NAATI or certified translation: which one do you need

Almost every process in Australia will ask you for documents in English: degrees, transcripts, birth certificates, police checks, driver licences, employment letters. If yours are in Spanish, you need them translated. The usual question is which kind of translation to get.

What NAATI is

NAATI (National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters) is the Australian authority that certifies translators and interpreters. A NAATI translation is done by a translator with a current credential, who signs and stamps it with their Certified Practitioner Number (CPN).

You can verify any translator's credential in the official NAATI directory.

What a standard certified translation is

It is a professional translation that comes with a statement from the translator certifying that it is faithful to the original. It does not carry a NAATI stamp. It works for processes that do not require NAATI, for example some education providers or private processes that accept certified translations.

The difference is not about quality but about who accepts it. So the right question is not “which one is better?” but “what does the organisation receiving the document ask for?”.

What Home Affairs says

For visa applications, Home Affairs gives this guidance on documents in languages other than English:

• You must provide an English translation of every document that is not in English, along with the original.
• If the translation is done in Australia, it must be done by a NAATI accredited translator.
• Translators outside Australia do not have to be NAATI accredited, but each translation must include the translator's details in English: full name, address, phone number, and their qualifications and experience in the language.
• Missing translations may delay the application.

In practice, many people choose NAATI even when they are outside Australia: the format is widely recognised, the credential can be checked online and the same translation works later for other processes inside the country.

How to know which one you need

1. Check who receives the document. Home Affairs, a skills assessing authority, a university, your state licensing body or an employer may each have different rules.
2. Read their instructions or ask them. If they say “NAATI certified translation”, there is nothing to discuss.
3. Think about future use. If the same document will serve your visa and then another process, it may pay to do it in NAATI once.
4. If in doubt, ask us before you pay. We tell you what suits your process.

If it is for a Skills Assessment

Assessing authorities such as VETASSESS or TRA publish their own rules on translations, and these may differ from Home Affairs. Before translating, check the guide from the authority assessing your occupation. That way you avoid paying twice for the same document.

Reference prices at Triaje

Per page, for 1 to 7 pages and for 8 pages or more:

• NAATI Spanish to English: AUD 35 and AUD 30.
• NAATI English to Spanish: AUD 40 and AUD 35.
• Standard certified Spanish and English: AUD 16 and AUD 15.
• ID or licence: AUD 35 in NAATI and AUD 20 standard certified.

All prices are confirmed with a quote once we review your documents. The Express service costs an extra 50%.

Tips to get your translation right the first time

• Send clear PDF scans, including both sides of the document if it has them.
• Check that names match your passport. If there are differences, let us know.
• Include stamps, signatures and margin notes: they get translated too.
• Avoid translating your own documents for an official process, even if your English is great: an independent translator is usually expected.
• Keep your translations. At Triaje we store them for 1 year in case you need them again.

For a quote, upload your documents on Translations and we will reply in under 4 hours.