Overview — partner visa translation requirements
An Australian partner visa application (subclass 820/801 for onshore or 309/100 for offshore) requires applicants to provide identity documents, evidence of the relationship, and character documents. Any of these documents that are not in English must be accompanied by a NAATI-certified translation. This applies to documents from both the visa applicant and the Australian sponsor.
Identity documents requiring translation
The following identity documents commonly require translation for a partner visa application:
- Birth certificate — required from both the applicant and sponsor to confirm identity and parentage. Birth certificate translation.
- Passport bio page — if the passport is not in English, the biographical data page must be translated.
- National identity card — if used as a primary identity document and not in English.
Relationship documents requiring translation
Documents proving the relationship may include:
- Marriage certificate — required if the couple is legally married. A NAATI-certified translation of the Acta de Matrimonio or equivalent is required. Marriage certificate translation.
- If your marriage certificate is from Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Mexico, Venezuela or Ecuador, view the relevant country guide for the correct document name and format.
- Divorce certificate — required from either party who was previously married. The dissolution document must be translated in full.
- De facto evidence — bank statements, joint lease agreements, and correspondence in Spanish that form part of the relationship evidence bundle must each be translated.
Character documents requiring translation
Both the visa applicant and the Australian sponsor must provide police clearance certificates from every country where they have lived for 12 months or more since turning 16. These must be translated if not in English.
- Police clearance certificate — for the applicant: the relevant national police certificate from their home country (e.g. Certificado Judicial from Colombia, Certificado de Antecedentes from Chile, Antecedentes Penales from Argentina). Police certificate translation.
- Police clearance certificate — for the sponsor: if the sponsor has lived outside Australia for 12 months or more since turning 16, they must also provide a police certificate from those countries.
Statutory declarations and supporting statements
If any statutory declarations or written statements supporting your application are prepared in Spanish, they must also be translated. This includes character statements from witnesses and any written declarations from the applicant or sponsor. Form 888 statutory declarations are typically prepared in English by Australian witnesses, but where a witness writes in Spanish, that statement must be NAATI-certified translated before submission.
Documents that do not need translation
Documents already in English do not need translation. Australian-issued documents — such as Australian birth certificates, Medicare cards, and Australian bank statements — are in English and do not require translation. Some countries also issue bilingual documents that include a full English column; in that case the document can usually be submitted as-is, although a NAATI-certified translator can confirm whether the English content meets the Department's requirements.
Stage 1 vs Stage 2 — translation requirements
The partner visa has two stages. At Stage 1 (subclass 820 or 309), the full document set is submitted with the initial application. At Stage 2 (subclass 801 or 100), the Department of Home Affairs may request updated documents — particularly updated police clearance certificates if the original certificates are now more than 12 months old. Any new non-English documents submitted at Stage 2 must also be NAATI-certified translated. For a checklist of every document typically required, see the Partner visa document checklist.