The final check before you lodge a translated document set
Quick answer
Run five checks in order: every page and every printed reverse side is captured, one spelling of each name governs the whole set and matches the passport, the certification layers are stacked in the order the receiving body requires, the file format and size match what the portal accepts, and each file is named so a caseworker knows what it is without opening it. Those five cover most real-world rejections.
Sets are rarely returned because a word was translated badly. They are returned because the pack was not ready when the submit button was pressed: a stamped reverse side missing from the scan, a middle name that appears on a birth certificate but not on a passport, or certification applied in the wrong sequence. This is the review order our team uses on live files, so you can sweep the whole set once and be done.
What to prepare
- Colour scans of every page of each source document, including any reverse side carrying a stamp or endorsement
- The passport photo page of every person named in the set
- The certified translation together with the practitioner's certification page
- The receiving body's written requirement or web page stating the accepted format
- Evidence linking name variants, such as a change-of-name record, where spellings differ
How the process runs
- 1Count the pages and check the reverse sides — Open each file page by page against the original. Nothing cropped, no fingers in frame, and every reverse side that carries a stamp or note included.
- 2Reconcile every name against the passport — Read each name in each document against the passport photo page. Where they differ, keep the source spelling in the translation and attach the linking evidence.
- 3Confirm the certification order — Check with the receiving body whether the original is certified before translation, or translated first and certified after. A swapped order usually means starting again.
- 4Check format and size limits — Confirm which PDF variants the portal accepts, whether there is a file-size or file-count cap, and whether the translation and the source must sit in one file or separate files.
- 5Name the files so they can be read — Use the document type and the document holder's name in Roman script, so a caseworker can match the pack without opening every attachment.
What people miss most often
- The reverse of a certificate carrying a stamp or grading key, cropped out of the scan
- A multi-page document split into several files, which reads at the other end as an incomplete set
- A middle name or title on older records that no longer appears on the current passport
- Buddhist-era dates translated without stating the calendar system used
Check what the receiving body actually requires
Format rules, document age limits and certification layers vary by authority and change over time. Treat the authority's own page or the letter you received as the governing source, not advice repeated second-hand.
Where a requirement reads ambiguously, keep the wording you were given and ask for confirmation before work starts. Confirming costs a day; redoing a full set costs far more.
If you would rather not run the check yourself
Our team reviews the whole set before any work begins — page completeness, name spelling, and the certification order the receiving body wants. After more than 15 years handling cross-border document work, we do not simply accept a translation order; we advise on how to sequence the entire set. Send your scans on LINE and we will tell you what is still missing.
Things to watch
- Never retouch a scanned original in image software — it undermines the credibility of the entire set.
- Never assume a printed copy will be accepted when the portal specifies an uploaded file, or the reverse.
- Never submit a tilted or shadowed phone photograph where the receiving body specifies a scan.
Frequently asked questions
Does the translator need the physical original?
In most cases clear colour scans of every page are enough. Where a receiving body requires sight of the physical original, that is a condition of that authority; confirm it with them before you post anything.
The birth certificate spells my name differently from my passport. What now?
Keep the source spelling in the translation and attach evidence linking the two, such as a change-of-name record, so the caseworker can see one person rather than two.
How long does a complete set take?
It varies with page count, language pair and the number of certification layers. Where a government step is involved, the queue at that office also drives the timeline.
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
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Content reviewed August 2026. This article describes general process and is not legal or migration advice. Confirm current requirements with the receiving body.