How do I get my documents certified?

Visit an authorised certifier with your original document and a copy.

How do I get my documents certified?

  1. Make a copy of the original document.

  2. Take the original document and the copy to an authorised certifier.

  3. They will check that your copy is identical to the original.

  4. On a single-page document, the certifier must: 

    1. Write or stamp ‘This is a certified true copy of the original as sighted by me’.

    2. Continue to point 5 below. 
  5. On documents with multiple pages, the certifier must: 

    1. Write or stamp only on the first or last page ‘I certify this and the following [number of pages] pages to be a true copy of the original as sighted by me’ AND

    2. Sign or initial all other pages.

    3. Continue to point 6 below. 
  6. The certifier must also write or stamp on the copy:

  • their signature

  • the date
  • their full name

  • their occupation

  • their membership registration number, where applicable (e.g. AHPRA number)

  • their phone number

  • their residential or business address (optional)

Who can certify my documents?

A person currently licensed or registered to practice in Australia as one of the following occupations can certify documents:

  • An accountant who meets at least one of the following criteria:
    • Fellow of the National Tax Accountants' Association
    • Member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand
    • Member of the Association of Taxation and Management Accountants
    • Member of CPA Australia
    • Member of the Institute of Public Accountants
  • Architect

  • Chiropractor

  • Conveyancer

  • Dentist

  • Financial adviser or financial planner

  • Legal practitioner

  • Medical practitioner

  • Midwife

  • Migration agent

  • Nurse

  • Occupational therapist

  • Optometrist

  • Patent attorney

  • Pharmacist

  • Physiotherapist

  • Psychologist

  • Trade marks attorney

  • Veterinary surgeon

For a full list of people authorised to certify documents, please click here. Alternatively, refer to Section 39 of the Oaths and Affirmations Act 2018

If you are currently outside of Australia, documents can be certified by the following persons:

  • A solicitor or barrister qualified in Australia and holding a current practicing certificate. This includes Migration Agents who are also solicitors or barristers qualified in Australia. 

  • Officers of any other Australian bank or other Australian financial institution (bank, building society, or credit union) or Australian finance company with offices offshore where the officer has 2 or more years service with Australian financial institutions or Australian finance companies. 

  • A judge, magistrate, registrar, or deputy registrar of an overseas court. 

  • An Australian consular or diplomatic officer who holds one of the following positions: Consul-General, Consul, Vice-Consul, Trade Representative, Consular Agent, Ambassador, High Commissioner, Minister, Head of a Mission, Commissioner, Charge d'Affaires, Counsellor, Secretary or Attache at an Embassy, High Commissioner's office, Legation or similar.

  • A member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, CPA Australia, or the National Institute of Accountants with 2 or more years of continuous membership.

Please note: The certifier must state that the photocopied document is a true copy of the original and must also include on this documentation their full name, signature, and qualification or occupation which makes them eligible.

If you have any questions about getting your documents certified, please contact our Support team