Certifying Copies of Someone Else's Documents

Often, yes. A certified copy confirms that a copy matches an original document, so the certifier needs to see the original, not necessarily its owner. You can usually bring a relative's original certificate to a JP. But where the receiving body wants the certifier to confirm a photo is a true likeness, the person must attend.

Key takeaways

• A standard certified copy is about the document: the certifier compares the copy with the original.
• So you can often bring someone else's original, such as a parent's certificate, to be certified.
• Where a form asks the certifier to confirm the photo is a true likeness, the person in the photo must be present.
• Some certifiers and some bodies are stricter, especially for passports and identity documents. Ask first.
• A certifier should not certify documents for a relative of their own, and should never certify an original they have not seen.

What does a certified copy actually confirm?

A standard certification says something like "I certify that this is a true copy of the original document sighted by me". It confirms the relationship between two pieces of paper: the copy and the original. It does not say anything about who brought the original in, or whether that person is the one named in it. That is why, for many documents, the owner does not need to be present, as long as the original is.

So a daughter can usually bring her mother's original birth certificate to a JP to be copied and certified for an aged care application, or a partner can bring a degree certificate to be certified for a job application. The certifier checks the original and certifies the copy. Our guide to a certified true copy explains the certification itself.

When must the person attend?

Some forms ask the certifier to go further than comparing documents. A bank, super fund or overseas body may want the certifier to write that the photograph on a passport or licence copy "is a true likeness of the person", or to confirm that they have met the person and checked their identity. Those statements are about a person, not a document, so the person in the photograph must be there.

Read the certification wording on the form or in the instructions. If it only asks for "a certified true copy", the original alone is usually enough. If it mentions a likeness, identity, or the person being known to the certifier, the person needs to attend with the original. Our guide to identity verification by a notary explains how those checks work.

Situation	Can you bring it for someone else?	Why
A parent's birth or marriage certificate	Usually yes	Standard copy of a document
A partner's degree or transcript	Usually yes	Standard copy of a document
A child's passport, as the parent	Often yes, check the form	Parent may present it; likeness may need the child
A passport copy certified as a true likeness	No	The person in the photo must attend
A deceased relative's documents for an estate	Usually yes	Standard copy; executor often presents them
A notarised copy for overseas use	Ask the notary	Notaries may want to know the purpose

What about passports and identity documents?

Passports and licences are the documents where certifiers are most cautious. A certified copy of someone else's passport, made without them present, could be used to open accounts or apply for services in their name. Many certifiers will certify an identity document only for its owner, or will ask why you have it and what the copy is for, and some bodies require the holder to be present regardless of the wording.

Parents presenting a child's passport, and executors presenting a deceased person's documents, are common and usually unproblematic, but even then a certifier may ask questions. If you are bringing someone else's identity document, bring your own identification too, explain the purpose, and bring any instructions from the receiving body. If the certifier declines, respect it: it is a sensible safeguard that protects the owner as much as anyone. Our guide to notarised passport copies covers passports in more detail.

Can a notary certify copies of someone else's documents?

A notary can certify a copy of an original they have examined, whoever presents it, but notaries are generally more careful than domestic certifiers, because their certificates are relied on overseas and verified by DFAT. A notary may want to know why you hold the document, what the copy is for and where it is going, and may decline if something does not seem right, particularly for identity documents.

For documents going overseas, the foreign body's instructions also matter. Some want the document's owner to appear before the notary; others are content with a certified copy of the original. If the copy is for an overseas estate, company or property matter, bring the documents that show your role, such as a grant of probate, a letter of appointment or a power of attorney. Our guide to when a notary can decline explains why.

Who should not certify the copy?

A certifier should be independent of the document and its use. Many bodies' rules, and common sense, say that a certifier should not certify documents for a relative of their own, or for a matter in which they have an interest. A JP who is your cousin should not certify your mother's certificate for your family's application. Use an independent certifier instead.

And no certifier should certify a copy of an original they have not seen, or certify a copy of a copy as though it were an original. If someone offers to do that as a favour, decline: a false certification can lead to the rejection of an application and, in some contexts, to more serious consequences. Our guide to who can witness a statutory declaration covers independence for declarations too.

What about statutory declarations for someone else?

A statutory declaration is different from a certified copy. It is a personal statement that the declarant signs, so only the person making the declaration can sign it, in front of the witness. You cannot sign a declaration on someone else's behalf, even with their permission, unless a specific legal authority allows it, such as a power of attorney that covers the task and a form that accepts signing by an attorney. If a relative needs to make a declaration, they must attend the witness themselves, or use a digital option where one is available.

What about documents for people who cannot travel?

Older, unwell or housebound relatives often need documents certified or signed, and it is not always practical for them to attend. For standard certified copies, a family member can usually take the originals to a certifier. For anything that needs the person themselves, such as a likeness certification, a statutory declaration or a signature, the options depend on the document: some witnesses will visit, some forms allow digital or remote options, and some bodies offer alternatives for people who cannot attend. Ask the receiving body what it accepts before arranging anything, and see our guide to what to do if a signatory cannot attend.

How do you prepare?

1. Read the certification wording the receiving body asks for, and note any likeness or identity requirement.
2. Bring the original, not a copy, and every page to be certified.
3. Bring your own photo ID, and documents showing your role if you are an executor or attorney.
4. Ask the certifier in advance if the document is a passport or other identity document.
5. Use an independent certifier, not a relative of yours or of the document's owner.

What does this look like in practice?

Here is an illustration, not a real case. Tom is helping his elderly father apply for an aged care place and a pension from Greece. His father cannot easily travel.

For the aged care application, Tom takes his father's original birth and marriage certificates to a JP, who certifies copies without his father being present, because the form asks only for true copies. The Greek pension form, however, asks the certifier to confirm his father's identity and likeness on a passport copy. Tom asks the pension office about options, and arranges for his father to see a notary near his home, with an interpreter, to sign the life certificate and have the passport copy certified in person.

In short

A standard certified copy confirms that a copy matches the original, so you can often bring someone else's original document to be certified. Where the form asks the certifier to confirm a photo likeness or identity, the person must attend. Certifiers are more cautious with passports and identity documents, notaries especially for overseas use. Use an independent certifier, bring the original and your own ID, and ask first if unsure.

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