Tips for translating foreign language documents in Australia

If you’re submitting documents or certificates to an Australian authority, whether it’s for a visa, residency, or something else, it’s important to get your translations right the first time. In this article, I’ll walk you through a few simple but essential tips to help avoid delays or rejections.

Make Sure Your Translator Is NAATI-Certified

The first and most important step is to find a NAATI-Certified translator for your language.

Why? Because certified translations:

• Are accepted by Australian government departments

• Include a NAATI stamp and a statement of certification

• Are completed in accordance with Australian formatting and language standards

• Guarantee confidentiality and professionalism

Want to find a NAATI-certified translator for your language? Find one by searching here on the NAATI website.

Do All Translations Need to Be NAATI-Certified in Australia?

Not always! You might not need a certified translation if the document is for internal, informal, or commercial use. It’s best to check with whomever you’re providing the translation to, if it needs to be NAATI-certified.

For official, legal, or immigration related documents, NAATI is almost always required. Here’s a short list of the most common situations where you’ll need NAATI certification:

• Visa applications

• Citizenship or permanent residency applications

• Birth, marriage, police clearance, and ID documents

• Diplomas and education certificates

• Legally binding contracts

Checklist: What to Look For in a Finished Translation

Once you receive your translation, here’s what you should check before submitting it:

The basics:

• A copy of the document you gave the translator is attached. The NAATI stamp should appear on this page. This helps authorities verify the original alongside the translation.

  • Make sure your copy is clear and legible. Blurry or low-quality scans can lead to mistakes or rejection.

• The translator has included a certification statement, confirming it’s a true and accurate translation of the original. This should include:

• The translator’s full name

• Their NAATI ID number and contact information

• Their official NAATI stamp

Full content and formatting:

• Unless it’s an extract translation, everything must be translated, not just the text.
  Stamps, seals, signatures, logos, margin notes, and even crossed-out or handwritten parts must be either translated or clearly noted.

• The layout should closely match the original where possible. This helps show that the translated version fully corresponds to the original.

Dates and names:

Double-check that all names and dates are consistent and accurate. It might seem like a small thing, but it’s best to stay on the safe side and ensure your details are correct.

Don’t hesitate to ask your translator to correct mistakes like this. Any professional who takes their work seriously will be happy to make sure it’s accurate.

Don’t Use AI or Machine Translation

It’s tempting, I know. But automatic translation tools like Google Translate or even AI can’t provide NAATI certification and can often introduce errors, especially with official documents.

Aside from this, uploading your personal information to an online tool means you have no idea where it ends up. Your data might be stored or shared without your consent.

It’s important to remember that only a human translator can ensure:

• Contextual understanding

• Accurate formatting

• Proper terminology

• Confidential handling of sensitive documents

So please resist the shortcut! It’s not worth the risk.

Final reminder:

Missing stamps, unclear scans, or spelling errors can make the difference in the quality and credibility of your application. It's always better to double-check now than have to re-submit everything later.

Need Help?

I’m a NAATI-certified translator for Italian to English with over 6 years’ experience helping Italians in Australia translate their documents for visa, citizenship, and residency applications.

Need a fast, accurate, and approved translation? Get in touch today for a quote.

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