Prices can vary greatly, depending on whether the text is specialised, a legal document, a novel, or requires proofreading/editing. Click on the service you require to find out more.
Translation Rates
The cost of a translation is generally calculated based on the number of words in the source text.
My basic fee for general translations from English into German is € 0.25* per word. The actual fee for a particular translation contract may be higher, depending on the deadline, difficulty of the text, file format, etc.
My minimum charge is € 50.00*.
Factors that could increase the word price:
- File format. For translating from .ppt, .xml, .html, .jpg, .pdf files or similar, I add a surcharge of at least 10 %. Please provide me with your files in Word format if possible.
- Delivery date. More urgent translations attract a higher surcharge. My usual daily output is a maximum of 2,000 words and a translation requiring more than this will be more expensive.
- ‘Out-of-hours’ work. Although I am willing to work over the weekend, on bank holidays, and during the evening, a surcharge of at least 50% will apply for this. I will gladly provide you with an individual quote if you send me the text (or at least an extract from it).
*All the prices quoted on this page are intended for corporate customers and are calculated without statutory German VAT at the current rate of 19%.
Document Translation Rates
Certified document translations are charged in accordance with the German Judicial Remuneration and Allowances Act (JVEG) at € 2.32* per standard line (55 characters incl. spaces, based on the target text). I will gladly provide you with an individual quote if you send me the document, either via fax or by scanning it in and attaching it to an e-mail. Texts of fewer than 20 lines (55 characters each) will attract a one-off minimum fee of € 50.00.
Additional copies of the translation will cost € 2.00 per page plus € 10.00 for the certification.
Posting as a letter within Germany is free of charge!
*As document translations are generally required by private customers, all the prices shown under “Document Translation Rates” include statutory German VAT at the current rate of 19%.
Proofreading Rates
Proofreading is charged by the hour, at a rate of € 50.00* per hour.
It is difficult to calculate a fixed price, as the amount of time needed for a text depends on how much there is to correct.
In my experience, a simple proofreading job that involves carefully reading through the text to check for typos, spelling and grammatical errors requires 4 minutes per page–this results in a minimum charge of € 3.50 per page (1,500 characters).
An editing job is slightly different. As well as checking the text for typos, spelling, and grammatical errors, I also carry out a thorough review in terms of style and consistency. In my experience, I can work through 8 pages per hour, resulting in a price of approx. € 6.50 per page (1,500 characters). These are estimates and both proofreading and editing may cost more depending on the number of corrections and time required.
Revising a translation from English or Russian into German requires a combination of in-depth proofreading and editing. Not only does the text need to be checked for typos, spelling and grammatical errors, style and consistency, it must be carefully compared with the source text. This kind of work would cost at least € 13.00 per page (1,500 characters).
Would you still like to know how much it will cost in advance?
If so, I can offer to work on your text for exactly one hour. As soon as this hour is up, I will stop. This makes it possible for you to assess my work on the one hand, and decide if it is necessary for you, whilst on the other hand you will be able to calculate exactly how long it will take to edit your whole text. And should you decide not to go ahead with the full proofreading after this hour, you will only pay € 50.00 net–and no more.
*All the prices quoted on this page are intended for corporate customers and are calculated without statutory German VAT at the current rate of 19%.
Book translation rates
You can expect to pay approx. € 25.00* per page (1,500 characters) for translation, editing, and proofreading (plus statutory German VAT*). Editing and proofreading are done by two different providers, whom I assign accordingly.
*Book translations incur German VAT at a rate of 7%; copyright remains with me as the translator. No VAT is due if your invoicing address is outside of the EU or if it is within the EU AND you have a VAT ID number.