Red Tape Translation

Bank won’t pay out until you get your home loan translated?

The bank approves your loan

They throw you a curveball

You try to find a translator

Your contractors want their money

We know loan agreements like the back of our hand.

Our legal translators will work quickly.

450 € - Get the details

Absolutely stunning in their efficiency, friendliness, and level of customer service.

Alex Maxwell, Berlin

Congratulations on purchasing property in Germany! You’ve signed the contract. You thought your bank’s loan approval was done and dusted, but now ING-DiBa wants proof that you understand the loan documents before they pay out.

 

What’s the easiest and most cost-effective way to get the money rolling?

Book and pay online

Red Tape Translation has been in Berlin for 11 years. We are a well-oiled machine. We’ll make sure that your translation is word-perfect and delivered on time. Once we’re done, we will provide you with a letter that complies with all ING-DiBa’s requirements.

    Highly recommend the red tape translation services.

    Josephine Haas, Berlin

    FAQs on getting your loan agreement translated

    • 1. How much does it cost?

      We will translate one loan agreement and all the accompanying documents related to that loan agreement for 450 Euros, including VAT. It will end up being about 30 pages altogether. This works out to around 12 Euros a page, which is an exceptionally good price for a legal translation. We can do this because we are extremely familiar with the typical content that gets added to a loan agreement.

    • 2. I have two loan agreements but it's mostly all the same text.

      If you have around 70 pages to translate, you may have signed two loan agreements. This is common if you refinance part of your loan with KfW, for example. They might look similar, but these are two separate loan agreements and we need to translate the second loan with just as much care as the first one. We will complete both loan agreements (plus all accompanying documents) for 750 EUR. At 10 EUR per page, this is an exceptionally good price.

    • 3. Can you just write me the letter without actually translating the documents?

      We get asked this question a lot. You’ve done your due diligence already and perhaps your broker explained the contents of the documents to you in English. But we are not permitted to write the letter without actually doing the work.

    • 4. How long will this take?

      We send the translation to you by registered mail within 5 days, usually sooner. We will also post an original of the letter directly to your bank for you. Once the translation is completed and ready to post, we will send you a letter as a PDF that you can upload directly to your online banking portal straight away. This is usually enough to appease the bank, but if they insist on the original letter, it will arrive in their postbox a day or two later.

    • 5. I don't need a written translation. Would it be cheaper to meet with an interpreter?

      If you’d prefer to meet with an interpreter, I am happy to arrange it, but it won’t affect the cost as it’s just as much work from our end. Also, you have to listen to someone talk at you for 2 hours. We recommend you go for the written translation instead at the same price.

    • 6. Can you match a quote I get from elsewhere?

      No. Our prices are already very competitive.

    • 7. Will your letter be accepted by ING?

      Yes. Our CEO, Kathleen Parker, is a Fachübersetzerin (specialist translator) and a member of the German Federal Association of Interpreters and Translators. We have sent many letters to ING over the years, and all of them have been accepted without question.

    • 8. Which documents do you need exactly?

      As per the letter that ING sends its customers (those who use an interpreter to sign the purchase contract), I need you to upload the following documents:

      1. The loan agreement (Darlehensvertrag). If you have two loans, please upload both loan agreements in their entirety, including all the extra bits below for each loan.
      2. The general terms and conditions for real estate financing (Allgemeine Darlehensbedingungen für Immobilienfinanzierungen). These are usually contained in the loan agreement PDF, somewhere around page 11-15.
      3. Auszahlungsanweisung – this probably didn’t get scanned in by your broker, but you will find a blank copy in the big pack of papers you received from ING. It’s OK if you can’t scan it in.
      4. Declaration of purpose (Zweckerklärung) – around 3-4 pages long
      5. European Standardised Information Sheet (ESIS-Merkblatt)

    The team is very professional, responsive and detail-oriented.

    Alessandra Leone, Berlin

    450 € - Get the details