Checklist: translating documents for family reunification

In Austria there are essentially two routes to family reunification. The first concerns relatives of recognised refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection: the family files an entry application at the competent Austrian representation abroad, and the Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum in Austria examines whether the conditions are met. The second route runs under the Settlement and Residence Act: relatives of persons holding a residence permit or of Austrian citizens apply for a residence permit as family members, in Vienna at Municipal Department 35.

Which documents are required depends on the procedure, on the status of the person in Austria and on the authority. The lists are similar but differ in detail, for example on proof of income and German language skills. So first clarify which procedure applies to you, ideally with the free legal counselling of the BBU, an advice centre such as Caritas or a lawyer.

These documents are usually required for every family member who is to join. The authority may request further evidence if questions arise.

Foreign language documents must as a rule be submitted with a certified German translation. It is produced by court sworn and certified translators and recognised by authorities, courts and universities in Austria. The whole document is translated, including stamps, annotations, reverse sides and authentications. A translation that covers only the main text is frequently rejected.

In addition, for documents from most Arab states the authorities require authentication so that authenticity is established. For states party to the Hague Apostille Convention this is the apostille. For Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Afghanistan the usual route is legalisation: certification by the foreign ministry of the issuing state, then by the competent Austrian representation. Where there is no Austrian embassy in the country, a representation in a neighbouring country is usually responsible. The authority or the website of the Austrian foreign ministry will tell you which one.

Two deadlines shape the timetable. The first concerns the application itself: for relatives of recognised refugees, an application within the first months after recognition benefits from a simplified procedure without proof of income and accommodation, after which these proofs are required. For relatives of beneficiaries of subsidiary protection there are waiting periods. Clarify the exact deadlines with legal counselling, because they determine the scope of the documents.

The second deadline concerns the documents. The criminal record certificate must usually be only a few months old when submitted, often no older than three months. Obtain it as the last document and allow time for legalisation and translation. Certificates of single or marital status also often have limited validity. Birth and marriage certificates, by contrast, do not expire, although some authorities prefer recent register extracts.

In our experience with applications from the Arabic speaking world, the same mistakes recur. Almost all of them are avoidable once you know them.

The order determines time and cost. Anyone who translates first and legalises afterwards often pays twice.

Syria: civil status documents are issued by the civil registry, mostly as an extract from the civil register for one person or for the whole family. The family register extract replaces several individual certificates in many cases and is easy for authorities to read, because it shows parents, spouses and children on one sheet. Legalisation runs through the Syrian foreign ministry and then through the Austrian representation responsible for Syria. Make sure the document carries a recent date of issue and includes the parents' names.

Iraq: alongside passport and birth certificate, the national identity card, the nationality certificate and the residence card matter, because Iraqi authorities establish identity across several documents. Documents from the Kurdistan Region are often bilingual in Arabic and Kurdish. We translate the Arabic part; Kurdish requires a separate translator. On Iraqi marriage certificates from personal status courts, marginal notes and stamps are particularly important.

Afghanistan: the tazkira and Afghan marriage and birth certificates are written in Dari or Pashto, not in Arabic, even though the script looks similar. We do not translate these documents and do not broker them. Please contact translators for Dari and Pashto. Arabic language documents of Afghan families, for example from periods spent in Gulf states, we are happy to take on.

Egypt: Egyptian certificates are now mostly computer generated and carry a barcode and register number. The family status extract from the civil register summarises the data. Egyptian authorities also issue birth and marriage certificates in English translation; these translations are usually not sufficient for Austrian authorities, which require a certified German translation. Legalisation runs through the Egyptian foreign ministry and then through the Austrian embassy in Cairo.