Documents You Need Notarised When Studying Abroad

When you study abroad from Australia, you may need documents notarised at three stages: the university application, the student visa, and registration on arrival. Most universities accept scans or want transcripts sent directly, so a notary is often not needed. The visa authority is where notarised, apostilled documents are most likely to be asked for.

Key takeaways

• Most overseas universities accept scans or official digital transcripts with an application, and verify later.
• "Sent directly from the issuing institution" means exactly that. A notarised copy will not satisfy it.
• The student visa authority, not the university, sets the strictest document rules.
• For an apostille on a transcript or degree copy, DFAT requires the notary's certificate to state the original was verified with the university.
• Before you come home, think about your foreign degree: it is authenticated in the country that issued it, which is easiest while you are still there.

Who is this page for?

This page is for Australians heading overseas for a semester, a degree or postgraduate research. They meet three sets of paperwork: the university application, the student visa, and registration once they arrive. A notary can be needed at each stage, but far less often than people assume. At the first stage, using one can actually be the wrong move. If you are coming to Australia to study, see documents for an Australian student visa instead.

What does the university application need?

Most universities abroad accept uploaded scans of your transcript and degree with the application, and verify later. Many Australian universities also issue official digital transcripts that can be shared directly with another institution. If the university you are applying to accepts either, you need no notary at this stage.

Some universities and application services do want certified copies. Read the requirement carefully, because two phrases that look similar ask for opposite things.

• "Certified" or "officially certified" copies can often be made by an Australian notary, who sights the original and certifies the copy. Some countries accept certification only by particular public bodies, so ask whether an Australian notarial certificate qualifies before you book.
• "Sent directly from the issuing institution" means exactly that. A notarised copy will not satisfy it, however well sealed. Ask your Australian university to send the transcript itself.

The same applies to credential evaluation services, which some countries use to assess foreign qualifications before admission. Many insist on receiving documents directly from the university and refuse notarised copies. Check before paying for any. The pages on notarising an academic transcript and certifying a university degree cover the difference between the testamur and the transcript, and what to bring.

What if the university or visa wants an apostille?

Where a certified copy must also be apostilled, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has a specific rule for university documents. DFAT legalises an original degree or transcript once the university has verified it. A notarised copy is accepted only if the notary's certificate states that the original record was verified with the issuing institution. A plain "true copy" certificate does not satisfy DFAT. DFAT's list of documents it can legalise sets this out.

1. Confirm what is wanted: a certified copy, an apostilled copy, or the original sent directly.
2. Book the notary and mention that the copy is for an apostille, so the university verification can be arranged.
3. Bring the original testamur or transcript, and photo identification such as your passport.
4. Verification and certification. The original is verified with your university, and the notary certifies the copy with wording that says so.
5. Send it to DFAT for the apostille, then on to the university or visa authority as instructed.

So an apostilled transcript takes longer than a notarised one: the verification step sits in the middle. Ask the notary about it when booking. Whether the destination takes an apostille at all must be checked against the HCCH status table on the day. If it is not a member, DFAT authentication and legalisation at its embassy follow. See apostille and authentication.

What does the student visa need?

Once admitted, you apply for the destination's student visa or residence permit. Its authority, not the university, sets the document rules, and this is where authentication is most likely to be required. Common items include the following.

• Evidence of funds. Usually a bank letter or statements. Often the bank's own letter is better than a notarised statement; see notarising a bank statement.
• A sponsor's declaration. If parents or a sponsor are funding you, some countries want their written undertaking of support, and some want it signed before a notary. The sponsor signs it, not the student, so the sponsor attends.
• A police check, for longer stays in some countries. Get the exact type asked for; a national check can generally go to DFAT directly.
• A birth certificate, especially for students under 18. A registry certificate may be apostilled by DFAT directly, without a notary. Confirm with DFAT.
• Health insurance and medical evidence, which are usually not notarial documents at all.

Destination-specific pages, such as a Germany visa application from Australia, show how much this varies. The visa authority is the receiving authority for these documents, and its current list governs.

Document	Usual route from Australia	Notary?
Transcript for an application	Scan, digital share, or sent by the university	Usually not
Certified transcript copy with apostille	Verified with the university, notarised, then DFAT	Yes
Bank letter for funds	The bank's own letter	Only if asked
Sponsor's undertaking	Signed by the sponsor, sometimes before a notary	Sometimes
National police check	DFAT directly	Usually not
Birth certificate	DFAT directly	Usually not
Parents' consent for a minor	Signed before a notary, then DFAT	Yes

What about students under 18?

For students under 18, expect to need consent from both parents, and possibly a document appointing a guardian in the destination. A consent for use overseas is signed by each parent before a notary and then apostilled or authenticated. A Justice of the Peace is not the right witness for it: a JP's signature is not recognised overseas and cannot be apostilled. See enrolling a child in an overseas school and travel consent letters.

What happens when you arrive?

Many countries require international students to register with local authorities or collect a residence permit after arrival. Some ask again for documents already seen by the consulate. Carry the authenticated originals rather than packing them in shipped luggage. Bring extra certified copies too, where they were cheap to obtain at the same notary appointment.

Documents you need later are much harder to authenticate from abroad. A notary must sight the original, and DFAT authenticates in Australia; doing that from another country means posting originals home. If you are going for several years, consider ordering spare originals of your birth certificate before you leave.

If someone at home will handle your bank, car or lease while you are away, a power of attorney signed before you leave saves a great deal of trouble. For use in Australia, powers of attorney follow state or territory rules, and a solicitor can advise on the right form. See powers of attorney and declarations.

What should you do before you come home?

The document people forget is the one they earn. When you finish, your foreign degree and transcript are foreign documents. If you will need them authenticated later, for further study in a third country, a job abroad or professional registration, that happens in the country that issued them. It is far easier to arrange while you are still there. Many Australian employers and universities accept foreign qualifications without authentication, but some professional bodies are stricter. DFAT never legalises foreign education documents, even if they are notarised in Australia.

How are translations handled?

If a document needs translating, the receiving country decides whose translation it accepts. Some want their own sworn translators; some accept a translation made in Australia by a NAATI-credentialled translator. Ask before commissioning one, and ask whether the translation comes before or after the apostille. See document translation.

Here is an illustration, not a real case

A Melbourne graduate is admitted to a master's programme in Europe. The university accepts her official digital transcript, so she needs no notary to apply. The student visa authority then asks for an apostilled copy of her degree and a sponsor's undertaking from her parents. Her notary arranges verification of the degree with her university, certifies the copy with that wording, and DFAT apostilles it. Her parents sign their undertaking before the same notary. Before she flies, she orders a spare birth certificate.

In short

Studying abroad from Australia usually needs a notary at one stage: the student visa. Universities mostly accept scans or want transcripts sent directly, and a notarised copy cannot replace a document the institution must send. For an apostilled degree or transcript copy, DFAT requires the original to be verified with the university. Carry originals, get spares before you leave, and authenticate your foreign degree where it was issued before you come home.

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Heading overseas to study? Send us the university's and visa authority's document lists, and we will explain each step before you book.