Document Certification and Translation

Certification

When you are required to submit an official document to the University (such as a medical certificate to accompany an application form), you may submit a certified copy of that document rather than the original document.

Please note:

• You should retain the original document as the University may request to view the document for verification purposes.
• You must not submit photographs or videos with content that may be considered distressing or graphic. In addition, for any application where you are required to provide supporting evidence, photographs or videos are generally not considered appropriate evidence as their authenticity cannot be verified.

What is a certified copy?

A certified copy of a document is an unaltered copy of an original document that has been certified by an authorised person as being a true copy.

Please note: a scanned copy or a photocopy of a certified copy is not a certified copy of a document.

Who can certify documents within Australia?

Persons authorised to certify documents within Australia include:

• a Justice of the Peace (currently registered in Australia);
• a Commissioner for Declarations (currently registered in Australia);
• a barrister or solicitor;
• a police officer in charge of a Police Station or of the rank of Sergeant and above;
• a Registrar or Deputy Registrar of a Court;
• a teacher employed on a permanent full-time or part-time basis at a school or tertiary education institution;
• a medical practitioner (licensed or registered);
• a pharmacist (licensed or registered);
• a dentist (licensed or registered);
• a nurse (licensed or registered);
• an optometrist (licensed or registered);
• a psychologist (licensed or registered);
• a veterinary surgeon (licensed or registered);
• a manager of a bank or credit union (other than managers of Bank Travel Centres);
• an accountant who is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia or New Zealand, CPA Australia, the National Institute of Accountants or the Association of Taxation and Management Accountants; or
• a permanent employee of the University with at least 5 or more years of continuous service.

Who can certify documents outside Australia?

Persons authorised to certify documents outside Australia include:

• an authorised officer of an Australian overseas diplomatic mission;
• an ANU officer; or
• an official ANU offshore representative (Agent).

What does the certifier need to do?

When you ask someone to certify a copy of a document, you need to take both the original document and the copy with you as the authorised certifier must sight the original document and check that the copies are true and unchanged copies of the original documents.

The authorised certifier must certify every page of the documentation. Each page should include:

• a stamp or statement that states "I certify this to be a true copy of the original document sighted by me";
• the authorised certifier's full name and signature;
• the authorised certifier's address and contact telephone number;
• the authorised certifier's capacity to certify documents (e.g. their title and the institution they belong to, their profession or occupation.  A Justice of the Peace should print their registration number and the state/territory in which they are registered); and
• the date of certification.

Translating your documents into English

When you submit an official document to ANU and the document is written in a language other than English, the document must be accompanied by a complete English translation.

ANU accepts translations from these organisations:

• A translator accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators & Interpreters (NAATI)
• Multicultural New South Wales Language Services
• Interstate office of either the Ethnic Affairs Commission or the Department of  Home Affairs
• Australian diplomatic missions
• A sworn translator approved by the Australian diplomatic missions in Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Indonesia, Peru, Switzerland, Thailand and Vietnam (Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City)
• A Government or other recognised translation authority, e.g. Notary Office in China. Please contact the ANU Admissions Office to determine if the authority is approved to provide translations.

IMPORTANT:

Each page of an authorised translation must bear the translator's signature, the date translated and the translator's accreditation details and the official stamp or seal of the translator's accrediting organisation.

The University reserves the rights to reject document translations and may request documents translated by an alternative authority. The list of acceptable translators may change without prior notice.

Copies translated by any other sources will not be accepted. Self-translated documents are not acceptable.