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German translation prices — a binding fixed price before you order.
You know the total before you order: we review your documents, name a binding fixed price and bill it transparently per standard line, per word or as a flat fee – with no hidden surcharges.
- Price before you commitbinding, no recalculation
- No hidden feesno rush surcharge
- TM & volume discountson repeats
- 4.7 · Trustpilot
Three clear price groups by field · billed per standard line, not roughly estimated · no recalculation while the volume is unchanged
Translation Prices
The unit is the standard line — 55 characters, including spaces.
Translation pricing is often the most opaque corner of professional services – not at termbase. We review your documents in advance and name a binding price that you know before you order. The basis is usually the standard line (55 characters incl. spaces in the target text), alternatively a per-word price or a flat fee – for example for standard certificates. As a guide, translations start from US$1.05 per standard line.
The price per line depends mainly on the language group, the field and the deadline. For certified translations the price includes certification and delivery; how it is made up you can read under what a certified translation costs.
Price model
What moves the line price: volume, field, deadline.
Instead of packages or click prices we calculate every enquiry individually – but by clear, always identical factors. That keeps the price transparent and comparable.
Volume and unit: standard line, per word, or a flat fee per certificate
Billed per standard line (55 characters incl. spaces), per word, or as a flat fee per certificate – whichever fits the document.
Language group and subject depth — legal, medical, technical
The language group and the specialist depth (standard or specialist text, e.g. legal, medical, technical) determine the line price.
Deadline and format: 24-hour express, DTP, translation-memory repetitions
Tight deadlines (24-hour express) and complex formats/DTP can influence the price; translation-memory repetitions lower it with ongoing demand.
| Service | Billing | Included in the price |
|---|---|---|
| Professional translation | standard line (from US$1.05) or per word | professional translation, terminology, quality assurance |
| Certified translation | fixed price / flat fee per certificate | translation, certification, advance PDF, original by post |
| Proofreading / specialist review | by effort (time or volume) | linguistic or specialist review, correction |
| Post-editing (MTPE) | by effort | review & correction of machine translation |
| 24-hour express | rush surcharge if applicable | priority processing subject to feasibility |
Price table
Three price groups from US$1.05 to US$1.25 — translator availability decides.
We bundle German and English into three price groups – by the availability of qualified specialist translators and the effort involved. All figures are starting prices (from-values) per standard line (55 characters incl. spaces); we name the binding price after a review.
Billed in USD (US$).
Group 1
European core languages
The most common language directions in Germany, Austria and Switzerland business.
- Standard text US$1.05
- Specialist text US$1.15
- Proofreading US$0.45
Languages in this group
Group 2
Other European languages
Northern, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe plus Turkish and Greek.
- Standard text US$1.15
- Specialist text US$1.40
- Proofreading US$0.55
Languages in this group
Group 3
Distant & rare languages
Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
- Standard text US$1.25
- Specialist text US$1.50
- Proofreading US$0.70
Languages in this group
In CH + VAT
How to read the table: the price per standard line depends on the target language; specialist texts (e.g. legal or medical content) are somewhat higher than standard texts, plain proofreading clearly lower. These are guide values – we name the binding price after a brief review of volume, field and deadline.
Worked example
A worked example: 150 standard lines at US$1.15 a line.
Employment contract, German into English — US$172.50
Illustrative calculation for a typical specialist text.
Example calculation, not a guaranteed quote. We name your binding price after reviewing the documents.
How the amount arises: 150 standard lines × US$1.15 specialist-text line price (Group 1) = US$172.50. This price includes the professional translation, the terminology work and the quality assurance – with no subsequent surcharges, as long as volume and service stay the same.
Shorter documents such as a birth or marriage certificate are usually charged as a flat fee and delivered certified including postage. With ongoing demand the line price falls through translation-memory repetitions and under a framework agreement.
Request your own fixed priceNo haggling over surcharges. One fixed price.
Review, binding price, then the order – the amount stays as long as volume and service stay the same.
What a German translation costs
Certified translations: certification, advance PDF and postage in one price.
Certified translations are delivered at a price that covers the entire processing – you do not pay for items separately.
| Professional translation by authorised translators | ✓included |
| Certification note & certification | ✓included |
| Advance PDF delivery | ✓included |
| Tracked postal delivery of the original | ✓dispatch date & tracking number |
| Quality assurance & final check | ✓included |
Swiss pricing in CHF — certified by a notary, not by a sworn translator.
Switzerland is priced separately in Swiss francs, notarised certification included. The line-rate groups are the same three language tiers — only the currency and per-line rate differ.
| Standard text | Specialist text | Proofreading | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group 1 — European core languages | CHF 1.20 | CHF 1.50 | CHF 0.60 |
| Group 2 — Other European languages | CHF 1.40 | CHF 1.70 | CHF 0.70 |
| Group 3 — Distant & rare languages | CHF 1.60 | CHF 2.10 | CHF 0.80 |
Example: 150 standard lines of a Group 1 specialist text = CHF 225.00 — notarised certification and shipping included, no recalculation. In Switzerland the translation is certified by notarisation, not by an authorised or court-sworn translator.
For official documents, authorised translators (ermächtigte Übersetzer) produce the certified translation under Section 142 (3) ZPO; the certification note makes it recognisable by authorities.
If your target country requires an apostille, it is issued solely by the competent authority or the Regional Court – not by termbase. We advise whether one is needed and deliver the translation in a recognisable form. All details under certified translation.
Everyone else quoted per page and then added certification, shipping and a rush fee. One binding number here, and the courier and the extra certified copy were already inside it.
Brett Sandoval · Phoenix · certified civil documents
Why not a click price or a single freelancer?
A raw machine or freelancer result is rarely cheaper once it has to be corrected, certified or is rejected by the receiving body. Our price includes specialist translators, quality assurance and – for certified jobs – certification and delivery. What we promise holds. See references →
FAQ
Price questions: standard line, minimum charge, express surcharge.
What does a German translation cost?
What is a standard line?
Why do prices differ by language?
Is there a minimum charge?
What does a certified translation cost?
Is an agency cheaper than a freelancer or DeepL?
Does it get cheaper with a translation memory or framework agreement?
Does the 24-hour express cost more?
Next
What a specific document costs: resume, residence permit, police certificate.
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