How apostilles work
Australia is a party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention. Public documents from other Convention countries — birth certificates, marriage certificates, police clearances, notarised affidavits — can be authenticated in the country of origin by adding an apostille. Once apostilled, the document is recognised in Australia without further consular steps. However, if the document (or the apostille) is not in English, a NAATI-certified translation is still required.
When translation is required
- Foreign birth and marriage certificates with apostille — see the birth certificate and marriage certificate guides.
- Overseas police clearances — apostilled and submitted with the visa application.
- Notarised powers of attorney — see power of attorney translation.
- Court judgments, adoption orders and probate documents — used in Australian family law and estate matters.
- Educational qualifications — some skills assessing bodies request apostilled and translated qualifications.
What the translation includes
The certified translation reproduces the underlying document plus the apostille (issuing authority, apostille number, date, signature and seal) or the consular legalisation stamps if the document was legalised outside the Hague framework. Every stamp and seal on the original is described and translated so the case officer can match the authenticated original to the English text.
How it works
Upload a scan of the apostilled document — front, back and all attachments. Trans Lingo returns a NAATI-certified translation covering the whole document. Same business day for standard documents, $59 per page.