NZ Translations
Est. 2013 · 160+ Languages
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For NZQA International Qualification Assessments · From $49

NZQA Document Translation
in New Zealand.

NZQA will not evaluate your qualification until every document that is not in English has an English translation. We translate the whole set it asks for, and we tell you which papers to leave out, so your assessment fee is not wasted. From Auckland since 2013, with NZSTI-aligned translators and a free check first. This page covers translation for NZQA, not the IQA application itself.

Check My Documents — Free → WhatsApp Us a Photo
✓ Auckland-based since 2013
✓ Whole qualification sets
✓ No JP or notary needed
✓ We flag papers NZQA won’t assess
✓ 160+ languages into English
Free NZQA Document Check — reply in 30 min STEP 1 OF 3
Select date
✅ INZ Accepted 🔒 Confidential 🔁 Free Revision
12+
Years in NZ
3
IQA Types Covered
30min
Quote Response
$0
On JP or Notary
$49
Certified From
Check This First

Do You Actually Need
an NZQA IQA?

Maybe not. An International Qualification Assessment, or IQA, is NZQA’s check of where an overseas qualification sits on New Zealand’s levels. For a visa, many qualifications are already on Immigration New Zealand’s exempt list and skip that check entirely.

📋

The exempt list

The List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment, or LQEA, names overseas qualifications INZ already knows the level of. If yours is on it, with its institution, you usually need no IQA to claim Skilled Migrant points.

🌎

More countries since 2025

From 23 June 2025, qualifications from India, Germany, France, Italy, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sweden and Switzerland joined the list. The UK, USA, Ireland, the Philippines, Malaysia, Hong Kong and South Africa were already on it.

⚠

The list has limits

The LQEA is for immigration only. It does not count for teacher registration, further study or salary decisions. You may still need an IQA for those, even if your visa does not.

No IQA does not mean no translation. If your degree or transcripts are not in English, Immigration New Zealand still needs a certified translation of them for a residence application. Our immigration document translation page covers what the rest of that file needs.

The Checklist

Which Documents Does NZQA
Need Translated?

Every document you upload that is not in English, each one translated separately. NZQA wants all your post-secondary award certificates, not just the highest one, plus a transcript or mark sheet for every year of study.

Document What NZQA expects
PassportThe photo page, plus any page that shows your parents’ names
Award certificatesEvery post-secondary one — each degree certificate and diploma — so NZQA can see your whole pathway
Transcripts or mark sheetsOne for each year, showing every subject and the mark or grade you got
Name change proofA marriage certificate, deed poll or affidavit, if your passport name differs
Trade papersTrade certificate, trade test report or results, and proof of the apprenticeship
SyllabusRecommended, especially for a Teaching or Skill Shortage List IQA

Based on NZQA’s requirements for IQA evidence. Swipe the table on a phone to read both columns.

🎨

Colour scans only

NZQA does not accept black and white copies of colour originals. Every edge, corner, stamp and seal must show, and the back of a page too if anything is written there.

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One document, one file

A document with several pages goes in as a single file, not page by page. NZQA takes .pdf, .jpg, .png and .docx. We send your translations back already set up this way.

📚

Count every year

A three-year degree with semester mark sheets can mean seven documents, not one. Count them before you order, so the quote matches what you actually upload.

If marriage changed your surname, your marriage certificate belongs in the set too. Translated with the rest, it shows NZQA that the name on your passport and the name on your degree are the same person.

Save Your Money

What Should You Not Send
to NZQA?

Anything NZQA has said it cannot evaluate. Paying to translate those is money gone, because they will not be assessed. NZQA only evaluates completed tertiary or vocational qualifications from a recognised provider, with at least 400 hours of learning, about ten weeks of full-time study.

✓ Send and translate ✗ Leave out
Degree and diploma certificatesSecondary school certificates
Transcripts for every yearLetters about work experience
Trade certificates with formal trainingApprenticeships with no formal training
Name change documentAttendance certificates
Syllabus, where availableCISCO, Microsoft and similar training awards
 Professional licences, permits and unfinished courses

From NZQA’s list of what it can and cannot evaluate. Last checked: 22 September 2026.

Our NZQA document translation starts with your pile. It is common to include school-leaving certificates and job references just in case. We will tell you which ones NZQA will not look at, so you only pay for what matters. Also, NZQA expects every page in full, so partial translation is not an option here — our selective translation page shows where it is accepted instead.

Tell Me What to Skip →

Snap everything you have. We’ll mark what NZQA needs and what it doesn’t — free, no obligation.

The Translation Rule

Who Can Translate
Documents for NZQA?

A recognised official translation service. NZQA’s own words are that it cannot process an application without an English translation of each document. That means a professional service that signs for its work, not a friend who speaks the language.

What you do not need to pay for

NZQA does not ask for certified copies. Its current guidance says colour scans of the original documents are enough. It also does not ask for a translation sworn before a Justice of the Peace or sealed by a Notary Public.

That matters, because those extras cost money and time. For NZQA, a certified translation from a professional service is the whole requirement. If a quote includes those extras, ask what they are for.

What a good NZQA translation looks like

A good NZQA certified translation follows the original page for page, so an assessor can hold the two side by side. Subject names, grades, credit values and dates all appear exactly as issued. Stamps and seals are noted where they sit. The translator’s name and a signed statement of accuracy come at the end.

Uploaded with the originals

You upload each translation next to the colour scan of its original. We name our files so it is obvious which translation belongs to which document, which saves NZQA time and saves you a query.

Two Different Steps

Is NZQA Verification
the Same as Translation?

No. Verification proves your qualification is real. Translation lets NZQA read it. You need both, they come from different people, and NZQA requires verification for every IQA application.

1

Online platform

Some institutions and governments run an online check NZQA can open itself.

2

Direct from the institution

Your university emails NZQA from an official address, confirming the certificate and transcripts.

3

A verification service

A trusted independent service such as My eQuals, or your country’s official verification body.

4

Then translation

Separately, each non-English document is translated into English by a professional service.

Start the verification early. NZQA tells applicants not to apply until it can be met, and some universities are slow to reply. Arrange it at the same time as your NZQA translation, not after. For the detail of how yearly records and grading scales are handled, see our academic transcript translation page.

Types of IQA

Which IQA Do You Need: Standard,
Skill Shortage List or Teaching?

It depends on why you need it. A Standard IQA covers one qualification. A Skill Shortage List IQA adds a check against one occupation. A Teaching IQA is for teacher registration or salary, and includes two extra Standard IQAs.

Standard IQA

One qualification compared to the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework, the NZQCF. The result is an electronic recognition statement giving a comparable level and type. Many skilled migrants need just one.

Skill Shortage List IQA

Your qualification is also checked against one occupation on an INZ Skill Shortage List. NZQA recommends including a syllabus for this type, so send one if your institution provides it.

Teaching IQA

Required before the Teaching Council will register an overseas-trained teacher, and also used for salary assessment. Early childhood teachers need one even once registered, as a Ministry of Education rule for centre funding.

NZQA’s own fee is separate from ours. At the time of writing it charges $445 for a Standard IQA, $610 for a Skill Shortage List IQA and $746 for a Teaching IQA. Check NZQA’s fees page for current amounts. Last checked: 22 September 2026.

New Rules

What Changed for Skilled Migrants
in August 2026?

Two things that affect your paperwork. From 24 August 2026, a new Trades and Technician pathway needs an IQA at Level 4 or above for overseas qualifications. And a supporting bachelor’s degree now needs its certificate and transcript, but no IQA of its own.

🔧

Trades and technicians

The new pathway is for skilled trades and technician roles. An overseas qualification must have an IQA confirming Level 4 or higher, alongside years of relevant experience. Keep your trade test report handy, as it is part of the evidence.

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The supporting bachelor’s

Most people claiming points for a Level 8 or 9 qualification must also hold a bachelor’s. INZ wants that degree’s certificate and transcript as evidence, translated if needed, but it does not need its own IQA.

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Same translation, fewer fees

Because the bachelor’s skips its IQA, you save an NZQA fee but still need the documents in English. Order both qualifications from us together and the names and dates line up across the file.

Work visas use the exempt list too. The Green List and the Accredited Employer Work Visa rely on the same LQEA. Our visa document translation page covers the other papers those applications ask for.

Check My Set Against the 2026 Rules →

Tell us your pathway. We’ll tell you exactly which documents to translate.

Skilled Migrant rules are set by Immigration New Zealand and change over time. Confirm the current version before you apply. Last checked: 22 September 2026.

The Real Risk

What Happens If Your NZQA Application
Is Incomplete?

It waits, and it can be cancelled. NZQA gives priority to applications that arrive complete. One that is missing a translation or a document is put on hold. If the gap is not filled in time, NZQA can cancel it, usually without refunding the fee.

Why complete matters more than fast

A missing translation does not just delay your result. It moves you behind everyone who got it right first time. NZQA says delays come from two things: incomplete applications and problems verifying documents. NZQA document translation is the one of those we can take off your list.

If NZQA asks for more

NZQA emails you if something is missing and gives you a deadline to reply. Miss it and the application can be closed. That is why we quote a ready date before you order, and why express delivery exists for moments like this.

The appeal window is now short

For applications made from 30 July 2026, an appeal against the result must be lodged within 20 working days. It costs $765, you can only appeal once, and NZQA asks you to contact it first to talk the result through. A translation that gets a grade or a title wrong can lead there. Getting it right first time is far cheaper than fixing it later.

A Different Route

Do Nurses, Doctors and University Applicants
Need NZQA at All?

Usually not. Nurses and doctors are assessed by their own councils, and universities check applicants’ qualifications themselves. We would rather point you the right way than sell you an NZQA translation you will not use.

Nurses

The Nursing Council assesses nursing qualifications itself. First your documents go through TruMerit’s verification service, which asks for translations to come from your school where possible. Follow TruMerit’s handbook on that point. Nurses already registered in Australia skip this step.

Doctors

The Medical Council handles registration, with documents checked through MyIntealth before you apply. NZQA is not part of that process, so check the Council’s own checklist for what it wants.

University applicants

Universities assess overseas study case by case. Their rules differ from NZQA’s: Victoria and Otago, for example, ask for certified copies, and Auckland asks for school transcripts to be translated too.

Working in healthcare here? Clinical records and health documents are a separate kind of work from qualifications. Our medical translation page covers those.

Clear Pricing

How Much Does NZQA Document Translation
Cost in New Zealand?

From $49 for a single certificate, or from $129 for a whole qualification. We price qualification translation the way NZQA counts. One qualification means the certificate plus every year of its transcripts, so the quote matches your IQA.

Single Certificate
From $49
one certificate · GST inclusive
📄 A degree, diploma or one extra document
  • ✓Translated in full, page for page
  • ✓Signed statement of accuracy
  • ✓Stamps and seals noted
  • ✓Ready to upload to NZQA
Most Chosen
One Qualification
From $129
per qualification · GST inclusive
🎓 Everything for one Standard IQA
  • ✓Award certificate included
  • ✓Every year’s transcript or mark sheet
  • ✓Names matched across the set
  • ✓Less than ordering each page alone
Full Qualification Set
From $199
all qualifications · GST inclusive
📚 Every post-secondary qualification
  • ✓Diploma, bachelor’s and master’s together
  • ✓Name change document included
  • ✓Fits a Teaching IQA with two extras
  • ✓One consistent delivery
Choose Your Turnaround

Add a faster speed to any option if NZQA has set you a deadline.

Standard
3–5 working days
Included
Express
Within 24 hours
+$20
Urgent
Within 12 hours
+$50

The prices above are starting prices. The final figure depends on how many pages and years your qualifications cover — semester mark sheets add up quickly — and on the language. Send photos and you get back a written quotation with the exact figure and a ready date. There is no JP or notary charge, because NZQA does not ask for one. Nothing is charged until you approve.

Prices last reviewed: 22 September 2026. All prices include GST.

Still Wondering

What Else Do People Ask About
NZQA Translation?

Can you apply to NZQA for me?

▾
No. You apply through NZQA’s online portal yourself, or through an agent or adviser acting for you. Our job is the translations. We prepare each one ready to upload next to its original, and we flag anything NZQA will not assess.

Will NZQA accept a WES report or an evaluation from another country?

▾
No. NZQA says it cannot accept recognition evaluations from other countries, because its own compares your qualification to New Zealand’s framework. An overseas evaluation cannot replace an IQA, though the organisation you are applying to may accept one directly — ask them first.

How long does NZQA document translation take?

▾
An NZQA translation of a single certificate is quick. A full qualification with years of mark sheets takes longer, because every subject and grade has to be checked against the original. Your written quote gives a ready date, and express or urgent delivery is there if NZQA has asked you for something by a deadline.

Can you translate my NCEA results for study overseas?

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Yes. NZQA issues a New Zealand Record of Achievement and, for some countries, an Overseas Result Notice. It also has arrangements such as converting NCEA Level 3 for German university entry. If a university abroad wants those papers in its own language, we translate from English, and our apostille services page covers the stamp many countries also ask for.

Do you work with immigration advisers and agents?

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Yes. Advisers send us a client’s full set and get back translations laid out the same way every time, which makes checking faster. Tell us you are acting for a client and we will send the quote and the finished files to you.

Is there an NZQA translator near me in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch or Hamilton?

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You do not need one nearby. NZQA takes digital uploads, so our NZQA translation service works entirely online from Auckland. Photograph or scan your documents in colour, send them by WhatsApp or email, and the translations come back as files ready for the portal.
By Language

Which Language Are Your
Qualifications Written In?

Each language page explains the quirks of that country’s certificates, dates and names.

🇨🇳
Chinese
Degrees & graduation certificates
 🇮🇳
Hindi
Mark sheets & degrees
 🇯🇵
Japanese
Era-dated certificates
 🌐
Arabic
Hijri-dated degrees

Not Sure What NZQA Wants?
Send Us Everything — We’ll Sort It Out.

Photos of every certificate and mark sheet, plus your passport page, are all it takes. A real person in Auckland sorts what NZQA will assess from what it will not. Then we count the pages and send one written quotation for the lot. It is free, arrives within half an hour, and commits you to nothing. We have worked from Auckland since 2013, and a mistake on our side is corrected at our cost.

Start My Free Check → WhatsApp a Photo

Auckland-based since 2013 · Open 7 days · NZSTI-aligned translators · From $49