Certified True Copy of a Birth Certificate: What a Notary Can Issue

A birth certificate is unusual among the documents people bring to a notary. It is issued by a government registry, which means it is itself a public document — and an original Australian birth certificate can, in many cases, be taken to DFAT and authenticated without a notary being involved at all.

So the first decision is not how to get a certified copy. It is whether you need one, or whether the original should go overseas instead. The answer turns on one question: do you need to keep the certificate?

Two routes to the same destination

Route A — the original, authenticated directly. You send the registry-issued certificate itself to DFAT, which checks the registrar's signature and issues an apostille or authentication. The original, with the apostille attached, goes overseas. You will probably not see it again.

Route B — a notarised copy. A notary sights the original and certifies a copy as true and complete. DFAT then authenticates the notary's signature and seal, not the registrar's. The copy goes overseas; the original stays with you.

Both are legitimate. They are not interchangeable, and choosing the wrong one is a common reason for a set being returned.

When the original is the better choice

• The recipient asks for the original. Some foreign authorities — marriage registries are a frequent example — want the registry-issued certificate itself, not a copy of it, however well certified.
• The recipient wants a recently issued certificate. Some authorities will only accept a birth certificate issued within a set period. A notarised copy of an old certificate does not make it recent. Order a fresh certificate from the registry and use that.
• You need only one, and can order another. Replacement certificates are available from the registry in the state or territory where the birth was registered, so parting with one is not usually a disaster.

One caveat: DFAT can only authenticate a signature it can verify. Very old certificates, or ones signed by a registrar whose signature DFAT does not hold, may not be accepted directly. A newly issued certificate avoids the problem.

When a certified copy is the better choice

• You need several. Applying to several institutions, or to a visa authority and a university at once, is far easier with multiple certified copies from a single original than with several registry certificates.
• You cannot easily replace the original. For example, where it bears details or annotations a new certificate would not show, or where obtaining a replacement is slow or restricted.
• The recipient accepts, or asks for, a notarised copy. Many do. If the instructions say "notarised copy" or "certified copy", this is the route.

Check which version of the certificate you hold

Australian registries have issued birth certificates in different formats over the years and across jurisdictions. Some older or shorter formats omit details — parents' names, place of birth in full — that a foreign authority may expect to see. A certified copy reproduces exactly what the original shows, and nothing it does not.

Before booking, compare your certificate with the recipient's requirements. If it lacks something they need, a full certificate from the registry is the fix; no notarial wording can add information that is not on the original. (Commemorative certificates, which DFAT will legalise but many overseas authorities do not want, are covered on the separate page on notarising a birth certificate.)

What the notary certifies

The notary sights the original registry-issued certificate — not a photocopy, scan, or a copy certified earlier by someone else — and certifies that the attached copy is true and complete.

The notary is not confirming the facts of the birth, your parentage, or that the certificate was lawfully issued. Only the registry stands behind those.

Justice of the Peace, apostille, legalisation

• A JP can certify a copy of a birth certificate for use in Australia, free of charge. It will not be accepted overseas, and DFAT will not apostille it.
• Only DFAT issues apostilles. For a Hague Apostille Convention country, the apostille goes on either the original (route A) or the notarial certificate (route B).
• For a non-member country, DFAT authenticates and the destination's embassy or consulate then legalises.
• Translation, where needed, is normally bound with the document. Ask whether the apostille itself must also be translated.

Frequently asked questions

Can I do both — apostille the original and keep a notarised copy? Yes. Have the certified copies made first, then send the original for direct authentication. The copies can be apostilled separately if they need to be.

Does the apostille on a notarised copy mean my birth certificate is verified? No. It verifies the notary's signature and seal. An apostille on the original verifies the registrar's signature. Some recipients care about the difference — another reason to ask which they want.

My certificate has an old surname. Add a statutory declaration linking the names, notarised at the same time. This is covered in more detail on the birth certificate how-to page.

How many certified copies should I get? One per recipient, plus a spare, bearing in mind that each may need its own apostille.