Providing English translations of supporting documents

Check the visa application requirements

Residence visa applications

All supporting documents submitted with your resident visa application must be provided in English or include an English translation.

Visitor visa applications

Previously, applicants provided English translations of medical and police certificates that were not in English. 

All other visa applications

You must provide us with certified English translations of all medical and police certificates. This includes police certificates that record no convictions.

Our requirements for translated documents

Immigration New Zealand does not translate documents on behalf of visa applicants. You must pay for certified translations.

Who can complete a certified translation

Applicants can provide certified translations completed by:

• reputable private or official translation businesses
• community members known for their accurate translations.

We do not accept translations completed by the applicant, family members, or their immigration adviser.

We will also accept translations from a licensed immigration adviser (LIA) who is:

• a trustworthy person within the community
• known to translate documents accurately
• not an adviser on the application.

Using the English spelling of the name in your passport

Check your passport to see if it has your name written in English. Ask your translator to use this spelling when they translate your documents.

If a translator used a different spelling of your name in your translated documents, then include this spelling of your name in the 'other names' section of the visa application form.

Include your 'other names' in the application form

We need to know if you have used other names that are in your translated documents.

For example, if:

• you have a different birth name, or name from a marriage or adoption
• you have other passports with a different name
• the translator used a different name or spelling when translating your documents into English.

In your visa application form, enter all other names that you have used in the section called 'other names'.

Check your translated document

Each translation must:

• be on the translation business’s official letterhead, if possible
• certified as a correct translation by the translator
• stamped or signed by the translator or translation business.

Submitting your original foreign language documents

When you apply for your visa, the supporting documents that you provide us are the:

• original document in a foreign language, and
• a certified English translation of the document.

How you provide the documents depends on if you are applying online or on a paper form.
If applying online, make sure all scanned copies are clear and readable.

Applying for your visa online

Forms, guides and checklists

We may not need an original document or its certified copy in the following situations:

• if we asked for uncertified copies in our form or guide
• if you submitted a legible scan of the original document in the online form
• if you submitted a legible copy of the original document for a temporary entry visa.

When we process your application, we will contact you if we need you to send us a document.