The Australian Passport Office requires documents that are not in English to be submitted with a full English translation prepared by an approved translator.
For applications lodged in Australia, the approved translator is a NAATI-certified translator; applications lodged overseas follow the approved channels listed by the relevant Australian mission.
澳洲ABC翻译（ABC Translation） provides NAATI-certified birth certificate translations for passport applications from $39 fixed, with 12-hour PDF delivery.
When a passport application needs a birth certificate translation
Birth certificates are commonly requested for first adult passports, child passports (as evidence of parental responsibility or citizenship), citizenship-by-descent related applications, and name-change reconciliations. If your certificate is not in English, the translation must accompany it.
What the Australian Passport Office requires
Documents not in English must be fully translated, and the translation must be done by an approved translator. For applications in Australia, that means a NAATI-certified translator. (Source: Australian Passport Office — Interpreting and translation.)
The translation must cover the whole document — including seals, stamps, registration details and any notes on the back — not just the main fields.
Originals, copies and the translation
The translation does not replace your original certificate: the Passport Office assesses the original document with the translation attached. Whether you lodge original documents or certified copies depends on the application channel you use.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a translation done overseas?
Overseas applications follow the approved translation channels advised by the Australian mission handling the application; in Australia, use a NAATI-certified translator.
Do both parents’ documents need translation for a child passport?
Only the documents that are not in English and are required by the application. The birth certificate is the most common; marriage or name-change documents follow the same rule when required.
How fast can I get it?
Your translation is delivered as a PDF within 12 hours of payment. See our birth certificate translation from $39, 12-hour PDF service page.
Get your birth certificate translated →
Source: Australian Passport Office — Interpreting and translation.
Author: Fiona He
Owner & content lead, 澳洲ABC翻译（ABC Translation）
Last updated: 2026-08-06