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Icelandic translations - Certified Icelandic German translator for documents

Languages › Icelandic

Icelandic Translation Services — Icelandic ⇄ German.

Icelandic translation is produced by native-speaker specialists who render patronymics, the letters þ, ð, æ, ö and the Kennitala exactly as an official document requires — Icelandic ⇄ German for Austrian authorities and courts, Icelandic ⇄ English internationally. Certified on request. From €1.09 per standard line.

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Native Icelandic specialists · patronymics & þ ð æ true to the document · certified translations recognised by Austrian authorities

DIN EN ISO 17100registered · Reg. 7U517
Patronymics & þ ð ætrue to the document
Price up frontbinding fixed price
ConfidentialGDPR-compliant · NDA on request

Short & clear

Certified Icelandic translations by sworn, native-speaker translators.

Reviewed by specialists · FÜD editorial team · kept current

Icelandic is one of the most conservative Germanic languages — and, in official documents, one of the most error-prone when it is treated like German or English. Whether it is a birth certificate from Reykjavík, a diploma for recognition, a contract with an Icelandic partner, or documentation for an English-language project: the work is done by native Icelandic specialists with a proven field — who place patronymics, special characters and the personal identity number (Kennitala) correctly.

We work in both directions and both pairings. Icelandic ⇄ German is what Austrian authorities, courts and local partners need — including certified translations and passport-exact rendering of names. Icelandic ⇄ English covers international life in Austria: applications, employer paperwork, contracts and documentation that circulate in English.

Who it's for

Living in Austria, thinking in more than one language.

Most people who search for this in English are already fluent Icelandic speakers dealing with the Austrian system — or internationals who use English as the working language. Both are covered.

Icelandic → German, for the authorities

Birth, marriage and name certificates, diplomas and police records for a registry office (Standesamt), the immigration office or recognition of qualifications. They need a certified German translation in which the patronymic and the letters þ, ð, æ match your passport exactly.

Icelandic ⇄ English, for international life

Job applications, employment contracts, references and company documents that your employer, university or a partner abroad expects in English rather than German. Same specialists, same care with names and terminology.

German → Icelandic, for home

German certificates, contracts, powers of attorney and rulings to be presented to authorities, courts or family in Iceland — in the form Þjóðskrá Íslands and the Sýslumaður expect.

Business across the three

Companies trading with Reykjavík, or teams that run in English while the paperwork is German or Icelandic. We assign a specialist for the direction and field you actually need, not a one-size-fits-all pair.

Language & script

Patronymics, þ and four cases — why Icelandic names work differently.

Icelanders usually carry no family name but a patronymic (more rarely a matronymic): Jónsdóttir means “daughter of Jón”, Jónsson “son of Jón”. Siblings therefore have different “surnames”, and directories — down to the phone book — sort by the first name. Treat the patronymic like a German family name, and the person matches no register. On top of that comes the script: the letters þ (thorn, voiceless th), ð (eth, voiced th), æ and ö are letters in their own right, not variants of th, d or ae.

Grammatically Icelandic is rich: three genders, four cases, a definite article attached to the noun (hús “house”, húsið “the house”) and the consistent declension of proper names — in running text a name may appear as Guðrúnar (genitive) or Jóni (dative). For official use, an authorised translator issues a certified translation; whether an apostille is also needed is something we check in advance — it is issued by the competent authority, not by the translation agency.

Quality you only notice at the receiving end

What only a native Icelandic specialist catches.

Icelandic looks at first like "just another Germanic language" — and that is the trap: its name system, its four cases and its own letters are all its own. These pitfalls separate a native professional translation from one passed through. Each is specific to Icelandic and demonstrable.

Typical pitfalls in Icelandic translation and how a specialist resolves them
PitfallWhy it goes wrongHow the FÜD solves it
Patronymic treated as a family name“Jónsdóttir”/“Jónsson” is not a surname but “daughter/son of Jón”. Siblings carry different patronymics; registers and the phone book sort by the first name. Run as a family name, the person matches no directory.We render the patronymic as such and assign it correctly to the name parts; the person is addressed by the first name, as Icelandic law and usage require.
Special letters þ · ð · æ replacedþ (thorn) and ð (eth) are letters of their own, not “th” or “d”. Otherwise Þór becomes “Thor”, Guðrún “Gudrun” — a different name on a certificate.Every special character is set Unicode-exact and true to the letter; names are checked character by character against passport and original.
Declined name taken as the base formIcelandic declines names across four cases: a text may read Guðrúnar (genitive) or Jóni (dative). Take the case form as the name and you “change” it against the ID.We reconstruct the nominative base form and match it to the identity documents, rather than carrying over an inflected form.
Kennitala misread as a date of birthThe Icelandic personal identity number (Kennitala) is ten digits and opens with the date of birth, but it is an official ID number with check and century digits, not a plain date. Rendered as “date of birth” or “tax number”, it becomes a false statement.The Kennitala is labelled as such and reproduced unchanged, not reinterpreted into a German field.
Neologism treated as an international loanwordIcelandic coins its own terms — tölva (computer), sími (telephone), þota (jet). Expect international vocabulary and you translate past the matter.Native specialists with a field use the correct Icelandic terminology instead of assumed loanwords.
Conservative legal/certificate formulae modernisedIcelandic has kept old, fixed formulae in certificates and legal texts. A “modernising” translation misses the official tone and can shift meaning.The register and style of the source are preserved; formulae are rendered meaning-for-meaning, not freely.
"löggiltur skjalaþýðandi" ≠ "authorised translator"In Iceland the state appoints a löggiltur skjalaþýðandi (sworn document translator); in Austria it is a court-sworn translator. The systems are not identical.We clarify in advance where the document applies and set the right form: a certified translation for Austria, or the route via a löggiltur skjalaþýðandi for Iceland.

Why "closely related" doesn't mean "easy" here

None of these is a typo — most survive any spell-check. They arise at the seam of two naming and legal systems and only surface at the receiving end: the registry office, Þjóðskrá Íslands, the Sýslumaður. That is exactly where native professional translation earns its place.

With Icelandic names, a single character can decide recognition.

So: the patronymic correctly assigned, þ/ð/æ true to the letter, cases and the Kennitala placed right.

Certification & recognition

"löggiltur skjalaþýðandi", "authorised", "certified" — what counts where.

Reviewed by specialists · FÜD editorial team · kept current

For submission to Austrian authorities and courts, a court-authorised translator (in German, gerichtlich beeideter und zertifizierter Übersetzer, authorised under § 14 SDG) produces a certified translation with stamp, signature and certification note — recognised nationwide. In Iceland that role is filled by a löggiltur skjalaþýðandi, a sworn document translator commissioned by the state.

So an Austrian authorised translator is not automatically admitted in Iceland, and vice versa. We clarify before the project which country the document is for, and set the form valid there — following FÜD's documented quality process; where the service is delivered under DIN EN ISO 17100, the required second-person revision is included. Whether an apostille is additionally required (Iceland and Germany are both parties to the Hague Apostille Convention) we check in advance; in Iceland it is issued by the Sýslumaður (District Commissioner). The apostille itself is issued by the competent authority — the FÜD does not issue apostilles.

Use cases

Icelandic to German translation: three typical cases from practice.

Naming, target country and script decide the terminology and form of certification. Three common jobs — from the starting point to the result.

Registry office & family

Birth & marriage certificate Icelandic → German

Starting point
For a marriage or naturalisation, an Icelandic civil-status certificate is needed in German — with a patronymic and a Kennitala, and names carrying þ and ð.
Process
An authorised translator renders the certificate, keeps names true to the letter (þ, ð retained), assigns the patronymic correctly and labels the Kennitala as an Icelandic ID number.
Result
A certified translation the registry office accepts, its name spelling identical to the ID — no follow-up query.

Careers in English

Diploma & CV Icelandic → English

Starting point
A professional from Iceland applies to an international employer or programme in Austria that works in English, and needs a diploma, references and CV rendered accurately.
Process
Degrees, subjects and grades stay in the original with an explanatory equivalent; the patronymic and Kennitala are handled correctly; terminology is handled by a specialist in the field.
Result
Documents an English-speaking employer can place correctly — without misrepresenting a foreign qualification.

Law & trade

Contract & power of attorney German → Icelandic

Starting point
A Austrian company signs a contract with a partner in Reykjavík; legal form, deadlines and terminology must be precise in Icelandic.
Process
Legal terms stay demonstrable, the four cases and the attached definite article are set correctly; a legal specialist checks the terminology.
Result
A contract that is legally readable without replacing the source system’s legal institutions with foreign ones.

Quote & price

What does an Icelandic translation cost?

We review volume, field, language direction and name rendering and name a binding fixed price. Standard certificates are usually a flat fee per document; longer texts are priced per standard line — certification on request, advance PDF and postal delivery included.

Binding fixed price
from € 1.09 / standard linestandard certificates at a flat fee per document
Price up front · no unannounced extra costs
Native Icelandic professional translation✓included
Patronymics, þ/ð/æ & Kennitala true to the document✓included
Certification by an authorised translator on request✓included
Advance PDF & postal delivery of the original✓included
Quality management & final check✓included

Icelandic is priced in language Group 3, from € 1.09 per standard line (55 characters incl. spaces); we name the exact amount after a brief review. How the price is made up →

Request a quote

Icelandic documents & texts

Certified Icelandic document translation.

We translate Icelandic – German and Icelandic – English – from certified records to specialist texts. Commonly requested from Icelandic: fæðingarvottorð (birth certificate), hjúskaparvottorð (marriage certificate), ökuskírteini (driving licence), prófskírteini (diploma), sakavottorð (police clearance certificate).

Certificates & personal records

Law & business

Technology, web & IT

Medicine & marketing

FAQ

Icelandic translation – frequently asked questions.

Do you translate both Icelandic to German and Icelandic to English?

Yes. Icelandic ⇄ German is the usual pairing for Austrian authorities, courts and business partners; Icelandic ⇄ English covers international contexts – applications, contracts and documentation exchanged in English. A native-speaker specialist is assigned to each direction.

Why is the surname on my certificate handled differently?

Icelanders usually carry no family name but a patronymic: „Jónsdóttir“ means „daughter of Jón“, „Jónsson“ „son of Jón“. Registers and even the phone book sort by the first name. We render the patronymic as such and assign it correctly, rather than running it as a German surname.

Are the special letters þ, ð, æ kept in the translation?

Yes. þ (thorn), ð (eth), æ and ö are letters in their own right, not variants of th, d or ae. In names and certificates they are reproduced Unicode-exact and true to the letter, and checked against passport and original.

Can you provide a certified Icelandic translation recognised in Austria?

Yes. For certificates, diplomas and official documents an authorised translator (gerichtlich beeideter und zertifizierter Übersetzer, authorised by an Austrian court under § 14 SDG) issues a certified translation with a certification note, recognised by Austrian authorities and courts nationwide.

Does an Austrian authorised translator also count in Iceland?

Not automatically. In Iceland a löggiltur skjalaþýðandi (sworn document translator) commissioned by the state certifies translations. We clarify in advance which country the document is for, apply the form valid there and check whether an apostille is also required – in Iceland it is issued by the Sýslumaður, not by the FÜD.

What does an Icelandic translation cost?

The price depends on volume, field, direction and deadline. After a brief review we name a binding fixed price; standard certificates are usually a flat fee per document, from € 1.09 per standard line.
The Icelandic birth certificate for our daughter was accepted by the registry office at once — the patronymic, the letters þ and ð and the Kennitala were all rendered correctly. An earlier attempt had failed on exactly that.
★★★★★

K. Jónsdóttir · naturalisation, Hamburg

Next

Where to go next: services, fields, documents and languages.

Services

Professional translatorsCertified & sworn translationInterpretingRevision service

Specialist fields

Medical devices translationAutomotive translationTravel & tourism translationMedical translation

Documents

Degree recognitionContract translationCommercial register extractPassport & ID translation

Languages

Certified English–German translationSerbian to German translationRomanian to German translationDutch–German translation

Work with us

Already a native Icelandic speaker? Become an authorised translator.

Our Icelandic translations are produced by native-speaker specialists — the reason Austrian authorities, universities and courts accept them without queries. Beyond the language itself, that rests on German at C2 level, a specialist field the translator can defend, and — for certified work — court authorisation under § 14 SDG. If you bring that combination rather than bilingualism alone, we work with Icelandic translators employed and freelance, and the way in is also open through an internship.

The path

German to C2, plus a field

Native Icelandic is your starting capital; the market rewards what you build on top. German at C2 — the level at which you read a German ruling or medical report without hesitation — is the real gate, because certified work means rendering official German with precision, not just understanding it. Add a field you can defend (law, medicine, technology, finance) and the terminology that comes with it. That combination, not language alone, is what a registry office or an Icelandic authority actually relies on.

Why it holds up

Authorisation, and the expertise behind it

For certified translations you apply to the competent Regional Court (Landesgericht) to be authorised under § 14 SDG. And Icelandic is exacting, specialist work: a small North Germanic language with its own letters, patronymic naming and passport-exact rendering that has to be right the first time. Careful human work here is not nostalgia — it is what the receiving authority requires.

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