Translating company certificates and business records for Australian use
Quick answer
Business records used in Australia should be translated from a freshly certified extract, keeping the legal entity name, registration number, objectives and directors exactly as printed. Nothing is summarised and no page is dropped. Turnaround varies with page count and how detailed the financial statements are.
Corporate paperwork proves who the company is, who may sign for it and how it stands financially, so the reader checks names and figures against the public register line by line. This article sets out what to gather, how the translation should look and where sets usually get sent back for more.
What to prepare
- Certified company affidavit issued recently enough for the receiving party
- Shareholder list and memorandum of association, where requested
- VAT or commercial registration certificate, if relevant
- Audited financial statements for the years requested
- Passport page of the authorised director, to fix the spelling of names
- The checklist or email from the authority, bank or partner receiving the file
How the process runs
- 1Obtain a freshly issued certified extract — Order a new certified affidavit from the commercial registry before translation starts, because many recipients count validity from the issue date rather than the filing date.
- 2Confirm the registered English name — If the company holds a registered English name, use it in the translation instead of transliterating afresh, so the file matches contracts and bank records.
- 3Translate every page and every table — The translation keeps the registration number, share capital, stated objectives and signing conditions as printed, including the notes to the financial statements.
- 4Proofread the figures and issue the certificate — Financial figures are checked line by line, then a translator's certificate naming the translator, the language pair and the date is attached to the file format the recipient accepts.
Signing authority is read the most closely
Conditions such as two directors signing jointly with the company seal decide whether a downstream contract is valid at all, so the translation must mirror them exactly rather than condensing them into a shorter phrase.
When extra certification is requested
Some recipients ask for legalisation by the foreign ministry or notarisation before the file is accepted. That is a separate step from translation, and getting the order wrong is the usual reason a set has to be redone, so confirm the sequence before anything is issued.
Where these sets get sent back
- The affidavit is older than the validity window the recipient allows
- The company name in the translation differs from the registered English name
- Only the first page of the financial statements is translated, without the notes
- The scan cuts off the seal or the certifying signature
If you would rather not handle it yourself
Our team has handled cross-border document sets for more than fifteen years and will check whether your set matches the checklist, which certification layer applies and whether a document should be reissued first. Send the files through LINE @NAATI for an assessment before any work begins.
Things to watch
- Do not condense or paraphrase the company's stated objectives
- Do not round or adjust accounting figures in the translation
- Do not start translating before checking how recent the extract must be
- Requirements differ by authority, so follow the checklist you were given
Frequently asked questions
Do the full financial statements have to be translated?
It depends on the recipient. Some ask only for the balance sheet and profit and loss statement, others also want the notes. Confirm the scope first so you do not pay for pages nobody reads.
How long is a company affidavit valid?
Validity is set by whoever receives the document, not by the translator. Many recipients allow only a few months from the issue date, so check the condition before ordering the extract.
The English company name can be spelled several ways. Which one applies?
Use the registered English name where one exists. If there is none, pick a single spelling, use it consistently across every document, and tell the team at the outset.
Should legalisation happen before or after translation?
The order depends on the recipient. Sometimes the original is certified first and then translated, sometimes the translation itself is certified. Confirm the sequence up front to avoid repeating work.
How long does it take?
Turnaround varies with page count and table complexity. A standard corporate set takes a few working days, while several years of financial statements take longer.
Let our team handle the whole set
We work as an adviser as well as a translation provider. Send your scans and the receiving body's checklist on LINE and we will review the set, map the order of every step, and tell you what still needs to be obtained before anything is lodged.
Ask us on LINE @NAATIRelated services
Related articles
Content reviewed August 2026. This article describes general process and is not legal or migration advice. Confirm current requirements with the receiving body.