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Summary: most rejections and delays in a visa file come down to incomplete, incorrect or expired documents. This guide shows which documents are needed, how Iranian documents must be translated and certified, and how to avoid common mistakes. For the appointment procedure and waiting list of the Tehran embassy, see the visa steps guide.
Step one: the official document list for your visa type
For each purpose of travel (work, Blue Card, study, family reunification, Opportunity Card, etc.) there is a separate document list on the embassy’s official website and in the Foreign Office’s “Visa Navigator”. Use that list as your basis and do not remove or substitute anything.
General checklist
- A valid passport with enough blank pages and a copy of the data page
- Complete, signed application forms (and a declaration/explanation sheet if needed)
- Biometric photo: usually 35×45 mm, recent and meeting the German standard; get it from a photographer familiar with the standard
- Documents for the purpose of travel: contract, admission, invitation letter, approvals
- Educational and work documents: originals, copies and official translation; recognition in anabin or ZAB if needed
- Language documents: a valid certificate (Goethe, telc, TestDaF, IELTS …) — according to reports, translations and certificates should be no more than one year old
- Financing: blocked account, declaration of commitment or proof of income
- Valid health insurance
- CV and explanations if required
Official translation (Beglaubigte Übersetzung)
Documents that are not in German/English must be translated into German. According to the Tehran embassy’s notice, the translation must be done by a translator on the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ list, and the translation must obtain the necessary certifications before submission. The list of these translators is available only from inside Iran and in Persian. For documents you submit from inside Germany, a sworn translator (ermächtigter Übersetzer) in Germany is sufficient; official translation guide.
Certification of Iranian documents (Legalisation)
For many official documents issued in Iran, “Legalisation” is required. Based on the embassy’s official explanation (the “Ersatzlegalisation” model):
- Only official documents issued in Iran are accepted, and they must be the original, bearing the stamp and signature of the issuing authority; such as birth certificate, certificate of single status, marriage and divorce certificates, death certificate, educational documents, certificate of no criminal record, driving licence and notarial documents.
- Private documents and documents issued by Iranian missions abroad are not accepted.
- A certificate of no criminal record is valid for a maximum of three months.
- For a marriage certificate, the original birth certificates of both spouses are required.
Certification steps
- Translation by a translator licensed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Domestic certifications: approval by the Judiciary and then the Document Authentication Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; no more than one year may have passed since the certifications were issued.
- Appointment: only via TLScontact, category “Legalization”, through a waiting list; there is a booking fee (15 million rials according to the notice) that is refunded after attendance.
- Attendance and handing over the original documents and certified translations. You may send your lawyer or representative with a power of attorney.
Fees according to the notice: for Legalisation about €10 at TLScontact and €30 at the embassy per document; for a certified copy (Kopiebeglaubigung) €10 and €25 respectively per document; payment in cash and in euros. Students and study applicants receive up to five sets of copies free in certain circumstances. Legalisation cannot be done on the same day as the visa appointment; it must be done before that.
Certified copy (Beglaubigte Kopie)
The embassy confirms that the copy is identical to the original; this does not confirm the truth of the content. Your own copies are not accepted; the copy must be made at the embassy.
Apostille and documents from Germany or other countries
Documents issued in Germany or in a member state of the Hague Convention are usually certified with an “Apostille”. For each document ask which certification is required and request it from the issuing organisation or the relevant office.
On the day of the appointment
- Put the original documents and one set of copies in a folder in the order of the official list.
- Hand over documents without extra, contradictory or crossed-out sheets.
- Bring cash (euros) for the fees if necessary.
- All family members applying, even children, must attend in person.
Common mistakes
- Registering on the wrong waiting list.
- Expired documents, translations or language certificates.
- Translation by an unauthorised translator.
- Not having the domestic certifications before the appointment.
- Submitting a copy instead of the original.
- Contradictory information in forms and documents.
- Paying a middleman for a “fast appointment”.
Frequently asked questions
Must I take the documents myself, or can a lawyer?
For Legalisation you can send a representative, but for the visa application the applicant (with children) attends in person.
What happens if a document is incomplete?
The embassy may request extra documents or the application may be rejected. Send extra documents only as instructed by the embassy and to the official email address.
Note: this guide is general information (last reviewed: October 2026) and is not legal or immigration advice. Laws, amounts and procedures of embassies and authorities change constantly, especially for Iranians. Before any step, read the official notice of the relevant body and, for complex cases, consult a lawyer or authorised immigration advisor.
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