Certifying Documents

Registration

You may be required to provide certified copies of original documents in support of an application or for other purposes required by the National Law.

The application form will outline which documents must be certified.

For hard copy application forms, certified copies will only be accepted in hard copy by mail or in person (not by fax, email, etc). Photocopies of previously certified documents will not be accepted.

For online application forms, certified copies of documents can be uploaded with your online application.

Any documents containing a photograph (e.g. a passport, driver’s licence, etc.) must be certified by an Authorised Officer with the statement ‘I certify that this is a true copy of the original and the photograph is a true likeness of the person presenting the document as sighted by me.’

Certifying documents instructions

Please print the guide 'Certifying Documents: Instructions for applicants and authorised officers' (PDF 296KB) ’ and take it with you to an Authorised Officer when certifying your documents.

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Who can verify documents?

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In Australia:

Health professions: Chiropractor, dentist, medical practitioner, nurse, optometrist, pharmacist, physiotherapist, psychologist¹
Legal professions: Legal practitioner, patent attorney, trademarks’ attorney
Court positions: Bailiff, justice of the peace, judge, magistrate, registrar or deputy registrar, clerk, master of a court, CEO of a Commonwealth court
Commissioner for Affidavits, or Commissioner for Declarations (dependent on jurisdictions)
Government representatives (elected): Federal, state or territory or local
Public servants: Federal, state or territory or local – employed for five years or more
Employees of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
Bank officer, building society officer, credit union officer, finance company officer – employed for five years or more
Veterinary surgeon
Accountant (member of ICA, ASA, IPA or CPA, ATMA, NTAA)
Minister of religion, or marriage celebrant
Member of:
- Chartered Secretaries Australia
- Engineers Australia, other than at the grade of student
- Australian Defence Force (an officer; or a non-commissioned officer with five or more years of continuous service; a warrant officer)
- Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
Notary public
Holder of a statutory office not specified in another item in this Part
Police officer
Sheriff or sheriff’s officer
Teacher (full-time) at a school or tertiary education institution

Outside Australia:

Justice of the peace
Notary public
Australian Consular Officer or Australian Diplomatic Officer (within the meaning of the Consular Fees Act 1955)
Employee of the Commonwealth or the Australian Trade Commission who works outside Australia

What do the above authorised officers need to do to certify your documents?

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An Authorised Officer should do the following in the presence of the applicant:

Certify that each document is a true copy of the original.
Certify that the photograph on photographic documentation (e.g. licence,passport, etc.) is a true likeness of the applicant presenting the document.

Certified documents must:

Be initialled on every page by the Authorised Officer.
Annotated on the last page as appropriate e.g. ‘I have sighted the original document and certify this to be a true copy of the original’ and signed by the Authorised Officer.
List the name, date of certification, contact phone number and occupation or profession (including occupation or profession number, if relevant) and have the stamp or seal of the Authorised Officer (if relevant).

Any documents containing a photograph must be annotated with the statement ‘I certify that this is a true copy of the original and the photograph is a true likeness of the person presenting the document as sighted by me.’

When are docs not required to be certified?

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Each application form outlines what documents are to be certified copies.

For online applications, all proof of identity documents must be certified as above. Please refer to the online application for detailed information of these requirements