What are medical records in this context?
The term "medical records" covers a wide range of clinical documents that may be requested as part of an Australian visa health assessment. Typical examples include overseas health examination results, vaccination records (Spanish: Carnet de Vacunación or Registro de Vacunación), specialist medical reports, hospital discharge summaries (Epicrisis or Resumen de Alta), diagnostic test results, radiology reports, and ongoing treatment documentation. Most substantive Australian visas require applicants to undergo a health examination through a Panel Physician, and existing overseas records often play a supporting role.
When do you need a translation?
NAATI-certified medical translations are required in the following Australian immigration contexts:
- Health examinations (HAP) for all substantive visas, where the Panel Physician asks to see prior overseas records — for example, TB treatment history or specialist reports for conditions flagged at the examination. See our health examination guide.
- Parent visas (Subclass 103, 143) where medical history is reviewed in detail as part of the balance-of-family assessment and ongoing care planning.
- Refugee and humanitarian visas where medical evidence supports a protection claim or a health-related provision.
- Student visas (Subclass 500) where vaccination records are increasingly requested, particularly post-COVID.
- Skilled migration and other streams where the Panel Physician requests supporting documentation for a specific condition.
- Visa appeals or merits reviews at the Administrative Review Tribunal where medical evidence is part of the case.
What must the translation include?
A NAATI-certified medical records translation reproduces all clinically relevant content of the source document, including:
- Patient full name and date of birth, exactly as printed.
- All dates of treatment, vaccination, admission, or report.
- Diagnoses, findings, and any diagnostic codes or test results.
- Medications prescribed or administered, including dosage where stated.
- Name and credentials of the treating doctor, hospital, or clinic.
- Any official stamps, signatures, and security features present on the original.
Medical terminology is translated accurately. Trans Lingo is not a specialist medical translation accreditation body — all translations are NAATI-certified translations that meet Department of Home Affairs and Panel Physician requirements, with medical vocabulary handled to standard professional practice. Where a section of a handwritten note is illegible, the translator notes this in the translation rather than guessing.
How to get a certified translation
Trans Lingo provides NAATI-certified medical records translations from $59 per page with 24-hour standard delivery. Upload the clearest possible scan — including both sides of vaccination cards and all pages of multi-page reports. For confidentiality-sensitive material, contact us before submission if you have specific handling concerns. Vaccination records have their own dedicated page — see vaccination certificate translation.