A supplier may check who can sign; an investor may check capital or legal form. An English working translation helps you read the extract. noll provides no certification, apostilles or verification of signing authority. Its output can serve as a draft for a sworn translator.
Prepare the extract for an English reader
- Use the digital PDF downloaded from handelsregister.de if you can select the text in the PDF. A scanned paper copy is not supported.
- Compare the company name, register court and HRA or HRB number with the original. Translation does not verify a business partner.
- Tell the reader whether you supplied an AD or CD printout and when you obtained it. Keep the German original alongside the English working translation.
For official use, check certification and apostille requirements
Banks, notaries, foreign registries and authorities usually require a certified or sworn translation, often with an apostille. Ask which original or certified extract they need, whether an apostille is required, and which translators they accept.
An apostille concerns the authenticity of a public document, not a machine translation's accuracy. noll provides no apostille or certified translation. Use the English output to understand the extract or prepare a draft for a sworn translator. Do not submit it as a sworn translation.
Read an HRB extract column by column
An aktueller Ausdruck from handelsregister.de uses these seven columns for an HRB record. Read each column together with the others, especially the general representation rule and the entry for the named person.
| Column number | German heading | What it contains | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nummer der Eintragung | The entry number within the record. | Do not confuse this with the company's HRB number. |
| 2 | a) Firma b) Sitz, Niederlassung, inländische Geschäftsanschrift, empfangsberechtigte Person, Zweigniederlassungen c) Gegenstand des Unternehmens | Registered name, seat, address, any person authorised to receive service, branches and business purpose. | Match the legal entity; distinguish its registered seat from its street address. |
| 3 | Grund- oder Stammkapital | Registered share capital. | This is not a statement of available cash or company value. |
| 4 | a) Allgemeine Vertretungsregelung b) Vorstand, Leitungsorgan, geschäftsführende Direktoren, persönlich haftende Gesellschafter, Geschäftsführer, Vertretungsberechtigte und besondere Vertretungsbefugnis | General representation rules, named representatives and individual powers. | Check joint or sole representation and any person-specific exception. |
| 5 | Prokura | Holders of statutory commercial power of attorney and their representation arrangements. | Check whether the named holder must act jointly. |
| 6 | a) Rechtsform, Beginn, Satzung oder Gesellschaftsvertrag b) Sonstige Rechtsverhältnisse | Legal form, formation details, articles and other legal circumstances. | Look for changes relevant to the transaction, including dissolution entries. |
| 7 | a) Tag der Eintragung b) Bemerkungen | Dates of entries and remarks. | An entry date is not the date you downloaded the extract. |
HRA or HRB? AD or CD?
HRA generally covers registered sole traders and commercial partnerships. HRB covers companies such as a GmbH or AG. Identify the business using the division, number and register court together.
AD, aktueller Ausdruck, presents currently valid entries. CD, chronologischer Ausdruck, shows entries and changes over time in the electronic register. Use AD for current representation arrangements; use CD to follow changes. Translation does not establish whether a later entry exists.
Understand who may represent the company
Einzelvertretungsberechtigt means sole power of representation: the person can represent the company alone under that entry. Read the general rule and individual entry together for joint representation requirements.
Befreit von den Beschränkungen des § 181 BGB concerns exemptions from restrictions on self-dealing or acting for both sides. It does not mean unlimited signing authority. Prokura is a statutory commercial power of attorney, distinct from appointment as managing director. Have powers checked for your specific contract.
Use the digital extract, then compare it with the original
Downloads from handelsregister.de are digital PDFs, suitable for translation if you can select the text in the PDF. noll returns a PDF with text replaced in place, retaining columns and page breaks. Scanned paper copies are not supported; ask for the digital original.
Compare names, register numbers, dates and capital amounts with the original. Numbers and dates retain their format. Text inside seals, signatures or other images is not translated. Keep both versions together.
German to English
German packs meaning into long compound words and puts verbs at the end of the sentence, so a good German to English translation reorders sentences rather than translating word by word. English text is usually 10 to 20 % shorter, so the translated layout has room to spare.
How it works
- 1
Drop the file
Upload the digital original in a supported format. For PDFs, use selectable text; scanned PDFs are not supported. The source language is detected automatically.
- 2
Pick English
Choose English as the target. Sign in and check your available page allowance before starting the translation. You can add more target languages.
- 3
Download the same file type
Start the translation, then download the result in the source file type. Compare the layout, numbers, dates and important wording with the original before using it.
What happens to your file
noll is built for documents you would not paste into a free online translator. Files are processed in EU data centres and never used to train models. Automatic file deletion is scheduled 30 minutes after successful translation in the standard document workflow. The separate single-PDF purchase flow allows 2 hours after successful translation for checkout and download. Download promptly; see our data-handling information for details.
How your data is handledMachine translation, not a certified translation
noll provides a machine-translated draft for understanding and review. If an authority, court or university requires a certified or sworn translation, ask which qualifications and format it accepts. noll does not certify translations.
Pricing
The standard document workflow requires an account and an available translation page allowance. Translation is billed by the page. Check current plans and your allowance before starting.
See pricingFrequently asked questions
Will a bank or notary accept noll's translation?
noll's output is not sworn or certified. Banks and notaries usually require a sworn translation; check their requirements before submission.
Can noll provide an apostille?
No. noll provides neither apostilles nor certified translations. Ask the recipient whether the register document needs an apostille and which document and translation it accepts.
Should I translate the AD or CD printout?
AD, aktueller Ausdruck, shows currently valid entries. CD, chronologischer Ausdruck, shows entries and changes over time in the electronic register. Check which version your recipient needs.
Can I translate a scanned register extract?
No. Scanned PDFs are not supported. Use the digital extract from handelsregister.de if you can select the text in the PDF, or ask the sender for that file.
How should GmbH be translated?
Keep GmbH in the registered company name. You can explain it as a German limited liability company. Replacing it with Ltd or LLC can suggest a different legal form; check the translated name manually.
Does the English extract prove who can sign?
No. The translation explains representation entries but does not verify current authority or decide who may sign your contract.
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