Certified copies for use overseas
A copy certified by a notary, ready for an apostille if the receiving country needs one.
What a notarised certified copy is
A copy of your document with a notarial certificate, in which the notary confirms that he has compared the copy with the original and that they match. Overseas bodies, and DFAT, can then rely on it.
Documents we commonly certify
- passports and driver licences;
- birth, marriage and change of name certificates;
- degrees, transcripts and other qualifications;
- company extracts, constitutions and resolutions;
- property and bank records.
Bring the original
The notary must inspect the original before certifying a copy, so we cannot certify from a scan, a photograph or an email. A copy of a copy can sometimes be certified, but many overseas bodies will not accept it, so ask first.
When you may not need a notary
Some Australian documents can go straight to DFAT as originals: an original certificate issued by Births, Deaths and Marriages, or an original university document that the university has verified for DFAT. If the receiving body is happy with the original plus an apostille, that is often simpler.
Documents in other languages
A notary may certify a copy of a document in a language other than English, provided the copy and the original are identical. If the receiving body needs a translation, that is a separate step.
Foreign qualifications
An overseas degree cannot be apostilled in Australia, even as a notarised copy. Ask the receiving body what it accepts.
Several copies
Some countries accept several copies under one certificate, which costs less. We check whether yours does.
Book a notary appointment
Tell us about the document and where it is going. We reply within one business day with what it needs and a quote.
What happens next
- Send the form, or email the document.
- We reply within one business day with what is needed and a quote.
- We book a time at our Frankston office.
Phone: 1800 776 529
Email: info@frankstonnotary.com.au
Hours: Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5:30 pm
Office: 435 Nepean Highway, Frankston VIC 3199. Notarial appointments are at the office only.