or rejected.	Transliteration to the applicable ISO standard plus the ICAO passport spelling; any discrepancy is explained in the certification note.
Machine-readable zone (MRZ) ignored	The MRZ carries the authoritative name and document coding; skip it and there is no reference to check the entries against.	We match the visible entries against the MRZ and record the authoritative spelling.
Document number & issuing authority mistranscribed	Document number, issuing authority and validity identify the ID; errors make it unusable.	Numbers, authority and dates are transcribed completely and in the right position.
Date formats carried over unchanged	"03/04/2020" means a different date at home than in Austria — a wrong date of birth or expiry is critical.	Date and number formats are rendered unambiguously, with a translator's note where needed.
Security features & official markings left out	Missing endorsements, stamps or markings make the translation incomplete and unfit for certification.	Endorsements, stamps and markings are described and translated; anything illegible is flagged as such.
Apostille expected on the passport itself	The ID is usually not apostilled directly; waiting for one on the document costs time.	We explain the route via a notarised copy and the apostille from the Landesgericht president.

Legal basis

Why the certified translation is accepted.

Reviewed by specialists · FÜD editorial team · kept current

Commonly called a "certified translation", the correct term is a confirmed translation (in German: bestätigte Übersetzung) — produced by a court-sworn and certified translator, authorised under § 14 SDG and entered in the official register of the Austrian court-interpreter list at a Regional Court (Landesgericht). Their round court seal (Rundsiegel) makes the translation legally valid across Austria — you do not need a translator from your own federal state.

You receive the translation in advance as a PDF and then the certified original by post. For use abroad, we clarify in advance whether a notarised copy with an apostille is required, and whether the destination country only accepts a translation from a translator admitted there.

How it works

From request to certified proof of identity.

You upload a clearly legible scan of your ID card or the passport data page (including the machine-readable zone) and tell us the destination country and receiving body. We name a binding fixed price in EUR. Once you approve, a court-sworn translator renders every entry true to form and layout and matches the name spelling against the ICAO zone.

You receive the document in advance as a PDF and as a certified original by post, with the round court seal. If an apostilled copy is required, we agree the sequence with you. On to the document upload.

Before you upload

So your ID clears on the first attempt.

With this information, a court-sworn translator can render your passport or ID correctly straight away.

Clearly legible scan including the MRZ — don't crop off the machine-readable zone at the bottom edge.
Destination country & receiving body — bank, notary, registry, visa office or authority; it determines language and form.
Authoritative name spelling — if the ID and other certificates differ, tell us which one to use as the reference.
Apostille clarified? — whether a notarised copy with an apostille is required; that is issued by the Landesgericht president, not the FÜD.
Language direction — which language to translate from and into.
Deadline & delivery — by when you need the advance PDF and the original.

Not sure whether a copy with an apostille is required? FÜD clarifies this with you before translating — so the form matches the procedure.

Use cases

Three typical routes for a passport or ID translation.

The purpose decides the form and whether an apostille is needed. Three common scenarios.

Bank

Passport for a bank account abroad

Starting point: A bank abroad requires a translated proof of identity to open an account and complete KYC checks.
Process: We certify-translate the passport data page, match the name against the MRZ, and transcribe numbers and the issuing authority in position.
Result: Certified translation with certification note — PDF in advance, original by post, matching the bank's identification requirements.

Notary

ID copy with apostille for a property purchase

Starting point: For a property purchase or notarial deed abroad, the notary requires an apostilled, translated copy of the ID.
Process: We explain the sequence — copy authenticated before a notary, apostille from the Landesgericht president — then certify-translate the copy, the authentication and the apostille together.
Result: Matching identification documents that the notary accepts without a query.

Austrian authority

Foreign ID for the Niederlassungsbehörde / MA 35

Starting point: An Austrian Niederlassungsbehörde, or MA 35 in Vienna, requires a certified German translation of a foreign-language ID document.
Process: A court-sworn translator transcribes every entry, transliterates the name to the applicable ISO standard and records the passport spelling.
Result: Certified German translation that ties the ID unambiguously to you for the authority.

Quote & price

What does a passport or ID translation cost?

We usually bill an ID card or passport data page as a flat fee per document. After a quick review we name a binding fixed price in EUR — certification, advance PDF and postal delivery included.

Binding fixed price

flat fee per documentID card / passport data page · special cases by length, from € 0.89 per standard line

Price up front · no unannounced extra costs

Certified translation by a court-sworn translator (§ 14 SDG)	✓included
Name transliterated & matched to the ICAO passport zone	✓included
Certification note, round court seal & signature	✓included
Advance PDF & postal delivery of the original	✓included
Quality management & final check	✓included

An ID card or passport page is usually billed at a flat fixed price; longer documents from € 0.89 per standard line (55 characters incl. spaces). We name the exact amount after a quick review. How the price is made up →

Request a quote

FAQ

Passport & ID translation — frequently asked questions.

Do I need to translate my Austrian passport or ID card?

For many procedures abroad, yes: banks, notaries, registries and authorities abroad require the ID as a translated proof of identity — for opening an account, forming a company, a visa application, a marriage, or enrolling at a foreign university. Conversely, an Austrian authority needs a certified German translation of a foreign-language ID document that is not already in German.

Does the passport get an apostille?

Usually not on the document itself. Passport and ID card are identity documents, not personal-status certificates. If a foreign body requires apostilled proof of identity, a copy authenticated before a notary is usually produced instead; its apostille is issued by the president of the Landesgericht (Regional Court) — for documents from federal authorities, by the BMEIA — never by the translation provider. The FÜD does not issue apostilles.

Why does the name spelling matter so much?

If the transliteration of your name differs from the passport or other certificates, the receiving body treats you as a different person. We transliterate to the applicable ISO rule and cross-check it against the machine-readable zone (ICAO) on your passport, so your name reads the same everywhere.

Is a scan enough, or do you need the original?

A clearly legible scan including the machine-readable zone is usually enough for the translation itself. Whether the certification note refers to the original, a notarised copy or the scan depends on the requesting body — we note the reference used.

Is the translation recognised abroad?

In Austria, recognition follows § 14 SDG and the translator's entry in the official register at a Regional Court. For use abroad, the receiving body often additionally requires an apostilled copy and sometimes a translation admitted in the destination country — we clarify this in advance.

What does a certified translation of a passport or ID cost?

We usually translate an ID card or passport data page at a flat fixed price in EUR; special cases are priced per standard line, from € 0.89. Certification note, round court seal, an advance PDF and postal delivery are included — we name the exact price after a quick review.

For opening an account abroad, my Austrian passport was certified-translated within two days — with exactly the name spelling from the machine-readable zone. The bank didn't ask for anything else.

★★★★★

H. Yılmaz · bank account, Vienna