Glossary of translation terms

Academic transcript

An academic transcript is the official record of your studies from a school, college or university. It lists each subject, its mark or grade and when you took it. It is not your degree certificate.

We translate a transcript in full, row by row. That means every subject, mark and credit point, even failed and withdrawn subjects. We also translate the grading key, the table that says what each mark means. We never change grades into Australian ones: each grade stays on its own scale. Our academic transcript translation page has the detail.

Say a transcript scores subjects from 1 to 5, and 1 is the top mark. A subject marked 2 stays 2 in English. The translated key goes with it. A reader in Australia can then see that 2 is a good result.

Read more:

• translations for a skills assessment: VETASSESS, ACS, EA and TRA

Affidavit of translation

An affidavit of translation is a translator's sworn statement that their translation is correct. An affidavit is a written statement that a person swears is true in front of a witness.

Australia's family court wants one in a divorce if your marriage certificate is not in English. Only the person who made the translation can swear it. They must also say how they are qualified. They attach a copy of your certificate and their translation. The witness signs those copies too. Our divorce affidavit guide walks through the court's form.

A translator certified by NAATI adds a statement and a stamp, but swears nothing in front of a witness. An order on our website covers the translation, not the affidavit. To add the affidavit, message us. Before you pay, we will confirm we can arrange it for your language.

From our order desk: In October 2026 a customer needed a Chinese marriage certificate translated for a Family Court affidavit. We sent them the draft to check within a day of their go-ahead. They asked about one character in the certificate number. The translator checked it again and confirmed it matched the registry's seal. We only have the affidavit sworn once the customer approves the draft.

Read more:

• translating documents for a court or tribunal
• the affidavit in a divorce application

Apostille

An apostille is a certificate proving a public document's signature or seal is real, so the document can be used in another country. Countries that joined the Apostille Convention use it, and people often call it an apostille stamp.

The 1961 Apostille Convention, an agreement between countries, set up the apostille. The country that issued the document adds it. The apostille does not check or translate what the document says. Between member countries, it replaces a slower chain of checks, the old form of legalisation.

We arrange translations only. We do not issue apostilles or arrange them. Our apostille translation guide sets out which step comes first.

Where do documents get apostilled?

Documents get apostilled in the country that issued them: for an Australian public document, that means DFAT. DFAT is the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. It works by mail and through Australian Passport Offices. No one in Australia can apostille a foreign document. That includes a birth certificate from overseas. If you need an apostille, get it first. Then order the translation, so we can translate the apostille too.

Which countries require the apostille?

The 130 countries in the 1961 Apostille Convention can ask for an apostille, the one-step form of legalisation. Legalisation is the official check of a document's seal or signature. The Hague Conference, which runs the Convention, lists every member in its status table, last updated 30 June 2026. They include Australia, China, India, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam. Thailand has joined, but the Convention starts there on 28 February 2027. A country not on the list still needs the slower kind of legalisation, with more steps. Not sure about a country? Message us and we will check it for you.

Why would a document need to be apostilled?

A document needs an apostille when an office overseas asks for one, as proof that its signature, stamp or seal is real. The office must be in a country that has joined the 1961 Apostille Convention. Say an Australian degree is going to an employer in Spain. Or a birth certificate is needed for a marriage in Italy. The apostille gives that office the proof in one step. Australia's foreign affairs department says apostilles it issued after 14 December 2015 can be checked online.

Read more:

• Chinese notarial certificates and the apostille

Back translation

A back translation is a second translation that turns a finished translation back into the original language. A different translator, who has not seen the original, usually does it. Comparing it with the original shows if the meaning changed.

People often use it to check surveys, where a small change in meaning matters. Say a Spanish form reads “Fecha de expedición”. The translator writes “Date of issue”. A second translator turns that back into “Fecha de emisión”. The words differ, but the meaning matches.

Our orders do not include a back translation. If you need one, message us and we will send you a price first. On the NAATI option, the translator checks the whole translation against your document. Then they add their statement and stamp. Our guide What a certified translation looks like shows each page.

Read more:

• what NAATI certifies, and what it does not

Bank statement translation

A bank statement translation is an English version of a statement from a bank outside Australia. It keeps each transaction, date and balance in the bank's own order. That way, anyone can match it to the original line by line.

We translate the whole bank statement, page by page. If the holder's name is not in English letters, we spell it as their passport does. We copy the account number, currency, balances and the dates the statement covers just as printed. We do not check the numbers or confirm a balance with the bank.

Picture a German line that reads “Überweisung Miete”, with an amount and a running balance. The English line reads “Transfer: rent”, with the same amount and balance in the same row.

Read more:

• bank statement translation into English

Birth certificate extract vs full birth certificate

A birth certificate extract is a short version with only some birth details, while a full certificate shows more, usually both parents' names. Home Affairs, the visa department, asks for the full one on some applications.

Say an extract lists only the child's name, date and place of birth. The full certificate adds both parents' names. If you hold the full certificate, have that translated, so you pay for 1 translation, not 2.

What does "no extracts" or "full birth certificate, not extract" mean?

A form that says "no extracts" or "full birth certificate, not extract" wants your full birth certificate, not the short extract. The full one, also called long-form, usually shows both parents' names. An extract, or short-form, shows only some birth details. For a child aged 15 or younger in a citizenship application, Home Affairs asks for “a full birth certificate or family/household registration document showing parents’ details”. A translation shows only what your certificate shows, so have the full one translated.

Read more:

• citizenship document translation

Calendar dates (Hijri, Persian, Japanese era, Thai Buddhist)

Calendar dates on many foreign documents do not follow the Western calendar. They may use the Islamic Hijri, Persian, Japanese era or Thai Buddhist Era (BE) calendar. A translation into English can show each one as a Western (Gregorian) date.

We write every date as a Western date, with the month in letters and the year in full. Next to it, in square brackets, we keep the date exactly as your document shows it. Our guide to dates and calendars on translations shows how each calendar converts.

Take an expiry date of 14 March 2026. A Japanese card gives the year as Reiwa 8 (add 2018). A Thai card gives 2569 BE (take away 543). An Iranian card shows 23 Esfand 1404 (add 622, as the date falls before the Persian new year in March). A Hijri date reads 25 Ramadan 1447, give or take a day.

Read more:

• Arabic to English translation
• Persian to English translation
• Thai to English translation

Certificate of translation (translator's statement)

A certificate of translation is a statement, written by the translator, that says the translation is correct.

This statement has other names too. It may be called a certification statement or a statement of accuracy. Some call it a translator's declaration.

The NAATI option comes with one. The statement names the translator and says what NAATI certified them to do, like Punjabi into English. Their stamp comes with it. You also get a stamped copy of your original. Our Standard option is a translation without NAATI certification. It has no statement or stamp.

From our order desk: In September 2026 a translator sent us the first PDFs of a two-sided military discharge certificate. They had the NAATI stamp but no certification statement. A stamp and signatures in the top corner were also left untranslated. We asked for both before delivery. The new PDFs came the next morning, and the order went out inside 3 days.

Does a certificate of translation need to be notarised?

A certificate of translation only needs to be notarised if the office using it asks for that, and Home Affairs does not. Home Affairs is the visa department. Notarised means a notary, usually a lawyer, has checked a paper for use overseas. Home Affairs names NAATI, not a notary: “Translators in Australia must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters.” Accredited is NAATI's old word for certified. We do not notarise. Asked for a notarised translation? Message us and we will check it for you.

What is certificate translation?

Certificate translation means putting a certificate, like a birth or marriage certificate, into another language. We translate birth, marriage, death and other certificates to and from English, in more than 150 languages. It is not the same as a certificate of translation. On our NAATI option, you get both: the translated certificate, plus the translator's statement that it is correct, with their stamp.

Read more:

• what NAATI certifies, and what it does not

Certified copy (certified true copy)

A certified copy is a copy that a JP or other authorised person has checked against the original and stamped as a true copy. A JP, or justice of the peace, is a trained volunteer who can sign these.

A certified copy is not a translation, and we do not certify copies. A paper citizenship form can need both. Home Affairs, the visa department, lists “non-English documents” and “English translations” among the papers to certify. If you apply online, you upload scans of the originals instead. Our citizenship document translation page explains both.

For citizenship on paper, Home Affairs says the person who signs should be an Australian citizen. They should not be related to you by birth or marriage, or be your partner. Their job should be on Home Affairs' list. The list includes a JP, police officer, chemist and nurse.

What does a certified true copy stamp say in Australia?

In Australia, a certified true copy stamp for Home Affairs reads “This is a certified true copy of the original as sighted by me”. It shows a justice of the peace (JP) or other authorised person checked the copy against the original. For 2 or more pages, the first page instead reads “I certify this and the following [number of pages] pages to be a true copy of the original as sighted by me”, and the certifier initials the rest. They add their signature, name, job, phone number and date.

Read more:

• do I need a NAATI translation?
• marriage certificate translation

Certified translation

A certified translation in Australia is usually made by a NAATI-certified translator, who adds a written statement that it is correct. NAATI is the Australian body that tests and certifies translators.

For a certified translation, choose our NAATI option. Your translator adds a statement and their NAATI stamp. The stamp shows their NAATI number, a code that starts with CPN. Our Standard option has no statement, stamp or CPN.

From our order desk: In October 2026 a customer chose the NAATI option for a handwritten birth certificate. The translator could not read the child's name, place of birth or parents' details with certainty, and a certified translation does not guess. We asked for a clearer scan or a newer typed copy. The customer could not get one, so we refunded the order in full.

Can I certify my own translation?

You cannot certify your own translation in Australia without a NAATI credential (proof of skill). If you translate a paper yourself, you have no NAATI stamp to put on it. A relative has none either, unless they are NAATI-certified. For your own papers, choose our NAATI option.

Can anyone do a certified translation?

Not just anyone can do a certified translation in Australia: the translator needs a credential from NAATI. Speaking both languages well is not enough. For most languages, that means a NAATI-certified translator. For a language NAATI does not test, our NAATI option uses a Recognised Practising Translator. NAATI gives that credential in languages “where testing is not available”. A friend or relative without one cannot certify a translation.

Is a certified translation legit?

In Australia, a certified translation is real if its translator had a NAATI credential (proof of skill) on the day they stamped it. NAATI says most government agencies in Australia require a NAATI-certified translator, if there is one for the language. To check, find the code that starts with CPN under the translator's name on the stamp. Type it into NAATI's online directory. Or scan the QR code on their digital stamp, the NAATI stamp on a PDF. NAATI says “If someone has forged a digital stamp, scanning the QR code will not work.”

Read more:

• certified translation services
• what a certified translation looks like, page by page
• NAATI, certified or official? Licence translation by state

Chinese notarial certificate (公证书)

A notarial certificate (公证书 in Chinese) is a notary's sealed statement that a document or fact is true. A notary is an official who checks papers and confirms them.

In China, a notary office issues the 公证书. It usually comes bound with a copy of the record it covers, such as a degree. We translate the whole booklet: the notary's statement, the record and each seal. Say a seal reads 北京市示例公证处 (a made-up office). It becomes [seal: Beijing Example Notary Office], not just [seal].

In Australia, a notary public confirms papers for use overseas with their signature, stamp or seal. An apostille is a certificate added to a paper so it can be used in another country. On a 公证书, it confirms only the last seal and signature. It puts nothing into English. We do not notarise papers or issue apostilles.

Read more:

• Chinese notarial certificates (公证书): translation and apostille
• Chinese divorce documents

Citizenship application documents

Citizenship application documents are the papers that prove who you are when you apply to be an Australian citizen. They usually include a birth certificate, a passport or ID card, and any marriage, divorce or name-change papers.

Home Affairs, the visa department, wants an English translation of any paper not in English. For a translation made in Australia, its citizenship pages say to use a translator “accredited by” NAATI. Accredited is NAATI's old word for certified. So choose our NAATI option. The government's Free Translating Service does not cover citizenship files.

Take Ana, a made-up person. She was born Ana Silva. She became Ana Costa when she married. Her file has her passport and her birth and marriage certificates. The marriage one links her two last names. Each translation copies her names as that paper prints them. Ana's NAATI translations don't expire. But a renewed or reissued paper needs a new translation.

Read more:

• citizenship document translation
• translating documents for an Australian passport application

Company chop (Chinese company seal)

A company chop is a Chinese company's official seal: a stamp, often red, that carries the company's name. The company stamps it on papers it issues.

Here is a company chop sample, made up for this page. A red seal reads 上海示例贸易有限公司. The translation gives its words in English, in square brackets. They go where the seal sits: [seal: Shanghai Example Trading Co., Ltd.]. A seal with no words, or one that cannot be read in the photo, is marked [seal].

The name on the chop matters, because it shows which company issued the paper. Our notes on translating Chinese cover seals, names and the year numbers used on Taiwan documents.

Read more:

• how we translate Chinese documents
• Chinese notarial certificates (公证书)

Correction and re-issue

Correction and re-issue means fixing a mistake in a finished translation and sending it again. At Official Translation it costs nothing: email the order number and what is wrong.

An error means the translation does not match your document. Say the original shows document number 4471, but the translation says 4417. Email us your order number. Under our terms and conditions, we then correct and re-issue the translation at no charge.

Two things are not errors. One is a request for words the original does not have. A translator will not add those. The other is a changed document, such as a renewed licence. That needs a new order. Our guide to NAATI translations and expiry says when you need a new one.

From our order desk: In September 2026 a customer asked us to change a police report translation to say their wallet was stolen. We checked the translation against the report. The report says only that money went missing. It never mentions a wallet. A translation cannot say what the original does not, so we left it unchanged and explained why the next day.

Read more:

• our terms and conditions

Court translation (certified translation for court)

A court translation is an English translation of a document you give to an Australian court or tribunal. A tribunal hears some kinds of cases, a bit like a court. Each court and tribunal sets its own rules.

The Administrative Review Tribunal mentions NAATI in its practice direction, a set of written rules for its cases. Our guide to translating documents for court quotes the rules of the courts and tribunals it covers. We do not arrange interpreters for hearings. We do not give legal advice either.

Family law courts also want the translator's affidavit, a statement the translator swears is true. For a court or tribunal, choose our NAATI option. The PDF we email you has the translator's statement and NAATI stamp, but no affidavit. We can arrange one on request.

Read more:

• translating documents for an Australian court or tribunal
• the translator's affidavit for a divorce

Death certificate translation

A death certificate translation is an overseas death certificate put into English. You may need one for a partner visa if you were widowed, to marry again, or to claim money or property the person left.

We translate it all, from the date and place of death to each stamp. That includes the informant, who reported the death. It also includes the registrar, who recorded it. The translator gives any cause of death just as written, in medical English. The Italian “arresto cardiaco” becomes “cardiac arrest”, not “heart attack”. A heart attack is something else.

Some countries do not have a death certificate. They use a different paper. It may be a register extract, a medical certificate of cause of death or a burial record. We translate the one you have. A short translator's note says what kind of paper it is. For a visa or citizenship file translated in Australia, choose our NAATI option.

Read more:

• death certificate translation

Degree certificate (testamur)

A degree certificate, or testamur in Australia, is the paper a university gives you to show you earned your degree. The transcript is a separate paper that lists your subjects and marks.

We translate the whole paper. That means the university, the exact title, the field and level, the date awarded and each seal. Each signature is marked [signed]. The translator turns the degree title into English word for word. So “Licenciado en Derecho” becomes “Licentiate in Law”. It does not become “Bachelor of Laws”, which the paper does not say.

The translation says what the paper says. It does not say what the degree is worth in Australia. If the person or office asking for the translation mentions NAATI, choose our NAATI option. Need your subjects and marks too? See academic transcript translation.

Read more:

• degree certificate translation

Digital certified translation (PDF)

A digital certified translation is a PDF from a NAATI-certified translator that carries a NAATI digital stamp. The stamp's QR code lets anyone check the translator with NAATI, the Australian body that tests and certifies translators.

We email each translation as a PDF you can search. With the NAATI option, the translator adds their own stamp, normally the digital kind. We have no NAATI stamp of our own. A paper stamp has the translator's signature. The digital stamp has the words “Digitally Authenticated by NAATI” in its place. The Standard option has no stamp at all.

Need paper? See hard copy translation for how to print it so the QR code still scans.

Read more:

• PDF or hard copy? What each state has said about printed translations
• checking a NAATI stamp and the NAATI Online Directory

Divorce certificate and divorce decree

A divorce decree is the court order that ends a marriage, called a divorce order in Australia since 13 February 2010. A divorce certificate records a divorce. Some countries note it on a marriage record or family register instead.

The Australian name has changed. From 1975 to 2002, it was called a decree absolute, the final order. From 2002 to 2010, it was a certificate of divorce. The guidelines for wedding celebrants list all three names. An Australian divorce order is in English. We can translate it into the languages on our order page.

We translate overseas divorce papers into English, notes in the margin too. In Brazil, a divorce note on a marriage certificate is called an averbação. Getting divorced in Australia? If your marriage certificate is not in English, the court wants a translation and the translator's affidavit. An affidavit is a sworn statement. We can arrange one on request.

Read more:

• divorce certificate translation, including Chinese
• the translator's affidavit for a divorce

Driver licence translation

A driver licence translation, also called a driving licence translation, is an English version of an overseas licence. A full one covers both sides of the card: who you are, and what you may drive.

We translate both sides of your licence into English. We email it to you as a PDF. For driving or hiring a car, choose the NAATI option. With this option, a NAATI-certified translator checks the translation against your licence and certifies it.

We cannot help with a licence transfer in New South Wales. A transfer means swapping your overseas licence for a NSW one. Transport for NSW only accepts translations from 4 named sources. We are not one of them. We do not translate licences for the Northern Territory. Our driver licence translation page sets out what states and hire companies say.

Read more:

• why a licence translation must show both sides of the card
• free check: can you drive in Australia on your overseas licence?

Experienced Driver Recognition (EDR)

Experienced Driver Recognition (EDR) was an Australian licence scheme that ended in all states and territories by early 2026. It let drivers over 25 with a licence from 16 places get a similar Australian licence without more training or tests.

Austroads is the group of Australian and New Zealand transport agencies. It set 30 April 2025 as most states’ end date. Western Australia ended EDR after 31 October 2025. Queensland ended it on 29 November 2025. New South Wales ended it on 1 February 2026. Since then, drivers from those places must pass tests to swap their licence.

Austroads now lists 14 of the 16 as recognised again, from 31 October 2026 at the earliest. Hong Kong and South Africa are not on it. To swap a licence not in English, 6 states and territories mention NAATI translators in their rules. They are Western Australia, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT.

Read more:

• which overseas licences are recognised after EDR ended

Free Translating Service

The Free Translating Service (FTS) is a Department of Home Affairs service, run by TIS National, that translates up to 10 personal documents into English. It is for work, study or settling in, not for a visa or citizenship application.

TIS National is a translating service run by the government. Home Affairs, the visa department, says the FTS is for permanent residents and some other visa holders. You must be in Australia, and your visa must have been granted in the past 2 years. Tourists and working holiday makers cannot use it. Nor can Australian citizens.

Most free translations are a summary of up to 100 words. There is no rush option. TIS says its translators hold NAATI credentials (proof of skill) where available. If you and your document qualify for the free service, apply at tisnational.gov.au. You do not need us. If you do not qualify, we translate the whole document, not a summary.

Read more:

• who qualifies for the Free Translating Service
• when we will tell you not to order from us

1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic

The 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic is a United Nations agreement between countries, dated 19 September 1949. It sets the format of the international driving permit (IDP) that Australia issues: a paper book, with no digital version.

An IDP is a booklet. It shows the details on your licence in other languages. The convention’s name and date are on the cover of an Australian permit. The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) issues IDPs. You need an Australian licence to get one. The AAA says a permit lasts 12 months at most.

A permit comes from the country that issued your licence. So we cannot give you one. No permit? Then most states’ rules ask for an English translation of your licence. Our IDP or translation guide puts the two side by side.

Read more:

• car hire in Australia on an overseas licence

Hard copy translation

A hard copy translation is a translation printed on paper, which may carry an ink stamp and a signature in pen. Its opposite is a digital translation, sent as a PDF file.

We do not print, post or courier translations. You get a PDF by email, not a hard copy. The one exception is a translator’s affidavit for a court. An affidavit is a statement the translator swears is true. We arrange it on request and can post the signed original. Otherwise, we cannot supply ink stamps or pen signatures.

Need a paper copy? Print the PDF in colour at full size. That way the QR code on a NAATI digital stamp stays big enough to scan. Keep the PDF on your phone too. If an office has told you it wants an ink stamp or a signature in pen, we are not the right supplier.

Read more:

• PDF or hard copy? What each state has said about printed translations

Hukou (household register)

A hukou (户口), called household registration in English, is China’s system that records where each person is registered to live. It decides who can get welfare and government services, such as schooling or health care, in a local area.

Say one field reads 与户主关系：子. The translation keeps both parts: “Relationship to head of household: Son”. Names in English letters use your passport spelling, if you send it. Where a red seal carries words, we translate them too.

What is a hukou document?

A hukou document is China’s household register book: the printed copy of the hukou record that local police keep. Home Affairs, the visa department, calls it a family register book. It asks people applying from China for a copy, plus a Home Affairs form called Form 54 Family Composition. Each side of the book with text, a stamp or a seal counts as a page. The order page takes up to 4 pages. For a longer book, send an enquiry and we will give you a price first.

What is a hukou address?

A hukou address is the address where a person is registered in China’s household registration, the hukou. That address can differ from where the person lives now. Australia’s foreign affairs department, DFAT, wrote in a December 2024 report that a hukou “often reflects an individual’s place of birth, or even their parents’ place of birth, rather than their current place of residence.” The address is printed in the household register book. We translate it in full, like every other line of the book.

What is a household register?

A household register is a record of everyone in a household and how each person is related to the head of the household. China’s is the hukou (户口), kept by local police. Japan has the koseki, a family register. Laos and Cambodia use family books. We translate a household list as a table, row for row, so the reader can see who is who.

Read more:

• Chinese notarial certificates (公证书) and their translation
• Chinese document translation
• citizenship document translation

International driving permit (IDP)

An international driving permit (IDP) is a booklet in a United Nations format that translates your licence details into other languages. It is not a licence on its own: you carry it with your licence card.

The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) warns that scammers offer a fake “International Driving Licence”. Our IDP or translation guide compares a permit with a translation.

Already hold an IDP? Most states’ rules ask for an IDP or an English translation with your licence. So for driving, your permit may be enough. Queensland’s rules name only a translation.

Hiring a car? Carry a translation as well as your permit. Hertz and Thrifty name only a certified English translation. No IDP? Choose the NAATI option for driving or hiring a car. We do not translate licences for the Northern Territory.

Can I get an international driving permit (IDP) in Australia?

In Australia, only the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) and its member motoring clubs sell an international driving permit (IDP), and only to Australian licence holders. The government’s Smartraveller site says you can apply online with the AAA, or through your state or territory motoring club. The RACQ in Queensland and the NRMA in New South Wales sell permits for the AAA. Visiting from overseas? The AAA says you must get a permit in the country that issued your licence. An Australian permit lasts 12 months at most.

Read more:

• car hire in Australia on an overseas licence

Justice of the Peace (JP)

A Justice of the Peace (JP) is a trained volunteer in Australia who witnesses you sign and certifies that copies match the original.

In Queensland, the marriage registry asks you for two things. One is a certified copy of the original document. The other is a translation by a NAATI-certified translator. A JP can certify the copy for you. A Commissioner for Declarations (Cdec) can do it too.

A JP can also witness statutory declarations (stat decs). A stat dec is a statement you sign as true in front of a witness. We only arrange translations. We do not certify copies, and we do not witness stat decs.

What can a JP not certify?

A Justice of the Peace (JP) in Australia cannot certify papers for use overseas, or say that a translation is right. The government’s Smartraveller site says: “JPs can't certify documents for use overseas. A Notary Public must do that.” A notary public is an official. Most are lawyers. A JP’s stamp on a copy only says the copy matches the original the JP has seen. So where an office asks for a translation by a NAATI translator, a JP’s stamp cannot take its place.

Read more:

• do I need a NAATI translation?
• apostille, notary or translator first?

Koseki tohon (Japanese family register)

A koseki tohon is a full copy of a Japanese family register, or koseki (戸籍). A koseki shohon is a copy for 1 person only.

In English, a koseki tohon is a full family register certificate. Japan's consulates in Australia do not translate the whole register. If an office here wants it in English, we translate it.

We keep the register's fixed layout and the order of its fields. Names follow your passport spelling if you send it to us. Take a made-up line: 【離婚日】令和3年5月10日 becomes “Date of divorce: 10 May 2021 [令和3年5月10日]”. Japan counts years by era: 令和 is the Reiwa era, and Reiwa 3 is 2021. Our divorce certificate translation page has more.

What is a koseki?

A koseki (戸籍) is the Japanese family register that a town or city office in Japan keeps. It lists births, marriages, divorces and deaths. Only Japanese citizens are in it. A full copy for the whole family is a koseki tohon. A copy for 1 person is a koseki shohon.

What is a koseki shohon?

A koseki shohon is a copy of a Japanese family register, or koseki, that shows only 1 person. A koseki tohon shows the whole family. Japan's consulate in Seattle puts it this way: “Koseki Shohon - is a record of one individual family member.” Both copies come from the town or city office in Japan that keeps the register. We translate either one into English.

What is a family register certificate?

A family register certificate is an official copy of a family's record of births, marriages, divorces and deaths. In Japan, the record is the koseki. The full copy is the koseki tohon. China has a household register, the hukou. Home Affairs, the visa department, calls its printed book a “family register book”.

Read more:

• how a Japanese divorce shows on the koseki
• how we translate Japanese documents

Language direction (source language and target language)

Language direction is the way a translation runs. It goes from your document's source language into the target language you need. NAATI, the Australian body that tests and certifies translators, certifies a translator for 1 direction at a time.

Say a translator is certified from Spanish into English. They can translate your Spanish birth certificate. Turning an English one into Spanish goes the other way. That needs a credential (proof of skill) from English into Spanish. One does not include the other.

We translate into English and out of English. So one side of each job is English. The other side is a language on our order page. Where NAATI tests your language, our NAATI option uses a translator certified in your direction. NAATI's online list shows each credential and its direction.

Read more:

• languages we translate, into and out of English
• NAATI credentials and language direction

Legalisation and authentication

Legalisation is the check that a signature, stamp or seal on a public document is real. Only DFAT can do it in Australia, and only for Australian public documents. DFAT is the government department that deals with other countries.

Then DFAT adds a certificate: an apostille or an authentication certificate. DFAT says: “After your document is legalised, you can use it in another country.” The check never looks at what the document says. An apostille for a foreign document must come from the country that issued it. We arrange translations only. We do not legalise documents or issue apostilles.

What is the difference between legalisation and an apostille?

An apostille is the one-step form of legalisation in the 1961 Apostille Convention. The Hague Conference runs the Convention. It says the apostille replaced “the often long and costly legalisation process”. In Australia, DFAT, the foreign affairs department, issues apostilles. Since 7 November 2023, China's papers for Australia get an apostille. Before that, China checked them, and so did Australia's embassy or a consulate there.

What is DFAT document authentication?

Document authentication is DFAT's check that the seal or signature on an Australian public document is real. DFAT is the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The check ends with an authentication certificate. DFAT says: “We legalise Australian public documents by applying either an apostille or an authentication certificate.” So authentication is a kind of legalisation. DFAT does it by mail and through Australian Passport Offices, and charges a fee. Not sure which one you need? Message us and we will check it for you.

What is a legalised translation?

A legalised translation is one where DFAT, Australia's foreign affairs department, has checked the translator's seal or signature. NAATI says: “For translations, the legalisation relates to the signature or seal of the NAATI translator.” DFAT says: “We only accept translations completed by a NAATI-certified or recognised translator.” The translation must show things such as “the translator's name and practitioner ID” and “the date of translation”. We arrange the translation, and DFAT does the legalising.

Read more:

• apostille, notary or translator first?
• Chinese notarial certificates and the apostille

Licence conversion (licence transfer)

Licence conversion, also called a licence exchange or transfer, is swapping your overseas driver licence for an Australian one. You need one once you become a permanent resident or Australian citizen.

In Victoria and New South Wales, you may also need to swap after living there 6 months, even on a temporary visa. In Queensland, citizens and people on a resident visa cannot drive on an overseas licence after living there 3 months. Each state and territory sets its own deadline and translation rule.

Queensland and New South Wales call it a licence transfer. If your licence is from a recognised country, you can apply to swap without training or tests.

If your licence is not in English, Queensland wants a translation from a NAATI translator. It must show the translator’s name and address. Choose the NAATI option, then message us your order number. We ask the translator to add their address.

We cannot help with a NSW licence transfer. Transport for NSW only accepts translations from 4 named sources, and we are not one of them. We do not translate licences for the Northern Territory. For a licence conversion anywhere else, choose the NAATI option.

Read more:

• Queensland licence transfer translation
• Victoria licence conversion translation
• the translation to bring to VicRoads

Machine translation

Machine translation (MT) is text translated by software, such as Google Translate or ChatGPT, instead of by a person. Tools like these use AI, or artificial intelligence, to do it.

Machine translation is a quick way to get a rough idea of a letter you cannot read. Home Affairs, the visa department, wrote a guide for government agencies in 2019. It says: “Machines cannot understand the broader cultural and intercultural context of a document”.

Picture a birth record with a smudged stamp. A translator certified by NAATI marks it [illegible] and does not guess. A free tool does not flag which lines it got wrong. Our guide to Google Translate, ChatGPT and official documents quotes the rules for a visa or a licence.

What is a machine translation tool or system?

A machine translation tool, or system, is software such as Google Translate or ChatGPT that translates text without a person. A free tool can turn a page into English in seconds. It tells you roughly what a letter or email says. But for a visa, Home Affairs says: “Translators in Australia must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters.” Accredited is the old word for NAATI certified.

What is machine translation in AI?

Machine translation in AI means an AI tool, such as Google Translate or ChatGPT, translates text instead of a person. AI stands for artificial intelligence. NAATI says AI “should not be used in high-risk assignments without the expert supervision of a certified practitioner.” NAATI adds that free tools “do not guarantee the accuracy or appropriateness of the translated content nor the security of the input data.” Of free AI tools, NAATI also says: “The input data will be used to train and improve the AI model.”

Read more:

• Google Translate, ChatGPT and your official documents

Marriage certificate translation

A marriage certificate translation is an English version of a foreign marriage certificate. It covers names, dates, places, register details and each stamp. You may need one for a partner visa, a wedding in Australia or a change of name.

We translate each side that has print, a stamp or a seal. So a back with stamps counts as a second page. Names in another writing system follow your passport spelling if you send it. Say the groom is 林志明 on the certificate and LIN Chih-ming in his passport. We write LIN Chih-ming, not the mainland China spelling Lin Zhiming.

For a partner visa or a state office that records marriages, choose the NAATI option. Queensland's marriage registry also wants a certified copy of the original. A Justice of the Peace (JP) can mark it as a true copy. You arrange that yourself. NAATI translations don't expire. But a newly issued certificate needs a new translation.

Read more:

• marriage certificate translation
• foreign documents for marrying in Australia

Medical report translation

A medical report translation is an English version of a foreign medical report or record. Examples are test results or a prescription. You may need one for care in Australia, an insurance claim or a visa.

We keep doses, strengths and units just as written. Take a Chinese prescription that reads 阿莫西林 0.5g tid. In English it says “Amoxicillin 0.5 g, three times a day”. It stays 0.5 g, not 500 mg, because that is what the doctor wrote.

We keep each lab result next to the normal range the lab printed. We mark handwriting no one can read as [illegible]. We do not guess. For a visa or citizenship file, pick the NAATI option. More on our medical record translation page.

Read more:

• medical record and report translation

NAATI

NAATI (said NAAH-tee) is the Australian body that tests and certifies translators. Its full name is the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters. It certifies people, not documents.

NAATI is a company. It is not run for profit. The federal, state and territory governments own it. NAATI tests the skills of translators. It never translates or sees your document.

NAATI gives translators 3 kinds of credential (proof of skill). They are Certified Translator, Certified Advanced Translator and Recognised Practising Translator. NAATI never certifies a translation. Someone it has certified does that. They put their NAATI stamp on it. With our NAATI option, their name and NAATI number are on each page. Our guide to what NAATI certifies has more.

How does NAATI work?

NAATI works by testing translators and giving each one who passes a 3-year credential (proof of skill). To keep it, they must show NAATI their recent work and training. NAATI keeps a public list of them online. Each of them works for themselves or for an agency. NAATI does not translate documents. With our NAATI option, your job goes to someone NAATI has certified. Some languages have no NAATI test. For those, we use a Recognised Practising Translator.

Read more:

• the NAATI option
• NAATI accredited or certified?

NAATI accredited translator (old term)

A NAATI accredited translator holds an old credential (proof of skill) from NAATI, the Australian body that tests and certifies translators. NAATI gave it from 1977 to 2017. Certification took its place in January 2018.

In Australia, only NAATI gives translators credentials. So here, accredited means NAATI. Many forms still use the old word. They mean someone who is NAATI certified now, in your languages, like Spanish into English. If NAATI tests your language, our NAATI option uses a translator it has certified. Our page on NAATI accredited and certified translators explains both.

What is NAATI accreditation?

NAATI accreditation was the credential (proof of skill) NAATI gave translators from 1977 to 2017, before certification replaced it in January 2018. Today NAATI certifies translators who meet its training rules and pass its test. Some translators still hold the old accreditation. Their number has only digits. NAATI's own example is 12453. A certified translator's number has letters too. NAATI suggests you only use someone who is certified. That way you know their skills are up to date.

Is NAATI recognition the same as accreditation?

NAATI recognition is not accreditation: recognition is a credential (proof of skill) for languages NAATI has no test for. Its full name is Recognised Practising. Accreditation was NAATI's old credential, given from 1977 to 2017. A Recognised Practising Translator has training and recent work. But NAATI has not tested their skills. NAATI says these credentials “do not have equal status with certification”. In those languages, our NAATI option uses one of these translators.

Read more:

• NAATI accredited or certified translator?
• what NAATI certifies

NAATI certification and credentials

NAATI certification is proof of a translator's skill from NAATI, the Australian body that tests and certifies translators. It covers the person, not documents, and lasts 3 years.

NAATI calls this a credential (proof of skill). Each covers one direction, such as Chinese into English. NAATI has 3 for translators. A Certified Translator passed NAATI's test. A Certified Advanced Translator earned a higher level before 2018. Testing for it has ended. A Recognised Practising Translator has training and recent, regular work in a language NAATI does not test.

A credential ends after 3 years unless the translator renews it. To renew, they show NAATI proof of recent work and training. That end date is about the translator, not your translation. NAATI translations don't expire. But if your original is renewed or issued again, it needs a new translation. More in our guide to what NAATI certifies.

Read more:

• what a NAATI certified translation is
• NAATI accredited or certified: what each word means

NAATI certified translator

A NAATI certified translator holds a current credential (proof of skill) from NAATI, the Australian body that tests and certifies translators.

Each NAATI credential is for just one language direction. That means one way, such as Chinese into English. Being certified one way does not always mean the other way too. A credential belongs to a person. No company can hold one, not even us.

To certify their work, the translator adds their NAATI stamp. They also add a statement that says it is true and complete. Pick our NAATI translation option. We then find a translator for you. They will be certified in your direction. Some languages have no NAATI test. For those, we use a Recognised Practising Translator.

From our order desk: We counted the orders placed with us from 20 September to 17 October 2026 that we have delivered. More than 8 in 10 used the NAATI option.

What is a government certified translator?

A government certified translator in Australia is in most cases one that NAATI has certified. The federal, state and territory governments own NAATI. NAATI says most government offices need a translator it has certified, if there is one for the language.

Read more:

• NAATI translation online in Australia
• NAATI accredited or certified translator?
• NAATI-certified translators: join our panel

NAATI number (CPN)

A NAATI number, or Certified Practitioner Number (CPN), is the code of 9 letters and numbers that each NAATI certified translator has. It always starts with CPN and comes from NAATI, the Australian body that tests and certifies translators.

You will find the code under the translator's name on their stamp. Each code belongs to one person. Anyone who has the translation can look it up. They type the code into NAATI's online directory. It then shows what the translator is certified to do, such as Chinese into English.

Search for “NAATI number”, not “CPN number”. If you type “CPN number” on its own, Google suggests a US credit code.

Read more:

• how to check a NAATI stamp and the translator behind it
• what a certified translation looks like, page by page

NAATI online directory

The NAATI Online Directory is the official list kept by NAATI, the Australian body that tests and certifies translators. It lists the translators and interpreters NAATI has certified.

NAATI calls it “Australia's only official directory of NAATI-certified translators and interpreters.” Search it by language to find a translator. Or look up the person named on a translation. Make sure the record shows the right language and direction. An example is Chinese into English. Some call it the accredited translator list. Accredited was NAATI's old word for certified.

NAATI calls each translator a practitioner. To verify one by number, use NAATI's Check a NAATI certification tool. Type in their CPN, the 9-character NAATI number on their stamp. A physical stamp has no QR code, so this is how to check it. With the NAATI option, your translator's name and CPN are on the translation.

Read more:

• how to check a NAATI translator in two minutes
• NAATI accredited or certified: the words explained

NAATI stamp (digital stamp)

A NAATI stamp is the mark a translator puts on a translation to show NAATI has certified them. NAATI is the Australian body that tests and certifies translators.

NAATI calls it a translator stamp or translation stamp. The stamp gives the translator's name, NAATI number and language. It also says what kind of certification they hold. It comes in 2 forms, physical or digital. With the NAATI option, the translator applies their own stamp. We never hold or use anyone's stamp.

A physical stamp shows the translation date and the translator's signature. It also shows when their credential (proof of skill) ends. The digital stamp leaves that end date off. The end date is about the translator, not your translation. NAATI translations don't expire. But if your original is renewed or issued again, it needs a new translation.

What is a NAATI digital or electronic stamp?

A NAATI digital stamp, or electronic stamp, is a translator's NAATI stamp in digital form. It has a QR code anyone can scan. NAATI started offering digital stamps in March 2023. Scanning the code opens NAATI's own record of the translator. In place of a signature, the stamp says “Digitally Authenticated by NAATI”. It shows the day the stamp was made in place of the translation date. We send translations as a PDF by email. With the NAATI option, it normally has the digital stamp.

Read more:

• how to check a NAATI stamp
• PDF or hard copy, and what a digital stamp is
• what a NAATI certified translation is

NAATI verification (QR code check)

NAATI verification is a check on the website of NAATI, the Australian body that tests and certifies translators. It shows who owns a NAATI stamp and if their credential (proof of skill) is current.

NAATI's tool for this is called Check a NAATI certification. NAATI's home page links to it, under “Verify a credential”. The tool works for any provider's translations, ours included.

Scanning the QR code on a digital stamp opens NAATI's own record. The record says if the stamp is genuine. An expired credential on a genuine stamp means it ended after the stamp was made. Does a name on a translation from us not match NAATI's record? Message us with your order number.

How do I check a NAATI translator's credentials?

To check a NAATI practitioner's credentials, scan the QR code on their digital stamp or type their CPN into NAATI's Check a NAATI certification tool. A practitioner is what NAATI calls a certified translator. Their CPN is the 9-character NAATI number under their name. A physical stamp has no QR code, so use the CPN. The result shows their credentials, current or expired. It also shows their language direction, such as Chinese into English.

Read more:

• how to check a NAATI translator in two minutes
• what NAATI certifies, and what it does not

Name spelling on translations

Name spelling on a translation follows your passport when your name is in another writing system and you send us your passport spelling. A name already in Latin letters, the A to Z alphabet English uses, is copied as printed.

Say your Punjabi birth certificate gives your name in Gurmukhi. That is a writing system used for Punjabi. Your passport spells it Harpreet Kaur. The translation uses Harpreet Kaur, not Harprit Kaur. Send us your passport spelling with your order number before work starts. Without it, the translation uses a standard spelling. It may differ from your passport.

Some documents print a Latin-letter spelling that differs from the passport. We keep that spelling and add the passport one beside it in square brackets. A translation cannot change your name.

From our order desk: In September 2026 an order had 5 names to put into English: 2 people and 3 places. Before the translator started, we sent the customer our spelling of each name. We asked them to confirm or correct each one, so the 2 people's names would match their passports. They confirmed, and the translation was delivered within 3 days.

What is an alternate spelling of a name?

An alternate spelling of a name is another way to write the same name in Latin letters, the A to Z alphabet. It is also called an alternative spelling. Mohammed and Muhammad are 2 spellings of one name. A name in Gurmukhi, Arabic or Chinese writing has no single English spelling. So it can have several. If 2 documents in Latin letters spell your name differently, a translation cannot make them match.

Read more:

• which spelling of your name goes on the translation

Notarised translation (notarized translation)

A notarised translation, or notary translation, is a translation that also has a notary public's signature, stamp or seal. A notary public is an official, usually a lawyer, who watches people sign and confirms copies are true, for use overseas.

We do not notarise documents or book notaries.

What does notarised mean?

Notarised means a notary public has checked a document, or watched it being signed, and added their signature, stamp or seal. Notaries are officials who do this for papers that will be used overseas. DFAT can then confirm the notary's seal is real. DFAT is the part of the government that deals with other countries.

Is a certified translation the same as a notarised translation?

A certified translation is not the same as a notarised one, which also has a notary public's signature, stamp or seal. A certified translation comes with the translator's own statement that it is true and complete. In Australia, it usually has their NAATI stamp too. No notary is involved. NAATI says an official paper used in Australia usually needs a NAATI-certified translator. Australian notaries work on papers going overseas.

How do I get a notarised English translation?

A notarised (notarized) English translation takes 2 steps: a translator puts the document into English, then a notary public adds their stamp or seal. The translator may swear to the notary that the English is correct. The translator is responsible for the words, not the notary. We arrange the translation only, and you book the notary yourself. Not sure an office needs a notary? Message us and we will check it for you.

Read more:

• apostille, notary or translation: which comes first

Notary public

A notary public is an official, most often a lawyer, who watches people sign and confirms copies are true, for use overseas.

All we do is arrange translations. We do not book a notary for you. Not sure what you need? Message us and we will check it for you.

Who can notarise a document in Australia, and is a JP a notary?

In Australia, only a notary public can notarise a document, and a justice of the peace (JP) is not one. Notarising means a notary checks a paper and adds their signature, stamp or seal. The state and territory Supreme Courts appoint notaries. In Queensland, an English archbishop does. A JP is a volunteer. JPs witness papers and certify copies, but only for use in Australia. The Supreme Court of Tasmania says only a notary can witness papers that will be used overseas.

Can a notary public translate a document?

A notary public does not do the translating in a notarised translation. A translator does the language work. Then the notary adds their signature, stamp or seal. The translator is the one responsible for the words. The translator may also swear to the notary that the English is right. A notary and a translator do different jobs.

What is a notarised certificate, and what does a notary's signature mean?

A notarised certificate is a page a notary public signs and seals to show that a signature, copy or fact is true. The notary's signature, stamp or seal means they have checked the papers. A Chinese notarial certificate is one kind, from a notary office in China. Australian notaries do this for papers going overseas. DFAT can then check that the seal is real. DFAT is the part of the government that deals with other countries.

Read more:

• apostille, notary or translation: which comes first
• Chinese notarial certificates and the apostille

Official translation

Official translation is the everyday Australian term for a translation of a document like a birth certificate, made for an office to use. Different offices mean different things by it.

NAATI, the Australian body that tests and certifies translators, says: “Most government agencies in Australia require documents to be translated by someone who holds NAATI certification, if they are available in the relevant language.” So if your translation is for a government office, choose our NAATI option.

For driving or hiring a car, choose the NAATI option too. A translator with a NAATI credential (proof of skill) then makes your translation. The translation shows their name and NAATI number.

Official Translation is also our business name. The name does not make a translation “official”. Our official documents page sets out both options: Standard and NAATI.

What is the difference between an official and a certified translation?

In Australia, the difference is that “official translation” has no fixed meaning, while a certified translation comes with its translator's statement that it is correct. The translator is usually NAATI-certified, and then their NAATI number and stamp are on it too. When a form asks only for an “official” translation, choose our NAATI option to get the certified kind.

Read more:

• NAATI, certified or official? Licence translation by state
• legal and official document translation

Overseas driver licence (and car hire)

An overseas driver licence is a licence from a country outside Australia, and a visitor can usually drive here on a current one. If it is not in English, carry an International Driving Permit or an English translation with it.

Austroads is the group of Australian and New Zealand transport agencies. It says most states and territories set no time limit while the licence is current. The exceptions are the Northern Territory (3 months), and New South Wales and Victoria (6 months). Permits come only from the country that issued your licence. In Australia, you can still get a translation.

Hire companies set their own rules. Hertz and Thrifty ask for a certified English translation. For a licence from China, Hertz names its own documents, not NAATI. Europcar’s terms name NAATI. For driving or hiring a car, choose the NAATI option. We do not translate licences for the Northern Territory. Each company’s wording is on our car hire rules by company page.

Read more:

• driver licence translation, state by state
• how long you can drive on an overseas licence, by state
• the free overseas licence checker

Page count (translation cost per page)

A page count is the number of pages a translation is priced on. Each page is 1 side of a document with text, a stamp or a seal.

Count sides, not sheets. A certificate printed on both sides is 2 pages. A licence card is 2 pages too: the front and the back. A nearly empty side still counts as 1 page. On the order form, upload 1 file for each side.

Our cost page shows how pages are priced, and clause 4 of our terms sets out the full rule. If your document has more pages than you paid for, we contact you before work starts.

From our order desk: Most orders are short. We counted the orders placed with us from 20 September to 17 October 2026 that we have delivered. Nearly 9 in 10 were 1 or 2 pages.

Read more:

• NAATI translation cost in Australia, per page
• what counts as a page: our services FAQ
• our terms, clause 4 on placing an order

Partner visa documents

Partner visa documents are the papers that Home Affairs, the visa department, asks for with an Australian partner visa. The papers can include birth and marriage certificates, police certificates and proof you are a couple.

Each partner visa has a number, called its subclass. From inside Australia, you apply for the 820 and the 801 together. From outside Australia, the pair is the 309 and the 100. Each visa’s document checklist says to translate every paper not in English. That includes your proof that you are a couple. You upload each paper with its translation.

The checklists say translators in Australia must be accredited by NAATI. In 2018, NAATI switched from accrediting translators to certifying them. So choose the NAATI option, even for the 309 you apply for from overseas. The rule is about where the translator is, not where you are. We are not a visa application service, and we give no visa advice.

Read more:

• partner visa document translation: 820, 309, 801, 100
• worked example: three languages, one partner visa file

Police clearance certificate (PCC)

A police clearance certificate (PCC) is a document from a country’s police that says if you have a criminal record there. In Australia, Home Affairs, the visa department, calls it a police certificate.

Home Affairs also calls it a penal clearance certificate. Penal means to do with crime and punishment. We translate overseas ones in full. That means every stamp, number and date. Home Affairs says translators in Australia must be accredited by NAATI. In 2018, NAATI switched from accrediting translators to certifying them. So choose the NAATI option.

What is a PCC card in Australia?

In Australia, a PCC is the National Police Certificate from the Australian Federal Police (AFP), and it shows if you have a criminal record. A PCC is a certificate, not a card. If you apply online, the AFP says most digital ones arrive within a few days. The AFP certificate is in English, so it needs no translation. For a visa, Home Affairs does not take state or territory police certificates.

What is a PCC in immigration?

In immigration, a police clearance certificate (PCC) is part of the character requirements for an Australian visa. The PCC shows if you have a criminal record in a country. Home Affairs may ask for one from each country you lived in for 12 months or more. This includes Australia. Only time in the past 10 years counts. Each one comes from the police of that country.

Read more:

• police certificate translation
• Chinese notarial certificates, including the police check from China

Recognised countries (Recognised Overseas Licences Scheme)

Recognised countries are places outside Australia whose licence holders can apply for an Australian licence without training or tests. Austroads, the group of Australian and New Zealand transport agencies, keeps the list.

The list is part of the Recognised Overseas Licences Scheme, called the Recognised Country Scheme before 2026. Austroads is adding back 14 places from an older list, like South Korea and Taiwan. That list, Experienced Driver Recognition, ended everywhere by early 2026. Each state brings the 14 back on its own date. Victoria and the ACT have no date yet.

Being on the list lets you skip the theory and driving tests, but not the eye test or the translation. You still apply in your state, which names who may translate a licence not in English. Transport for NSW names 4 sources, and we are not one of them. We do not translate licences for the Northern Territory. Our recognised countries guide lists every place and date.

Read more:

• recognised countries after Experienced Driver Recognition
• how long you can drive on an overseas licence, by state

Recognised Practising Translator

A Recognised Practising Translator holds a NAATI credential (proof of skill) for a language that NAATI does not test. NAATI, the Australian body that tests and certifies translators, gives it for training and recent, regular work, not a test.

NAATI has 3 credentials, or titles, for translators. They are Certified Translator, Certified Advanced Translator and Recognised Practising Translator. A translator must pass NAATI’s test to get Certified Translator. Some languages have no NAATI test. For those, Recognised Practising is the only one. Our NAATI option then uses a translator who holds it.

Your translator’s statement and stamp show their credential. An office may ask for a translator certified by NAATI. Your language may have no certified translators. If so, NAATI says it can give you a letter that confirms this. Not sure if NAATI tests your language? Message us and we will check it for you.

Read more:

• what a NAATI certified translation is
• NAATI accredited or certified translator?

Romanisation (pinyin, Hepburn)

Romanisation is spelling a name or word from another writing system, like Chinese or Japanese, with the 26 letters from A to Z. Pinyin is a romanisation system for Mandarin Chinese, and Hepburn is one for Japanese.

When we romanise a name, the translation follows the spelling in your passport if we have it. The passport and the translation then match letter for letter. The passport wins, even when the standard spelling would be tidier. Our entry on name spelling on translations says how to send us your passport spelling.

What is Hepburn romanisation?

Hepburn romanisation is a way of spelling Japanese in the letters A to Z, and Japanese passports use it. The Embassy of Japan in the UK says that for another spelling in a passport, you show an official paper that proves it. When we translate a Japanese document, each name follows the spelling in your passport if we have it. Without it, the translation uses a standard romanisation, which may or may not match your passport.

What is pinyin?

Pinyin is a way of spelling Mandarin Chinese in the letters A to Z. A Chinese name has one pinyin form, but a passport may use an older or local spelling. For example, pinyin spells a family name Zhang. A passport may spell the same name Chang. On our translations, the name follows your passport, so Chang stays Chang.

Read more:

• your name spelled three ways? What goes on the translation
• Chinese: pinyin or the older spelling
• Japanese: kanji, kana and name order

Skills assessment translation

A skills assessment translation is an English translation of your documents for an assessor, such as VETASSESS or Engineers Australia. The assessor is the body that Home Affairs, the visa department, lists to check skills for your job.

If your skilled visa needs a skills assessment, the assessor reads your documents before Home Affairs does. So its rule is the one that matters. Each assessor in our guide wants anything not in English translated. They want the original next to it, too. They differ on who may translate.

Choose the NAATI option, and a translator with a NAATI credential (proof of skill) does the work. The translator puts their name and NAATI number on every page. We translate every page in full. Our skills assessment guide quotes each assessor. VETASSESS does not say what “registered” means on its trade jobs page. It says:

Read more:

• skills assessment translations: VETASSESS, ACS, EA and TRA
• academic transcript translation

Standard translation (uncertified translation)

A Standard translation is Official Translation’s name for an uncertified translation. It is the whole document translated, with no stamp and no translator’s statement saying it is correct.

Standard suits a copy for your own use. It also suits a person who has asked for a translation but not a certified one. Say a landlord in Spain sends you a letter, and you just want to read it. Standard puts every line of it into English, and that is all it does. Nothing on the page certifies it.

Has a form or office asked for a certified or NAATI translation? Then go with the NAATI option. It adds a translator’s statement and their NAATI stamp. For driving or hiring a car, choose the NAATI option. Our guide to whether you need a NAATI translation helps you pick.

Read more:

• do I need a NAATI translation?
• our translation services: Standard and NAATI

Statutory declaration

A statutory declaration, or stat dec, is an Australian legal document where you write down facts and declare them true. Unless you make it on myGov, the government’s online account, you sign it while an approved witness watches.

We can translate a stat dec in full, to or from English. We do not witness one. We give no legal advice. There is more than one kind of stat dec. The Attorney-General’s Department is the Australian Government’s law department. It says:

Can I do my own statutory declaration?

You can do your own statutory declaration: you write the facts and declare them true. The paper form also needs an approved witness to watch you sign. A Justice of the Peace (JP) is one kind of approved witness. A stat dec made on myGov needs no witness. Instead, you need a Digital Identity to prove who you are.

Why would you need a statutory declaration?

You need a statutory declaration when a person, organisation or government agency asks you to state facts in writing and declare them true. A visa is one example. The Attorney-General’s Department lists other common uses. They include insurance claims and super (retirement savings) claims. They also include applying for a job or for leave (time off work), and legal evidence. If you make a false statement in a stat dec on purpose, you can be charged with a crime.

Where can I get a statutory declaration form?

You can download the Commonwealth (national) statutory declaration form from the Attorney-General’s Department website, ag.gov.au. You sign this form with an approved witness, who can watch in person or by video link. To make one with no witness, use myGov and your Digital Identity instead. The states and territories have their own stat decs, with different rules. A form with a state or territory name at the top may not be a Commonwealth one.

Read more:

• legal and official document translation

Sworn translation

A sworn translation is made by a translator who has sworn an oath, a formal promise, before a court and is on its list. Much of Europe and Latin America uses them, but Australia has no sworn translators.

Instead, our NAATI option uses a NAATI-certified translator where NAATI tests your language. Where it does not, we use a Recognised Practising Translator. Say your translator is certified from Portuguese into English. Their stamp shows their name, NAATI number and that direction.

What is a sworn translator?

A sworn translator is a translator that a court has sworn in, with an oath (a formal promise), and put on its list. In German, the title is beeidigter Übersetzer. A sworn translator’s work is called a sworn translation.

Is a sworn translator the same as a certified translator?

A sworn translator is not the same as a certified translator: in some countries a court swears in translators, but in Australia NAATI certifies them. NAATI is the Australian body that tests translators, with no court and no oath. Where a form asks for a sworn translation, the closest match here is a translation by a NAATI-certified translator. Not sure what you need? Message us and we will check it for you.

What is a court translator called?

A translator sworn in by a court is called a sworn translator. It is a court-appointed title in much of Europe and Latin America. Someone who turns spoken words into another language in court is an interpreter, not a translator. We translate documents. We do not supply interpreters.

Read more:

• NAATI translation online in Australia
• NAATI accredited or certified translator?

Transliteration

Transliteration is writing a word in the letters of another writing system, such as a Russian name in Latin (A to Z) letters. It shows how a word sounds, not what it means, so it is not a translation.

When the new letters are Latin ones, it is also called romanisation. Say a Korean certificate names 이민준. The family name could be Lee, Yi or Rhee. Send us the spelling in your passport, such as LEE, and we use it.

What is an example of transliteration?

An example of transliteration is the Russian name Иван written in Latin (A to Z) letters as Ivan. The letters change, but the name sounds the same. Russian and Bulgarian both use the Cyrillic alphabet, not A to Z. Under a Bulgarian law, the Transliteration Act, Щ becomes sht and Ю becomes yu.

What are the rules for transliteration?

The rules for transliteration depend on the language: many have their own system, such as pinyin for Chinese. Bulgaria’s Transliteration Act gives each Bulgarian letter one A to Z spelling, so Ц becomes ts. Passports follow world rules called ICAO Doc 9303. They say a name in a non-Latin writing system must also be given in Latin (A to Z) letters. On our translations, a name already printed in Latin letters stays as printed. Otherwise, we follow the spelling in your passport, if we have it.

Transliteration vs translation: what is the difference?

Transliteration changes a word’s letters but keeps its sound, while translation gives its meaning in another language. Take “ГИБДД” on a Russian licence. Transliterated, it becomes “GIBDD”, which tells a hire desk nothing. A translation says what it means: the traffic police. On a Russian licence, we set out every field in English. Names are the exception: we keep the Latin spelling already on the card.

Read more:

• languages we translate
• passport translation into English

Turnaround (how long a NAATI translation takes)

Turnaround is the time from placing a translation order to getting the finished translation. It depends on the speed you choose and on a translator for your language being available.

We offer three speeds, and each runs from the moment you order. Normal is within 3 days. Urgent is 12–24 hours. ASAP is within 4 hours where a translator for your language is available. Each is an estimate, so leave room before your deadline.

Say you choose Normal at 3 pm on a Thursday, Brisbane time. Three days on is Sunday afternoon. We do not deliver on Sundays: a delivery that would fall on a Sunday arrives on the Monday. The order page shows the estimated date for each speed as you choose. Our turnaround guide has more.

Read more:

• certified translation turnaround times
• our translation services and speeds

Urgent translation

An urgent translation is one you need within hours or by tomorrow. With Official Translation’s ASAP speed, it can arrive the same day where a translator for your language is available, except on a Sunday.

Our Urgent speed is 12–24 hours. ASAP is within 4 hours where a translator for your language is available. We do not deliver on Sundays: a delivery that would fall on a Sunday arrives on the Monday.

Say it is 2 pm and your hire car is booked for 9 am tomorrow. Urgent takes 12–24 hours, so it could arrive after your pick-up. ASAP aims for 6 pm today, where a translator for your language is available. For driving or hiring a car, choose the NAATI option. Message us your pick-up time before you order.

Read more:

• certified translation turnaround times

Visa translation (Home Affairs rules)

A visa translation puts a document for an Australian visa into English. Home Affairs, the visa department, says translators in Australia must be accredited by NAATI, the Australian body that tests and certifies translators.

Home Affairs still uses the word “accredited” from NAATI’s system before 2018. We translate the documents on your visa’s list, in full. The NAATI option gives you a translator with a NAATI credential (proof of skill). We only translate: we are not a visa application service, and we give no visa advice. Home Affairs’ Skilled Independent visa page says:

Does Home Affairs need a NAATI translation?

Home Affairs wants a translator accredited by NAATI only when the translation is done in Australia. NAATI used to accredit translators. Since January 2018, it has certified them instead. Home Affairs says translators outside Australia “do not have to be accredited”. But on each translation, they must show their full name, address and phone number. They must also list their qualifications and their experience in that language. All of this must be in English.

Read more:

• do I need a NAATI translation?
• partner visa document translation
• citizenship document translation

Working holiday visa (417 and 462)

A working holiday visa lets people with certain passports holiday and work in Australia. Its two subclasses, or visa numbers, are the Working Holiday visa (417) and the Work and Holiday visa (462).

Your passport decides which subclass you can apply for. Most 462 applicants must have studied after high school. They need a finished course from a university, college or training centre. Or they need 2 finished years of a first university degree. Citizens of China, India and Vietnam must be picked in a random draw before they can apply.

For a 462, Home Affairs, the visa department, wants every non-English document translated. It says translators in Australia must be accredited by NAATI. NAATI used to accredit translators. Since January 2018, it has certified them instead. So if you order from us for the visa, pick the NAATI option. TIS National runs the government’s Free Translating Service. It says:

Read more:

• working holiday visa: do you need anything translated?
• PVT Australie : quels documents traduire (en français)