A birth certificate is not required for every Australian passport application.
If the Australian Passport Office requires your birth certificate and it is not in English, provide a full English translation. For an application in Australia, the Passport Office directs applicants to NAATI-accredited translators. For an application overseas, use a translation service approved by the Australian diplomatic or consular mission handling the application.
When is a birth certificate relevant?
| Application situation | Birth-certificate role |
|---|---|
| Adult born overseas | A citizenship certificate is normally central. If it does not show gender or place of birth, the Passport Office lists a translated foreign birth certificate, a foreign passport or another official document showing the missing information as possible evidence. |
| Child passport | The application needs a full birth certificate or other required citizenship/parental evidence. A non-English birth certificate needs a full English translation. |
| Required information is already proved by another accepted document | A birth certificate may not be the document required for that application. Follow the Passport Office checklist for the applicant. |
Check the Passport Office guidance for adult identity documents and child passport documents before ordering a translation.
Who can translate a non-English birth certificate?
The Australian Passport Office says documents not written in English must be translated in full and stamped by an accredited translator. In Australia, it directs applicants to NAATI. For an overseas application, contact the Australian diplomatic or consular mission to use an approved translation service.
Official rule: Australian Passport Office — Interpreting and translation.
Take the original document and the translation
The original birth certificate and its English translation perform different jobs. The original proves the source record; the translation lets the Passport Office read the non-English content. A delivered PDF does not replace an original identity document that the application requires you to present.
A full translation covers all readable content on the document, including names, dates, places, parent details, issuing information, seals, stamps and notes. The translator’s stamp should identify the accredited translator.
Keep the source name and passport evidence separate
The translation should faithfully render the birth certificate. It should not silently replace the source name with a later preferred or passport spelling. If names differ, prepare the change-of-name, marriage, citizenship or other linking evidence required by the passport checklist.
At quote stage, send every relevant page and tell us the issuing country, source language, passport spelling, intended use and deadline. We confirm the price and delivery before work starts.
Verify the translator and check the visa rule separately
- Check a NAATI translator’s CPN before ordering
- Birth certificate translation requirements for an Australian visa
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 →
Official sources: interpreting and translation; adult identity documents; child passport documents.
Author: Fiona He
Owner & content lead, 澳洲ABC翻译（ABC Translation Australia）
Last updated: 2026-08-07