Help with translations
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) provides a free translation service for people settling permanently in Australia. The service is provided to enable permanent settlers to participate in the community by having personal documents translated into English during their initial two year settlement period. Returning Australian citizens may also be eligible for the free translation service within two years of returning to Australia to settle permanently.
Requests for free translation of personal documents from eligible persons may be lodged at select AMEP tuition centres which will then despatch them to a translation service provider. Please provide evidence of your eligibility for this service when lodging documents for translation.
Example: passport with entry stamp or visa label.
To find the location of an AMEP service provider where you can lodge your document for translation:
See: Where can I learn English? (130KB PDF file)
Eligible persons
Persons eligible for free translations are:
Provisional Spouse and Interdependency Visa Holders
Holders of the Provisional Spouse visa subclass 309, Partner (Temporary) subclass 820, and Interdependency (Provisional) subclasses 310 and 826.
Note: these are the only temporary visa categories that are eligible.
Returning Australian Citizens
Returning Australian Citizens may be eligible within two years of returning to Australia to settle permanently. Evidence of the date of return to Australia is required.
Example: passport or airline ticket.
Permanent Visa Holders
Migrants and humanitarian entrants who hold a permanent visa to settle in Australia are eligible for free translations.
Note: there are some exceptions. The tables below list the permanent visa subclasses which are NOT eligible for free translations.
| Offshore grant | Title |
|---|---|
| 119 | Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme |
| 120 | Labour Agreement |
| 121 | Employer Nomination Scheme |
| 124 | Distinguished Talent |
| Onshore grant | Title |
|---|---|
| 857 | Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme |
| 855 | Labour Agreement |
| 856 | Employer Nomination Scheme |
| 858 | Distinguished Talent |
| 845 | Established Business in Australia |
| 846 | S/T Sponsored Regional Established Business in Australia |
Eligibility Period
Documents can only be accepted for free translations within a period of two years after the date of:
- the client’s initial arrival in Australia with a permanent visa or citizenship
- the granting of an onshore permanent visa.
Note: for holders of the four temporary visa classes listed above (who are eligible for free translations while holding temporary visas), the eligibility period shall be from the date of grant of their temporary visa or their arrival in Australia, whichever is later.
Personal documents eligible for translation
The free translation service is available for translating documents into English only.
Personal documents intended for settlement purposes and documents intended for use in legal proceedings in Australia are accepted for free translation.
There are three broad groups of eligible documents.
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Identity & relationship
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Birth certificate, baptism certificate, identity certificate, family registers/books (one only from this group)
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Certificate of change of name – up to two change of name documents will be accepted (issued before migration)
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Marriage certificate – only one marriage document will be accepted (or other acceptable alternative such as household registration documents)
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Divorce certificate – only one divorce document will be accepted (or affidavit)
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Death certificate – only one death certificate will be accepted
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Custody documents (only if essential for settlement purposes)
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Facilitation
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Drivers licence or motor cycle licence – only one licence will be accepted (an international drivers licence is not acceptable)
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Police/penal certificate (if required for employment)
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Medical certificate/report (issued before immigration and needed for medical treatment in Australia)
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Vaccination certificate
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Education & employment (in most circumstances, only the highest educational/vocational qualification is eligible for free translation)
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Primary school certificates (only when required for entry to primary or secondary school)
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Secondary/vocational secondary certificate (only when it is the highest level of education)
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Tertiary certificate
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Transcript of academic record (related to the Education Certificate) may be translated if the transcript is required as a prerequisite for recognition of the qualification or for further study to attain an initial qualification, first degree or for employment
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Professional and trade certificates (must contain an assessment of performance or result in a qualification)
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Employment certificates – maximum of two by 100 word extracts
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References – maximum of two by 100 word extracts
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Letters of appointment/employment contracts – maximum of two by 100 word extracts.
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Fee-free translation of documents is limited to an extract or
summary translation of not more than 100 words, except for medical, legal and educational documents, where the limit is 300 words.
Note: University syllabus and similar documents will not be translated.
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