When submitting various application documents to Australia, you may be told "a translation by a NAATI-accredited translator is required."
However, did you know that there are actually many cases where translations that are not NAATI-certified are still accepted?
In this article, based on our own track record, we explain whether a NAATI translation is really necessary for documents intended for Australia.
What Is NAATI?
NAATI (National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters) is the body that accredits translators and interpreters within Australia.
It exists to support immigrants and international students residing in Australia and to maintain a baseline level of quality.
For that reason, NAATI accreditation is often required for translators based in Australia.
So, Are Translations by Japanese Translation Companies Accepted?
To put it simply: translations produced by a Japanese translation company such as ours are accepted without issue in many cases.
We have handled a large number of Australia-bound translation requests, and they have been accepted at a very high rate.
[What the Embassy Confirmed]
In the past, we contacted the Australian Embassy directly for confirmation.
Their reply was, in essence:
"A NAATI-accredited translation is, in principle, required when the translation is performed within Australia. For documents translated outside of Australia, such as in Japan, a translation certificate issued by the translation company is often sufficient."
In other words, a NAATI translation is not always mandatory.
[Track Record] Cases Accepted vs. Cases Not Accepted
The following are cases we have actually handled in which our translations were accepted by the Australian side:
Accepted (handled with our translation + translation certificate)
- Tourist visa applications
- Student visa applications
- Working holiday visa applications
- Work visa applications
- Permanent residence applications
- Submissions to Australian car rental companies (English translation of a Japanese driver's license)
Not accepted (NAATI translation was required)
- Obtaining an Australian driver's license locally (submission to Service NSW / English translation of a Japanese driver's license) → In this case, a NAATI-accredited translation was required.
Note: Acceptance Is Not Guaranteed in All Cases
As shown above, many cases are accepted even without NAATI accreditation, but the outcome can depend on the situation and on the receiving organization's judgment.
If our translation is not accepted, we offer a full refund guarantee, so you can request our services with confidence.
Summary: Is NAATI "Mandatory"? Judge Each Case Individually
- For translations performed outside Australia, there are many cases where a non-NAATI translation is accepted.
- However, certain organizations (e.g., Service NSW) do require a NAATI-accredited translation.
- We are not a NAATI-affiliated company, but we have a strong track record of acceptance with translations accompanied by a translation certificate.
- Full refund guarantee if the translation is not accepted.
If you are considering certified translations for Australia (family registers, academic transcripts, driver's licenses, etc.), please feel free to contact us. We will support your document translation quickly and carefully.
