• Registration and approval as a PhD student
  Responsible office: The Student Secretariat of the University of Rostock
  You will need:
  • certified copies and certified translations (in German or English) of
    • your university entrance qualification and
    • your university certificates (Bachelor, Master, ...)

• Application for the issue or renewal of a residence permit
• Family reunification with spouse and/ or children
  Responsible office: Rostock Migration Office
  You will need:
  • Various original documents (for cross-checking purposes only) and
  • Copies of these documents, including:
    • Birth certificate(s)
    • Marriage certificate

• Acceptance of an employment
  Responsible office: Human Resources Department of the University of Rostock or your affiliated institute
  You will need:
  • Various original documents (for cross-checking purposes only) and
  • Copies of these documents (details here: Information of the Human Resources Department)

Please check with the respective bodies which documents have to be submitted, and in what format. As a general rule, all certificates and documents must be submitted in German or English, and as originals or in an certified format.

• Abroad (source and details: https://www.uni-assist.de)
  ... there are various bodies that are authorised to carry out authentication, for example:
  • issuing institutions, e.g. schools, universities and language schools
  • the Ministry of Education in your home country
  • German Embassies and Consulates
  • the Culture Department of the Embassy of the country from which the certificate originates
  • the authorities and notaries who are authorised to carry out official certification in your home country.

• In Germany (source and details: https://www.uni-assist.de)
  ... any public body with an official seal entitling them to officially certify foreign-language documents - however, it is not obliged to do so. If you cannot find a public body in Germany to certify your document, contact the embassy of your home country or a notary. Public bodies are for example:
  • town halls / municipal public offices
  • parish offices
  • courts
  • notaries

• In Rostock
  ... the following offices are particularly qualified for your certifications:
  • the local offices / town hall (German language documents only)
  • notaries

Notes:

• Find out directly from the relevant authority whether they are allowed to undertake the certification that you require. There may be restrictions.
• Translators are not allowed to certify documents in the original language.
• To certify German certificates for use abroad (e.g. PhD certificate) please consult the following sites
  • Indications from the town hall
  • Indications from the Ministry of the Interior and Europe of the State of MV ("Ministeriums für Inneres und Europa des Landes MV")

• Abroad
  Translations in Germany are relatively expensive. It is often more economical to have your documents translated in your home country.

• In Germany
  On the website of the Federal Association of Interpreters and Translators ("Bundesverband der Dolmetscher und Übersetzer" (BDÜ)) you can look for translators and interpreters for different purposes (simple translation, sworn translation, …): https://suche.bdue.de

• In Rostock
  There are several translation agencies with branches in Rostock, e.g.:

Note:
Make sure that the translations which are made of your certificates and documents are certified. In Germany there are various designations for officially authorised translators. They are generally designated as “officially appointed” ("öffentlich bestellt"), “sworn” ("vereidigt"), “certified” ("beeidigt), “authorised” ("ermächtigt") or similar. The differences result from the various formulations in the laws of the Federal States in Germany (Source and Details)