While most modern passports contain some English text, many Australian government departments and legal bodies require a full certified translation of passports issued in other languages. If you need a passport translation Australia authorities will accept, it must be completed by a NAATI-certified translator and accompanied by the official certification stamp.
When Is a Passport Translation Required?
You might assume that because passports follow an international standard (ICAO), a translation would not be necessary. However, Australian government departments often require certified translations of passport bio-data pages, visa pages, and entry/exit stamps — particularly when the passport contains annotations, endorsements, or observations in a foreign language.
Common scenarios where passport translation Australia services are needed include:
- Immigration and visa applications where the full passport history must be documented
- Citizenship applications requiring proof of identity and travel history
- Legal proceedings where a passport is submitted as evidence of identity
- Name discrepancy resolution — when the passport name differs from other documents
- Proof of identity for banking, real estate, and legal transactions
- Insurance and superannuation claims requiring identity verification
- Age verification for various government services
The Department of Home Affairs frequently requests passport translations as part of visa processing, particularly when they need to verify travel history, previous visa stamps, or identity details that appear only in the foreign language sections of the passport.
What Gets Translated in a Passport
A full passport translation typically covers:
- The bio-data page (personal details including name, date of birth, nationality, issue and expiry dates)
- Any observations or endorsements pages
- Visa stamps and entry/exit records if requested
- Amendment pages showing name changes, extensions, or corrections
- The machine-readable zone (MRZ) is usually not translated separately, as it follows the ICAO standard
In most cases, only the bio-data page needs translating. However, if your application requires a full travel history or if specific visa stamps are relevant to your case, additional pages may need to be included. Our translators will advise you on exactly what is needed based on your situation.
Languages We Translate Passports From
We provide certified passport translations from any language into English. The most commonly requested include:
- Arabic translation — for passports from the Middle East and North Africa
- Chinese translation — for Chinese, Taiwanese, and Hong Kong passports
- Japanese translation — Japanese passports with annotations in Japanese script
- Korean translation — South Korean passports
- Vietnamese translation — for Vietnamese passports
- Thai translation — Thai passports and travel documents
- Russian translation — for Russian internal and international passports
- Persian translation and Dari translation — for Iranian and Afghan passports
- Hindi translation — Indian passports with Hindi text
- Urdu translation — for Pakistani passports
- Turkish translation — for Turkish passports and travel documents
- Indonesian translation — for Indonesian passports
- Cambodian translation and Burmese translation
- Amharic translation — for Ethiopian passports and travel documents
- Pashto translation — for Afghan passports
Russian Internal Passports — A Special Case
Russian citizens hold two passports: an internal passport (used within Russia) and an international passport (used for travel abroad). Australian authorities sometimes request translations of both, particularly for citizenship applications or legal proceedings.
The internal passport contains details not found in the international version, including residential registration (propiska), marital status, and children's details. Our Russian translation team is highly experienced with both formats and understands the specific terminology used in Soviet-era and modern Russian identity documents.
Pricing, Turnaround, and How to Order
Our passport translation Australia service starts from $80 for a standard bio-data page translation. If additional pages (visa stamps, observations, amendments) are required, we will provide an exact quote based on the number of pages before beginning any work.
Standard turnaround is 24 to 48 hours, with the completed certified translation delivered as a PDF via email. Every translation is completed by a translator with over 10 years of NAATI experience and includes the full NAATI certification — stamp, credential number, signed declaration, and date.
All of our passport translations are accepted by every Australian government department, including the Department of Home Affairs, the Australian Taxation Office, state transport authorities, and all courts and tribunals.
If you are preparing a visa or citizenship application that requires multiple translated documents, consider submitting your passport alongside your birth certificate, police check, and any other foreign-language documents. We can translate them as a package, which often saves time and allows us to offer a combined quote.
To get started, scan or photograph the relevant pages of your passport and submit them through our quote form. We will confirm the price and turnaround time within minutes.