What is a divorce certificate?
A divorce certificate — sometimes called a decree absolute, decree nisi, or divorce order — is the official document issued by a court or civil registry confirming the legal end of a marriage. In Australia, the equivalent is a Divorce Order issued by the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. In many countries, the issuing body and document name vary:
- Mexico — Acta de Divorcio, issued by the Registro Civil of the state where the divorce was registered.
- Argentina — Sentencia de Divorcio, issued by the Civil and Commercial Court that dissolved the marriage.
- Spain — Certificado de Divorcio or Sentencia de Divorcio, recorded in the Registro Civil Central.
- Colombia — Escritura Pública de Divorcio (notarial) or court ruling for contested divorces.
- Chile, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Uruguay — Sentencia de Divorcio from the family court or its equivalent, registered with the local civil registry.
When do you need a translation?
A NAATI-certified translation of your divorce certificate is required in the following Australian visa contexts:
- Partner visa (Subclass 820/801 and 309/100) — to prove that any prior marriage has been lawfully dissolved before the new partner relationship can be assessed. See our partner visa translation guide.
- Prospective Marriage visa (Subclass 300) — both parties must be free to marry; evidence of prior divorce is required where applicable.
- Spouse and dependent visa applications — to establish current marital status.
- Australian citizenship applications where marriage history is reviewed.
- Aged parent and parent visas where the family composition includes a previously divorced sponsor or applicant.
What must the translation include?
A NAATI-certified divorce certificate translation reproduces the full content of the source document, including:
- Full names of both parties to the dissolved marriage.
- Date of the marriage and date the divorce became final.
- Name of the issuing authority — court, notary, or civil registry — and place of issue.
- Document registration number, file number, or expediente number.
- Any conditions, custody orders, or property orders recorded on the certificate.
- A description of all stamps, seals, signatures, and security features present on the original.
The translation is accompanied by a signed certification statement from the NAATI-credentialed translator confirming that the translation is a true and accurate rendering of the source document.
How to get a certified translation
Trans Lingo provides NAATI-certified divorce certificate translations from $59 per page with 24-hour standard delivery. Upload a clear colour scan of your original divorce certificate — including both sides if the document is double-sided — and we will return a digital PDF formatted to mirror the source layout. Hard-copy delivery is available on request for visa streams that require paper submission.