Notary and Translation Services in Victoria

Almost a third of Victorian households use a language other than English at home, so translation is often the first step for documents here, before any notary is involved. This guide covers three things for Victoria: who translates, who notarises, and how documents reach DFAT from Melbourne and the regions. It also answers a question people often ask: can a notary translate my document?

Victoria's languages, in numbers

At the 2021 Census, 65.0% of Victorians were born in Australia, below the national figure of 66.9%. India was the most common overseas birthplace (4.0%), followed by England, China, New Zealand and Vietnam. The languages most often spoken at home other than English were Mandarin (3.4%), Vietnamese, Greek, Punjabi and Italian. In 30.2% of Victorian households, a language other than English was used, against 24.8% nationally.

The mix changes a great deal across the state:

• In Wodonga, on the NSW border, the top languages at home after English were Swahili and Nepali.
• In the Rural City of Wangaratta it was Italian.
• In Frankston, 83.6% of residents spoke only English at home, and England was by far the largest overseas birthplace.

Translations: who does them, and "notarised translations"

Who can translate documents? For Victorian and Commonwealth agencies, such as the Department of Home Affairs, Births, Deaths and Marriages, courts and universities, use a NAATI-certified translator. NAATI certification is national, so a certified translator in Melbourne, Wodonga or another state is equally valid. The NAATI Online Directory can be searched by language and filtered by location.

Can a notary translate documents? Not as a notary. An Australian notary certifies copies, witnesses signatures and administers oaths. A notary does not vouch for a translation's accuracy unless they also hold a separate translation credential. The Society of Notaries of Victoria describes a notary as a senior lawyer who certifies and attests documents for use overseas.

What is a "notarised translation"? The term comes from overseas, and a receiving authority can mean different things by it:

• a notary certifies a copy of the translation together with the original document, or
• the translator signs a declaration or affidavit before a notary.

For documents going overseas, DFAT's list of documents it can legalise includes translations by NAATI-certified or recognised translators. Every page must carry the translator's name, signature, NAATI seal and practitioner ID, and the date, together with a copy of the original signed or sealed by the translator. So depending on what the receiving authority accepts, you may not need a notary at all. Ask them first.

How to get legal documents translated for overseas use:

1. Ask the receiving authority which language, which translator credentials, and whether it wants an apostille.
2. Order a NAATI-certified translation.
3. If needed, have it notarised, or lodge it with DFAT for legalisation.

Notaries in Victoria

The Supreme Court of Victoria appoints public notaries and publishes its appointment orders. To find one, use the Society of Notaries of Victoria's find-a-notary listing. Bring the original document and photo ID. A notary cannot certify from a scan or photocopy, and will check your identity and that you understand what you are signing.

Victoria's Department of Justice says plainly that "JPs are not a Notary Public". If a document is going overseas, a JP is the wrong choice.

Reaching DFAT from anywhere in Victoria

Only DFAT issues apostilles and authentication certificates. A notary cannot.

• In person: the Australian Passport Office in Melbourne is the only in-person option in Victoria. It is by appointment only, and someone can attend on your behalf.
• By post: DFAT's Authentications Section has a Melbourne GPO box (address on Smartraveller). Send your documents by registered post with the request form, card authorisation, and a self-addressed registered post envelope. This is usually the practical route from Wodonga, Mildura or East Gippsland.

DFAT does not publish a fixed processing time. It warns of delays at the end of the school year and in holiday periods.

Academic documents, including "academic certificate translation in Wodonga"

• Australian university documents: DFAT legalises the original once the university has verified it. A notarised copy also needs university verification, and the notary's certificate must say the record was verified with the institution. A plain "true copy" is not enough.
• TAFE: originals or notarised copies. JP copies are not accepted.
• Foreign academic certificates, for example from Kenya or Nepal, cannot be legalised by DFAT, even if notarised in Australia. They are authenticated in the country that issued them. A NAATI translation is still what Australian agencies generally expect.

When a JP is enough

For Australian purposes, a Justice of the Peace is often all you need, including for certified copies going to Home Affairs. Victorian JPs "offer their time voluntarily and cannot charge". You can contact a local JP, or walk into a Document Signing Station at a police station, library or council office during its rostered hours. Remote witnessing by a JP can be booked through the Royal Victorian Association of Honorary Justices. Not every Victorian form needs a JP: statutory declarations have a wider list of authorised witnesses.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I get a document translated in Melbourne? From a NAATI-certified translator. Search the NAATI directory by language.

Can a notary translate my documents? Not in their role as a notary. They can notarise a translator's declaration or certify a copy of a translation, if the receiving authority wants that.

Is there a DFAT office in Melbourne? Yes, at the Australian Passport Office, by appointment. DFAT also has a Melbourne postal address.

Is a JP certification accepted overseas? No. It cannot be apostilled.