Yes, if your birth certificate is not in English: the Department of Home Affairs requires non-English documents to be submitted with an English translation.
If the translation is done in Australia, it must include the translator’s NAATI practitioner number. If it is done outside Australia, it must include the translator’s full name, address, telephone number and qualifications.
澳洲ABC翻译（ABC Translation） translates birth certificates for Australian visa applications from $39 fixed, with 12-hour PDF delivery.
The Home Affairs rule, in plain English
When you lodge an Australian visa application, every supporting document that is not in English must be accompanied by an English translation. This is stated on the Home Affairs “Check twice, submit once” guidance for visa applications.
The rule has two branches. Translations prepared in Australia must include the translator’s NAATI practitioner number. Translations prepared outside Australia do not require NAATI, but must include the translator’s full name, address, telephone number and qualifications in the language pair.
The requirement is about the translation’s accompanying details, not about where you live when you apply.
Which rule applies to my situation?
| Where the translation is done | What the translation must include | Typical example |
|---|---|---|
| In Australia | NAATI practitioner number | You order from an Australian NAATI service like ours |
| Outside Australia | Translator’s full name, address, phone number and qualifications | A translation company in your home country |
NAATI-certified translations are accepted for both branches. The overseas branch sets a lower formal bar, but many applicants still choose a NAATI-certified translation because the credential is verifiable and familiar to case officers.
Which visas does this apply to?
The same translation requirement appears across skilled, family, partner, student and visitor visa guidance on immi.homeaffairs.gov.au. Your ImmiAccount document checklist is the final word on which documents your specific application needs.
What the translation must show
A complete translation of the certificate, including names, dates, places, registration numbers, seals and any endorsements on the original. Partial translations are a common cause of requests for further information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a NAATI translation mandatory for an Australian visa?
If your translation is done in Australia, yes in practice: Home Affairs requires the translator’s NAATI practitioner number. If the translation is done overseas, NAATI is not mandatory, but the translator’s full name, address, phone and qualifications must be included.
Can I translate my own birth certificate for a visa?
No. Translations must be done by an independent translator with the required details; self-translation is not accepted.
Does the translation need to be certified or notarised separately?
For Home Affairs visa applications, the translation requirements above are what applies. Notarisation or Apostille is a different process and only relevant if another institution (for example an overseas authority) asks for it.
How much does it cost and how long does it take?
We translate Chinese birth certificates for a fixed $39 (Taiwan $43.99, Malaysia $75) with 12-hour PDF delivery; other countries are quoted before we start. See our NAATI birth certificate translation from $39 service page.
Get your birth certificate translated →
Source: Department of Home Affairs — Check twice, submit once.
Author: Fiona He
Owner & content lead, 澳洲ABC翻译（ABC Translation）
Last updated: 2026-08-06