Notary and Translation Services in Richmond

Australia has several towns and suburbs called Richmond, and the rules for witnessing documents depend on which state yours is in. Richmond in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania and South Australia each follow their own state's rules for domestic documents. For a document going overseas, the notary, DFAT and NAATI steps work the same way in all of them.

Key takeaways

• Work out which state your Richmond is in first. Domestic witnessing rules, JP systems and notary appointments are set by each state.
• Three things are the same everywhere: the Commonwealth statutory declaration witness list, DFAT's apostille process, and NAATI certification.
• For documents going overseas, a notary is the usual witness. A JP certification is not accepted overseas and cannot be apostilled.
• Queensland notaries are appointed through the Court of Faculties, not a state court.
• For Home Affairs, a certified copy by an authorised person is usually enough, in any state.

Which Richmond are you in?

A search for a notary "in Richmond" can return results from four states, and a page written for one may be wrong for another. These are the main ones:

• Richmond, NSW: a Hawkesbury town on the north-western edge of Sydney, home to Western Sydney University's Hawkesbury campus and RAAF Base Richmond.
• Richmond, Victoria: an inner-city suburb of Melbourne.
• Richmond, Queensland: an outback town in the north-west, on the Flinders Highway between Townsville and Mount Isa.
• Richmond, Tasmania: a historic village in the Coal River Valley, a short drive from Hobart.
• Richmond, South Australia: a suburb in Adelaide's inner west.

Each follows its own state's rules for state documents such as a state statutory declaration. The differences matter most for domestic paperwork. For documents going overseas, they matter much less.

What changes from state to state?

Three things change with the state: who can witness a state statutory declaration, what the local volunteer witnesses are called, and how notaries are appointed. The table shows the shape of the difference. The detail changes, so check the current rules with the state's justice department before relying on it.

Richmond in	Volunteer witnesses	State declarations	How notaries are appointed
NSW	Justices of the Peace	NSW list of witnesses	Through the Supreme Court of NSW
Victoria	Justices of the Peace, among other authorised witnesses	Victorian list of witnesses	Through the Supreme Court of Victoria
Queensland	Justices of the Peace and Commissioners for Declarations	Queensland rules	Through the Court of Faculties of the Archbishop of Canterbury
Tasmania	Justices of the Peace	Tasmanian list of witnesses	Through the Supreme Court of Tasmania
South Australia	Justices of the Peace	South Australian rules	Through the Supreme Court of South Australia

One rule worth knowing in Richmond, NSW in particular: NSW Communities and Justice says NSW JPs are not authorised to witness documents for use overseas, including proof of life forms. In the other states, the general position is the same in practice. A JP certification is not accepted overseas and cannot be apostilled, so overseas documents go to a notary. Our guides to JP or notary in NSW, witnessing documents in Victoria and Queensland's Commissioners for Declarations go into each state.

What stays the same in every Richmond?

Much of what people need does not depend on the state at all.

• Commonwealth statutory declarations. The list of authorised witnesses is the same in every state, and is published by the Attorney-General's Department.
• Home Affairs. For visa documents, a certified copy by an authorised person is usually enough. A notary is often not needed.
• What a notary does. In every state a notary witnesses signatures, certifies copies of originals they have sighted, and administers oaths. A notary never certifies that a document's contents are true.
• DFAT. Only DFAT issues apostilles and authentication certificates in Australia, under one national process. An apostille confirms the signature and seal on a document, not its contents.
• NAATI. Translator certification is national, so a NAATI-certified translator in any state can translate for any Richmond.

What is the chain for a document going overseas?

Whichever Richmond you live in, a document going overseas follows the same chain. Only the first link, the notary, is needed for some documents and not others.

Registry certificates are the main exception to step 2. A birth, death or marriage certificate is issued by the registry of the state where the event happened, not where you live now. Someone born in Hobart and living in Richmond, NSW orders a replacement from Tasmania. Either way, an original registry certificate is a public document that DFAT can generally legalise directly, with no notary. DFAT refuses certificates that are laminated, framed or altered. Commemorative birth certificates are on its list, but ceremonial and commemorative marriage certificates are not, so a decorative certificate from the wedding will not do. DFAT accepts requests by registered post as well as at Passport Office appointments in the capitals, so living in a smaller Richmond is no barrier to this step. Check the destination on the HCCH status table on the day, because membership changes.

How do you find a notary in Richmond?

For domestic documents, start with a local witness. Anyone on the Commonwealth list on the Attorney-General's Department site can witness a Commonwealth statutory declaration in Richmond, whichever state it is in. Each state also publishes its own way to find a JP or other witness.

For a document going overseas, look for a notary. In most states the notaries' society publishes a directory, such as the Society of Notaries of New South Wales and the Society of Notaries of Queensland. Where to look depends on the Richmond:

1. Richmond, NSW: the Hawkesbury and greater Western Sydney, or the Sydney CBD. See notary public in Sydney.
2. Richmond, Victoria: the Melbourne CBD is close by. See notary public in Melbourne.
3. Richmond, Queensland: a long way from any notary; Townsville is the usual regional centre, and planning one trip matters. See notaries outside the cities.
4. Richmond, Tasmania: Hobart is the nearest centre. See notary public in Tasmania.
5. Richmond, South Australia: central Adelaide is a short trip.

Before you book, send the notary the receiving authority's instructions and a copy of the document, and ask for a written quote set out by notarial act.

What affects the cost of a notary in Richmond?

This page gives no figures: notaries set their own fees, and DFAT's fee is indexed each year. The total depends on:

• The type of document and notarial act: a single signature, a notarised copy, or a sworn affidavit.
• The number of signers and copies, since each is further notarial work.
• Travel, which is trivial from Richmond, Victoria and a major cost from Richmond, Queensland.
• Waiting for a missing document, such as a university's verification, which can mean a second appointment.
• Legalisation and delivery: DFAT's fee, any embassy legalisation, and postage are all separate.

Our document notarisation page describes what happens at an appointment.

Does remote witnessing help?

It depends on the state and the document. Several states changed their rules on witnessing by audio-visual link after 2020, and they did not all land in the same place. Even where remote witnessing exists, it does not automatically cover every notarial act. The notary has to confirm whether the particular act is permitted in their state or territory, for that document. For anything going overseas, the receiving authority also decides whether it accepts a remotely witnessed document, and many do not. Ask it in writing first.

A note for students at the Hawkesbury campus

International students in Richmond, NSW often need their Australian degree or transcript recognised overseas. DFAT legalises an original university document only once the university has verified it. If you use a notarised copy instead, the notary's certificate must state that the original was verified with the issuing institution; a plain "true copy" certificate does not satisfy DFAT. Start the university's verification before you book anything. Our guide on apostilling an academic transcript sets out the steps.

Here is an illustration, not a real case

Two people search for a notary in Richmond in the same week. One lives in Richmond, Victoria and needs a statutory declaration for a Victorian licence application. A notary is not needed: a witness on Victoria's list can do it, and there are several nearby. The other lives in Richmond, Queensland and needs a power of attorney signed for a property sale in New Zealand. She cannot use a JP for that, so she plans a notary appointment in Townsville to fit a trip she is already making. She sends the New Zealand lawyer's instructions ahead, and posts the notarised document to DFAT for an apostille afterwards. She checks the HCCH status table first, which lists New Zealand as a member. Same search, two different answers.

In short

Work out which Richmond you are in, because the state sets the rules for state declarations, JP systems and notary appointments. For overseas documents, the steps are the same everywhere: a notary where needed, then DFAT, then an embassy if the country is outside the Hague Convention. NAATI translation and Home Affairs certified copies are national too.

People also search for

• Do notary rules differ between states?
• Who appoints notaries in Australia?
• Who can witness a statutory declaration?
• What is the difference between a notary and a JP?
• What is a NAATI-certified translation?

Send us the document, your state and the country it is going to, and we will explain each step before you book.