Online Certified Copies in Australia: How It Works

A certified copy is a statement by the certifier that the copy matches an original they examined. Every question about doing this online comes back to one word in that sentence: examined. Holding a passport up to a webcam is not the same as handing it across a desk, and whether the difference matters is decided by whoever receives the copy.

This page covers what is specific to certifying copies online. For how remote notarial appointments work generally — identity checks, equipment, what the notary is assessing — see Online Notarisation in Australia.

First, check whether you need a certified copy at all

The most useful thing to know before booking anything: for many online applications, you do not.

Australian government portals commonly ask for clear colour scans of original documents rather than certified copies. The Department of Home Affairs, for example, has generally accepted colour scans of originals for applications lodged online, and a certified copy by an authorised person — not a notary — is usually enough where certification is asked for. Check the current instructions for your application, but if they ask only for a scan, a certified copy adds nothing but cost.

The same applies to many universities, employers and banks that run their own upload portals. Read what the portal actually asks for before assuming it wants certification.

Why video certification is the hardest online act

Of all the things a notary does, certifying a copy is the one that suffers most on a screen. Witnessing a signature by video, the notary watches a person sign. Certifying a copy by video, the notary is asked to vouch for a physical object they cannot touch. On camera they cannot:

• feel the paper, embossing or raised seals;
• tilt the document to see holograms, watermarks or security threads;
• check the reverse for endorsements without relying on you to show it;
• tell a high-quality colour print from an original;
• see whether a page has been substituted or altered.

That is why a true-copy certification made without the certifier handling the original is the act receiving authorities most often refuse, and why many notaries will not certify an original they have only seen on screen. Where remote acts are lawful, the law in the notary's state sets the outer limit. The receiving authority sets the practical one.

The hybrid route most people end up using

When a notarial certified copy is genuinely needed, the arrangement that usually works is:

1. Post or courier the original to the notary. Use a tracked service.
2. Hold the appointment by video if you want to, to discuss what is needed, confirm the destination's requirements and deal with any accompanying signatures.
3. The notary certifies the copy with the original in hand, applies their signature and seal, and records the act in their register.
4. The original and certified copies come back to you, or go on to DFAT for an apostille if one is needed.

This removes the trip, not the physical step. For a regional reader far from a notary, that is still a real saving. For someone twenty minutes from an office, it adds postage and risk to an original for little gain.

Documents that were never on paper

Some originals are electronic to begin with: a digitally issued academic transcript, an online company extract, an e-certificate from a registry. Two things follow.

The issuer may be able to verify it directly. Many Australian universities issue digital academic documents through a verification platform (My eQuals is the one commonly used), letting the recipient confirm authenticity with the issuer. Many registries offer similar checks. If the receiving body will accept that, it is better evidence than any certified copy.

If it must be certified, the notary is certifying a printout. The certificate should say what was examined — for example, that the copy is a printout of an electronic document the notary accessed or was shown. Whether a receiving authority accepts that form of wording is its decision, and it is worth asking before you order it.

Domestic certified copies online

A domestic certified copy — the kind a Justice of the Peace or another authorised person makes for an Australian body — follows the rules of the body asking for it. Some Australian bodies have accepted electronically certified copies; many have not. There is no general rule, and state rules on remote witnessing and certification differ and have changed since 2020. Ask the receiving body what it accepts, in writing.

Questions to ask the receiving authority

1. Do you need a certified copy, or will a scan of the original do?
2. If certified, must the certifier be a notary, or any authorised person?
3. Will you accept a copy certified by a notary who examined the original by video, or must the notary have physically handled it?
4. If the original is electronic, will you verify it with the issuer instead?

Get the answers before you book. The receiving authority, not the certifier and not Australian law, decides what it will accept.

Frequently asked questions

Can a notary certify a copy from a scan I email? No. Certification requires the original. A copy of a copy cannot be certified as a true copy of the original.

Can a JP certify my documents over video? It depends on the body receiving the copy and on the rules in the relevant state, which differ. Ask the receiving body first. For anything going overseas, a JP's certification generally will not be accepted anyway.

Is it safe to post my original? Use a tracked service, keep a colour copy, and consider asking the issuer for a second original first. Many Australian registries and universities issue additional originals on request.

Will an online certified copy be apostilled? DFAT authenticates the notary's signature and seal, so it depends on the form of the notarisation. See Online Apostille in Australia.