Certified Translation

Documents to prepare

• • Original or freshly issued certified copy from the issuing authority (not a photocopy)
• • Passport copies of every person named, so spellings match exactly
• • Any written requirement from the receiving body (university, embassy, employer)
• • A list of preferred spellings for names of companies, temples or villages
• • Power of attorney if someone else handles the process for you
• • High-resolution colour scans for the pre-check before originals are sent

Step-by-step process

1. 1. Confirm destination and system — Tell us the country, authority and purpose so the correct certification route is chosen from the start.
2. 2. Pre-check the source document — Validity, seals and name spelling against the passport are verified before translation begins.
3. 3. Translate and double-review — A translator plus an independent reviewer check figures, dates and official body names.
4. 4. Issue the certification — A Certificate of Accuracy is attached, or the file is routed into the sworn/NAATI system required.
5. 5. Continue the legalisation chain — For foreign government use, the file continues to the Department of Consular Affairs and the destination-specific step.

Pitfalls and rejection causes

• • Name spelling that differs from the passport is the number one cause of rejection.
• • Self-translation or a provider outside the accepted system is usually refused even when accurate.
• • Do not unstaple or rebind a certified set — broken cross-page seals invalidate it.
• • Some documents have a short acceptance window; plan backwards from your appointment date.

Tips from our team

• • Agree on the English names of Thai authorities up front to avoid follow-up queries.
• • Keep one spare certified set before submitting anything.
• • If several countries are involved, say so early so one original set can serve all of them.

• Order fresh certified copies

  Many civil-registry and court documents are only accepted if issued recently. Request a newly certified copy before translation rather than reusing an old photocopy.

• Sequence the steps so originals stay valid

  When translation, certification and apostille or embassy steps are chained, allow for each authority's queue and start with the longest step so the underlying original does not age out.

• Send full-page colour scans

  Scan in colour at 300 dpi or higher, showing seals, signatures, document numbers and page edges, including any stamped reverse side. Illegible areas must be marked as such in the translation, which invites rejection.

• Tell us the fixed terms

  Company names, institution names, academic titles and drug names should follow the English form already used in your other filings so the whole bundle stays consistent.

• Altering figures or date formats

  Translations must preserve the source data, including correct conversion of Buddhist-era years with the calendar system stated. A single mistyped digit voids the document.

• Self-translated documents

  Most authorities refuse translations produced by the applicant or a relative, even if accurate, because there is no identifiable certified translator behind them.

• Leaving page elements untranslated

  Seals, signatures, reverse-side text and marginal notes must all be rendered or described. Omitting them is one of the most common rejection causes.

• Using the wrong certification system

  A consular-certified Thai translation does not replace a NAATI translation for Australian authorities, and a NAATI stamp is not a Thai government certification. Choose the system that matches the destination from the start.