NAATI certified translation: frequently asked questions

It is a translation produced by a translator holding current NAATI certification in that language direction, issued with a certification statement, the translator's name and NAATI number, and either a physical or digital NAATI stamp. The stamp confirms the translator's credential, not the content of your document.

NAATI (National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters) is the national standards and certifying body for translators and interpreters in Australia, owned by the Commonwealth, state and territory governments. It certifies practitioners; it does not assess visa or qualification applications.

Department of Home Affairs guidance states that documents not in English must be accompanied by an English translation, and that translations made in Australia must be done by a NAATI certified translator. Translations made outside Australia must show the translator's full name, address, contact details and qualifications. Many universities, assessing authorities and registries ask for NAATI format regardless of where the translation was made.

No. Receiving bodies require an independent translator. A translation prepared by the applicant, a relative or a sponsor is normally rejected even if the person is bilingual.

Individual certifications are recertified on a cycle, so the translator must be current at the time of translation. A translation issued while the credential was valid stays valid as a document; the receiving body may still ask for a recent translation if your source document has since changed.

Yes. Certification attaches to the translator, not to your location. We work entirely online: you send scans, we return a certified PDF by email. Clients in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas use the same process.

We translate from any source language into English for Australian use, and English into other languages where a certified translator is available in that direction. If a direction is unusual, we confirm availability in writing before you commit.

Most Australian bodies accept a certified PDF uploaded to their portal. Where a paper copy with a wet stamp is required, tell us at quote stage and we confirm whether courier delivery is possible for your destination and what it adds to the timeline.

No. We work from clear colour scans. Keep your originals; some receiving bodies ask to sight them separately.

We can review and reissue, but we treat the source document as the reference, not the earlier translation. Where the earlier version contains errors we correct them and explain the differences so you can respond if the receiving body asks.

Send scans and tell us which Australian body will receive them; we quote scope, format and working-day turnaround in writing; you confirm; a certified translator completes the work and a second linguist checks names, dates and numbers; we deliver a certified PDF and keep a record so reissues are quick.

Turnaround depends on the number of pages, the language pair and how legible the scans are. We commit to a specific working-day figure in the written quote before starting rather than quoting a blanket promise.

Colour, at least 300 dpi, all four page edges visible, no glare or cropped corners, and every side that carries a stamp, signature or endorsement — including the back of the page.

Priority handling is often possible. It depends on translator availability in your language pair, so ask before you assume; we tell you honestly if a deadline is not achievable.

Tell us with the supporting document (usually the passport page). Corrections of names, dates or numbers that we mistranscribed are fixed and reissued at no charge.

It is a cryptographically signed stamp embedded in the PDF that carries the translator's name, certification number, language direction and the date. Any change to the file after signing breaks the signature, which is how a receiving officer detects tampering.

By opening the PDF in a reader that displays signature properties, checking that the signature is valid and unmodified, and confirming the translator's number and language direction against NAATI's public register.

Printing produces a paper copy without the verifiable signature layer. If your receiving body requires a verifiable digital file, upload the original PDF instead of a scan of a printout.

Follow the receiving body's instruction. Online portals generally prefer the signed PDF; some registries, courts and overseas offices still ask for a wet-stamped paper copy. Tell us the destination and we set the format accordingly.

Yes, provided you send the unaltered file. Do not merge, compress, annotate or re-export it, as that invalidates the signature.

Birth certificates, marriage and divorce certificates, national ID cards, house registration or residence records, name-change records, and police clearance certificates.

Degree certificates, academic transcripts, statements of completion, professional registration certificates and syllabus or course outlines for skills assessment.

Where the visa or institution requires evidence of funds and the statement is not in English, yes. Confirm with the receiving body whether a summary letter is acceptable, since full statements can run to many pages.

Assessing authorities typically want employment reference letters, contracts, payslips and tax or social-security records. Each authority publishes its own list; we follow that list rather than a generic set.

Yes — medical certificates, vaccination records, court orders, custody and guardianship documents, statutory declarations and affidavits are all common. Court material is handled by translators experienced in legal terminology.

The spelling on your passport. Send the passport bio page with your scans so every name on the translation matches the identity document the receiving body already holds.

We transcribe each document faithfully and add a translator's note recording the variants. Where the difference is significant, the receiving body may also want a statutory declaration or a name-change record.

Dates recorded in Buddhist, Hijri, Persian or other calendars are converted to the Gregorian calendar with the original also shown, so the officer can reconcile the two without guessing.

They are rendered literally with an explanatory note where no English equivalent exists. Inventing an Australian-sounding equivalent is avoided because it can misstate a legal status.

The translation must mirror the source. We flag the discrepancy in a note; correcting the underlying record is done by the issuing registry, not by the translator.

Yes, provided the translation shows the translator's full name, address, contact details and qualifications. Translations made inside Australia must be by a NAATI certified translator. In practice, NAATI format is the safest choice either way.

Yes. Authorities such as ACS, Engineers Australia, VETASSESS, AHPRA, CPA Australia and TRA each publish their own document and certification rules, including whether certified copies are also required. Always read the authority's current checklist.

Generally yes for admission, though some also require documents sent directly by the issuing institution. Check the admissions page of the specific university.

Some bodies require the translation to be attached to a certified copy of the source document. This is a separate step performed by an authorised certifier in your jurisdiction; the translator does not certify the original.

No. A translation only ensures the officer can read your document in English in an accepted format. Decisions on visas, registration and qualification assessment rest entirely with the receiving authority.

No. A notary attests to a signature or a copy, not to translation accuracy or the translator's credential. Where Australian bodies ask for NAATI, a notarisation does not substitute for it.

An Apostille authenticates a public document for use in another Hague Convention country. Australia accepts Apostilles for some purposes, but visa document translation is not usually one of them. Ask the receiving body before paying for one.

Only if the receiving body says so. Legalisation is issued by the foreign ministry and/or embassy in the issuing country and is a separate process from translation.

Usually the source document is legalised first and the translation is produced afterwards, so any added stamps and endorsements also appear in the translation. Confirm the required order with the receiving body first.

We can explain the general difference between the options and what each one proves. We are not a registered migration agent (OMARA) and do not give migration or legal advice on individual cases.