Which documents need a sworn translation for a German student visa application?

Any document that is not in German or English has to be submitted together with a translation; the German missions in Turkey and the universities accept translations by sworn translators (yeminli tercüman) and reject plain translations. In the study-applicant information sheet of the German missions in Turkey, the Lise Diploması, the ÖSYM result and placement documents and transcripts are listed as "certified copy + certified translation".

Typically translated for a student visa:

• Lise Diploması or university diploma and transcripts (if not already issued in English by the school or university);
• ÖSYM/YKS result document and placement document for school leavers;
• documents for financing from Turkey, for example a parental sponsorship declaration, bank letters in Turkish, or a court decision on custody for minors;
• civil-status documents if they are requested (birth certificate, marriage certificate), unless issued as multilingual international extracts.

Usually not translated: the passport, the admission letter and language certificates (already in German or English), blocked-account confirmations from German providers, German health insurance confirmations.

Two practical rules: have the translation made from a certified copy or the original and keep the originals to show at the appointment, and check the current checklist of the German mission (via iDATA or the mission's website) before you translate anything, because the list differs between the Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir offices and is updated during the year. Universities and uni-assist have their own translation rules for the application; a translation made for the university can normally be reused for the visa.