Subclass 600, 601, 602
NAATI certified translations for Australian visitor visas (600 and related)
Visitor applications are decided on a smaller document set than migration cases, but that makes each item more visible. Financial evidence and proof of ties to the home country are the documents most often submitted in a language other than English.
Short answer
Supporting documents for a visitor visa that are not in English should be lodged with an English translation. Bank statements, employment letters, property records and invitations from relatives in Australia are the items most commonly translated; provide full pages rather than extracts so the reviewer can see balances, dates and issuing details.
Who this applies to
- Tourist stream applicants visiting family or travelling independently
- Sponsored family stream applicants invited by a relative in Australia
- Business visitor stream applicants attending meetings or conferences
- Parents visiting for an extended stay on a longer validity visitor visa
Documents that usually need translating
| Group | Typical documents | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Financial capacity | Bank statements, fixed deposit records, income certificates, tax documents | Complete statement pages, showing the account holder's name and the period covered. |
| Ties to home country | Employment or leave letters, business registration, property title, school enrolment for children | Letters should show contact details so they can be verified. |
| Relationship to the inviter | Birth certificate, marriage certificate, household registration | Needed where the visit is to family or a sponsor is involved. |
| Travel history | Previous visas, entry and exit stamps, travel itineraries | Translate annotations on stamps where they are not in English. |
How the work runs
- 1
List the documents the case officer will actually read
Start from the document checklist published for visitor visas and mark every item that is not already in English. Only those items need a translation; sending extra material rarely helps and slows the file down.
- 2
Obtain clean, complete originals
Request freshly issued certified extracts where the registry offers them. Scan in colour at 300 dpi or better, both sides of every page, including pages that carry only a stamp or a signature.
- 3
Confirm name spellings against passports
Send the photo page of the passport for every person named in the documents. Passport spelling is the reference the translation follows so that names match the application form exactly.
- 4
Translation by a certified translator in that direction
NAATI certification is granted per language pair and direction, for example Thai to English. Work is assigned to a practitioner certified in the exact direction the document requires.
- 5
Independent check, then delivery in the required format
A second reviewer compares names, dates, document numbers and page order against the source. You then receive a digitally certified PDF for online lodgement, with a printed wet-stamped copy couriered if the receiving body asks for hard copy.
Why translations get questioned
- Name spelling differing from the passport — the single most common reason a translation is queried.
- Sending only the front page and omitting a reverse side that carries stamps, corrections or annotations.
- Translating an extract rather than the complete document, so the certification does not cover the whole page.
- Printing and re-scanning a digitally signed PDF, which destroys the signature validation the agency relies on.
- Lodging a translation without a copy of the source document; most bodies want both side by side.
- Assuming consular legalisation is always required — most Australian bodies ask only for a properly certified translation.
- Submitting a screenshot of a banking app instead of an issued statement.
- Translating a leave letter without the company stamp and signatory details.
Frequently asked questions
Does the translation have to be NAATI certified?
For documents translated inside Australia, the Department of Home Affairs asks that translations be done by a NAATI accredited translator. For translations prepared outside Australia, the translator must state their full name, address, telephone number and details of their qualifications and experience in the language being translated. In practice, for visitor visa applications, the NAATI certification format is the one Australian bodies recognise most readily.
Is a digitally certified PDF accepted for online lodgement?
NAATI certified translators may issue digitally certified translations carrying a digital stamp and signature, and online lodgement systems generally accept that PDF. Some registries, courts and embassies still want a printed copy with a physical stamp; tell us the receiving body and we issue the correct format.
Do I need to post my original documents?
No. A clear, complete scan is enough to produce the translation. Keep your originals — the receiving body may ask to sight them separately.
Do you work with clients outside Australia and Thailand?
Yes. The service is fully online worldwide, in every language pair where a certified practitioner exists. Send scans, receive the certified PDF by email, and request a printed copy to any address if one is needed.
Can you advise whether my application will succeed?
No. Decisions rest with the deciding authority, and immigration advice is the work of a registered migration agent (OMARA). We prepare and certify translations and explain document formatting requirements.
Do short visitor applications really need certified translations?
Any document not in English should be accompanied by an English translation. For visitor cases the set is usually small — a few statements and letters — so certification adds little time and removes an easy reason for a request for further information.
Have your files checked first
Send your scans on LINE with the visa group and the receiving body. We confirm the language pair, stamp format and working-day turnaround in writing before any work starts.
Ask on LINE @NAATIRelated document guides
Other visa groups
Reviewed July 2026. General document-preparation information only, not immigration assistance. We are not a registered migration agent (OMARA).