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.’
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.
In Australia:
Outside Australia:
An Authorised Officer should do the following in the presence of the applicant:
Certified documents must:
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.’
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