Frequently asked questions
Translations
Every document can be translated two ways: NAATI-certified for official use in Australia, or standard, lower-cost, when certification is not required. The right version depends on where the translation is going.
Within Australia: which translation do I need?
A NAATI-certified translation, which is the standard Australian authorities require: the Department of Home Affairs, universities, state agencies, courts and employers. For use in Australia, NAATI certification is normally all you need; we tell you if your case is an exception.
Outside the Australian context (general translation)?
When no Australian authority is involved (understanding a letter, a contract, family papers, business or literary texts), a standard translation is the lower-cost option: the same care, without certification. If the document is bound for an authority overseas, tell us the destination and we will advise on the right form.
Is a certified PDF accepted?
NAATI certification can be applied digitally. A certified PDF is what most agencies collect through an online upload. We can also send a hard copy by post on request.
Do I need the original document?
No, a clear scan or photo is enough. The certified translation notes that it was prepared from a copy, which Australian authorities accept in the ordinary course.
How long does it take?
Most single documents are delivered as certified PDFs within 1–2 business days of accepting the quote. Priority turnaround is available. Timing depends on length and complexity; we confirm it in your quote, before starting.
What if there is an error, or I need a change after certification?
An error on our part is corrected and the translation re-certified free of charge, even after delivery. Changes requested after certification (a different spelling preference, an updated document) are a new certification.
Specific cases (NAATI, full or extract, Ahpra, OPRA, DFAT)
Certification comes in more than one shape, and some authorities apply their own documentary rules. The cases we are asked about most:
What is a NAATI-certified translation?
It is a translation prepared by a translator certified by NAATI, Australia's national accreditation authority for translators and interpreters. It carries the translator's official stamp, signature and an attestation of accuracy.
Full translation or extract?
NAATI-certified translations can be prepared in full or as extract translations. Some authorities (Ahpra is one) will not accept extracts: the complete document must be translated, including stamps, seals, headers and handwritten notes. If you are unsure, send the document and we will tell you which applies.
What does Ahpra require of a translation?
Full documents, not extracts: everything on the page is translated, including stamps, seals, headers and handwritten notes. The translator must be independent and NAATI-accredited: Ahpra will not accept a translation you produced yourself or had done by a family member, friend or unpaid helper. We work from your original document, or a fully legible certified copy. You upload the certified copy of the original alongside its English translation; the two travel as a pair.
My diploma is only partly in French: does all of it need translating?
Ahpra does not accept extract (partial) translations: the complete document must be translated, including any sections in another language plus stamps and seals. We translate the French in full and flag clearly anything in a third language that would need a separate translator.
Can a bilingual friend or I translate my own documents?
No. Ahpra does not accept translations prepared by the applicant, relatives, friends or volunteers. The translator must be independent and NAATI-accredited: that independence is part of what the certification attests.
Do you translate the certificate of good standing as well as my degree?
Yes. Any supporting document in French that forms part of your application (certificate of good standing or registration status, transcripts, identity or change-of-name documents) needs a full certified English translation.
What is OPRA, and are its requirements the same as Ahpra's?
OPRA is the Australian Pharmacy Council's Overseas Pharmacists Readiness Assessment, the skills-assessment stage for pharmacists trained outside Australia. Its documentary requirements are set by the APC and differ from Ahpra's; we prepare each translation to the standard that applies to your stage.
What should I send you for an OPRA file?
Email a clear copy of the documents the APC has asked you to provide, and say you are applying through OPRA. We will confirm the applicable standard, the price and the timing before starting.
What about DFAT: apostilles and documents for use overseas?
DFAT, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, authenticates Australian documents for use overseas (apostilles and authentications). Where a French-language document travels with such a file, a NAATI-certified translation is the standard to attach. The destination country sets the final requirements. Tell us the intended use and we prepare the translation to the applicable standard.
Packages
Ready-made baskets in the instant estimate, pre-filled with the documents an application typically needs. One click loads the package; you adjust freely from there.
What packages do you offer?
Three at the moment. Family pack: three birth certificate extracts and a marriage certificate. Skilled visa: a birth certificate extract, a police check, a diploma and an employer attestation. Partner visa: a birth certificate extract, a marriage certificate and a police check.
Can I change what is in a package?
Yes, a package simply pre-fills the estimate basket. Add, remove or change quantities as you need; the estimate updates as you go.
Is a package cheaper than ordering documents separately?
Packages group several same-format documents, exactly where the multi-document discount applies. The estimate shows the price before discount; the discount itself is confirmed in your quote, on sight of the documents.
Discounts
We apply the standard rates recommended by AUSIT, and discounts come on top once we see your documents. Discounts are cumulative, and range from 5% to 40%, from time to time more, as in a skilled-visa file running to dozens of pages, such as years of similar payslips.
What discounts do you offer?
Several grounds: multiple documents in the same format (typical for certificates and family files), standardised documents such as licences and passports, extract translations where a full translation is not required, large volume, and returning clients. The grounds are cumulative: the discounts add up.
Do I need to ask for a discount?
No. Any applicable discount is proposed in the confirmed quote you receive within one business day, before you commit to anything.
Does the instant estimate show my discount?
It shows an indicative discount for everything it can read from your selection: repeated documents, several documents, standardised documents, volume, and the package you pick. Grounds that depend on the documents themselves (extract translations, repetitive content, returning client) are assessed when we see them. The confirmed quote sets the final figure.
I already have a quote from an agency, what should I do?
Send it to us and we will tell you honestly whether we can do better. Compare like for like: a cheaper quote is often a different product, not NAATI-certified, prepared outside Australia, or machine output with a stamp on it. Agencies also add a project-management margin on top of the translator's fee, which is why our published rates start where they do: you deal directly with the translator who does the work.
Send us your document for a free, no-obligation quote.