The interview is the first checkpoint.
If questions or answers were not understood, the record should be compared carefully with your own recollection.
Proceedings
Interpretation and translation in entry ban proceedings
Why language understanding matters in entry ban proceedings and how misunderstandings in interviews and appeals can be reviewed.
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Mag. Mirela Saric
Attorney at law · German and BCS
Mirela Saric assists clients in immigration matters with a clear structure: review the decision, secure deadlines, define the strategy and act quickly. She advises in German and Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian.
6 July 2026 · Mag. Mirela Saric, Attorney at Law
Entry bans often concern people whose strongest language is not German. The decisive issue may therefore be not only the content of the decision, but whether questions, answers and documents were correctly understood.
Section 39a AVG deals with interpreters and translators in administrative proceedings. In practice, concrete misunderstandings matter: which question was misunderstood, which answer is missing, which document was not properly assessed?
Classify the language issue
Were there language problems in the proceedings?
Answer one short question. You receive an initial orientation on interpretation, translation and file review.
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Were there language problems in the proceedings?
The answer shows which point should be checked first.
All paths at a glance
Overview of all answers.
Documents need clear allocation.
Foreign-language documents should be organised and, where needed, translated or explained in an understandable way.
Uncertainty must become concrete.
A general feeling is rarely enough. The important point is which question, answer or document was actually misunderstood.
Language understanding during the interview
Language understanding during the interview
Misunderstandings during the interview can have immediate consequences. An unclear question or shortened interpretation may make an answer appear different in the file.
After the interview, the record should therefore be reviewed. Statements on family, residence, earlier proceedings and reasons for conduct are especially important.
Classifying foreign-language documents
Classifying foreign-language documents
Certificates, registration documents, employment records or medical documents from abroad must be introduced in an understandable way. Otherwise they may remain mere attachments.
Not every document needs the same depth. The key question is whether the authority or court can understand which fact it proves.
Raising misunderstandings in the appeal
Raising misunderstandings in the appeal
If a language issue was relevant, it should be described concretely in the appeal. General criticism of translation is less helpful than a precise passage with explanation.
File inspection helps connect the point: what does the record say, what was actually said and which documents support the clarification?
Important: Language problems should not be asserted in general terms. The more precisely the affected question, answer or document is named, the better it can be reviewed.
FAQ
Interpretation and translation
Do I have a right to understand the proceedings? +
If a party does not sufficiently know German, interpretation may be necessary in administrative proceedings.
What if the record seems wrong? +
The specific passage should be marked and compared with your recollection and available documents.
Must all foreign-language documents be translated? +
That depends on the document and its relevance. The decisive content must be understandable in the proceedings.
Topics
InterpretationTranslationBFAEntry ban
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