VETASSESS requires non-English documents to be submitted with English translations made by a registered translation service.
Its published requirement does not state that every overseas payslip translation must be NAATI-certified.
Submit high-quality colour scans of the German originals as well as the English translations.
If your German payslips support a VETASSESS skills assessment, first identify whether you are following the professional/general occupation route or a trade occupation route. Both routes require English translations of non-English documents from a registered translation service, but their payment-evidence instructions are not identical.
Does VETASSESS say the translation must be NAATI-certified?
VETASSESS currently says that English translations must be made by a registered translation service. Its published professional and trade evidence pages do not state that every overseas translation must carry a NAATI stamp.
That does not make an informal, self-prepared or unverified translation automatically acceptable. VETASSESS asks for a translation service, and it remains the assessing authority that decides whether submitted evidence meets its requirements.
What does “registered translation service” mean here?
VETASSESS uses that phrase but does not define it on the cited evidence pages as a particular Australian registration or as NAATI-only. Before ordering, ask the provider to identify the business issuing the translation, the translator’s language direction, the details shown on the finished translation and how corrections are handled.
If you prefer a NAATI-certified translator, verify the practitioner’s current certification and language direction with the official NAATI certification checker. This is a service choice; it should not be presented as a VETASSESS rule that the source does not publish.
How many payslips should be translated?
The answer depends on the VETASSESS assessment route and the employment period being claimed.
- Professional and general occupations: VETASSESS lists at least two payslips, ideally the first and last payslip, as one possible type of payment evidence.
- Trade occupations: the current trade evidence page lists three payslips naming the employer and employee—from the start, middle and end of each year claimed—within a broader requirement for at least two listed financial-evidence types per year.
Read the requirements for your exact occupation and assessment pathway before selecting pages for translation. A translation provider can translate the documents you nominate, but should not decide your assessment eligibility or tell you to omit evidence.
How should German payslips be prepared?
Use complete, high-quality colour scans of the original German payslips. Do not crop the employer or employee name, payment period, dates, salary fields, letterhead, document identifiers, notes or reverse-side information that forms part of the source document.
Translation does not repair missing source evidence. If a payslip does not contain information VETASSESS needs, a translator cannot add that fact as though it appeared in the original.
Do I upload the German originals as well as the translations?
Yes. VETASSESS’s current guidance says to submit high-quality colour scans of the original-language documents together with their English translations. For trade assessments, VETASSESS says to upload scans rather than send original paper documents.
Is this the same as the ACS translation rule?
No. ACS and VETASSESS are different assessing authorities and publish separate evidence instructions. If your application is with ACS, use the separate guide to ACS employment-document translation requirements.
Official VETASSESS sources
- VETASSESS: professional and general occupation documents
- VETASSESS: trade occupation evidence requirements
Frequently asked questions
Can I translate my own German payslips?
VETASSESS asks for English translations made by a registered translation service. Its published wording does not describe a self translation as satisfying that requirement.
Does a German translator have to be located in Australia?
The cited VETASSESS pages do not impose that location rule. They require a registered translation service and English translations submitted with the original-language documents.
Must every payslip from my employment period be translated?
Not necessarily. The number and timing differ by assessment route. Use the requirements for your occupation and pathway before selecting documents; do not assume one rule covers all VETASSESS assessments.
Can a translation provider choose my VETASSESS evidence?
A provider can explain translation scope and prepare the documents you select. Your VETASSESS instructions, assessor or authorised adviser should determine the evidence required for the assessment.
Can ABC Translation Australia arrange German-to-English translation?
Send the complete documents first. We will confirm whether the appropriate language direction is available, then provide the scope, price, delivery time and finished-document details before payment.
Request a document-specific quote
Need English translations of German payslips or related employment documents for VETASSESS? Send every relevant page, the source and target language, your VETASSESS assessment type and your deadline. ABC Translation Australia will confirm practitioner availability, translation scope, price and delivery before work starts.
Request professional document translation for a VETASSESS skills assessment.
Author: Fiona He
Owner and content lead, ABC Translation Australia
Last reviewed: 13 August 2026