An apostille and a translation are often asked for together, but they do different jobs. One confirms that a document is genuine; the other makes it readable in another language.
Last reviewed 30 October 2026 against official sources.
An apostille is a certificate used to legalise a public document for use in another country. DFAT describes document legalisation as verifying a signature, stamp or seal on a public document, after which officials issue an apostille or authentication certificate on the original document. It says the certificate is applied directly onto your document, and suggests a notarised copy if you do not want your original marked.
In other words, an apostille confirms that the official marks on a document are genuine. It says nothing about what the document means, and it does not change the language the document is written in.
The apostille system comes from the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents. The Hague Conference on Private International Law status table records that Australia acceded to the Convention on 11 July 1994 and that it entered into force for Australia on 16 March 1995.
Not every country is a party. The Australian Embassy in the Netherlands explains that for documents going to countries that are not signatories to the Hague Convention, DFAT applies an authentication certificate instead, and that an authentication certificate serves the same purpose as an apostille. The receiving country decides which certificate it requires.
An apostilled Australian birth certificate is still in English. If the authority receiving it works in Spanish, Chinese or Arabic, it may also want a translation. Equally, a translation without an apostille may not be enough for an authority that wants proof the original is genuine. The two are separate steps, and the receiving authority decides which ones it needs.
A translation can itself be legalised. DFAT says it can legalise some translated documents, lists the details the translation must carry, and says it only legalises translations completed by a NAATI-certified or recognised translator.
A common example: a couple marrying in a non-English-speaking country may be asked for an apostilled Australian birth certificate and a translation of it. The apostille proves the certificate was issued by an Australian registry; the translation lets the local registrar read it. Each step does a different job, and neither replaces the other.
There is no single answer. Some authorities want the original apostilled and then the whole bundle, apostille included, translated. Others want the translation legalised separately. Ask the receiving authority before you start, so you only pay for each step once.
Foreign documents often arrive with a foreign apostille attached. If the document needs translating for an Australian court, agency or registry, send us the apostille as well. It is part of the document and is translated with it.
We translate documents; we do not issue apostilles or advise on foreign requirements. Confirm what is needed with the receiving authority, DFAT or a lawyer before you order. See our civil records translation page, or upload your documents for a quote.
We translate what your documents say. We do not advise on their legal effect, and we cannot confirm whether a particular court or agency will accept them. Please check requirements with the receiving body or your lawyer.
No. In Australia, DFAT says it is the only legalisation authority. We provide the translation; you arrange legalisation with DFAT.
Yes. The Hague Conference on Private International Law status table records that the Convention entered into force for Australia on 16 March 1995.
DFAT says it can legalise some translated documents completed by a NAATI-certified or recognised translator, provided the translation carries the details it lists. Check DFAT's requirements before you book.
Yes. If an apostille is attached to the document you upload, it is translated along with the rest of the document.
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