Does an Australian visa require a NAATI translation?
If you lodge inside Australia, Home Affairs strongly prefers NAATI and can reject other translations. If you lodge from Thailand, a Thai consular-legalised translation is accepted, but NAATI has the widest acceptance across DHA, BDM, AHPRA, and universities.
In-depth Answer
Short answer: 'not strictly NAATI', but Home Affairs policy says translations must be 'accurate' and 'certified', and NAATI is the only Australian certification DHA accepts without question.
Field cases: (1) an 820 partner lodgement in Sydney used a Thai consular translation — the case officer requested NAATI because they could not read the Thai stamp; (2) an 189 lodged from Thailand went through with NAATI alone, no consular step; (3) VETASSESS, AHPRA, and Engineers Australia mandate NAATI (or an equivalent overseas authority) — a Thai consular translation is rejected outright.
NYC's rule of thumb: lodging inside Australia = NAATI, no exceptions.
Lodging from Thailand on a tight budget = consular can work, but NAATI usually costs only a little more and covers every future scenario.
Related questions
Documents most Australia visa applicants translate into English
Pick the document and the hub nearest you — MoJ-sworn + MFA-stamped here, then layered with the NAATI seal for use in Australia.
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