NZ Translations
Est. 2013 · 160+ Languages
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Translation + Notary Public in one order · From $149

Notarised Translation
in New Zealand.

An office overseas has asked for a notarised translation — or a notarized translation, as American forms spell it — and now you need a translator and a Notary Public as well. We handle both on one order, so you are not booking two appointments or paying two bills. We have prepared documents for overseas use from Auckland since 2013. Before anything else, we will check whether you need notarisation at all — for most New Zealand government offices, you do not. This page covers notarised translation for use outside New Zealand. For documents staying here, a certified translation is usually all that is asked for.

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✓ Auckland-based since 2013
✓ Translator and notary, one order
✓ We tell you if you do not need it
✓ Apostille arranged if required
✓ 160+ languages in house
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Do You Actually Need a
Notarised Translation?

Only if the document is going overseas and the office there asked for one. Immigration New Zealand, the Department of Internal Affairs and NZQA ask for a certified translation, not a notarised one. We lead with this because a notary fee paid by mistake is money you will not get back, and we would rather keep your trust than take that fee.

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You need it when…

A foreign university, employer, court, embassy or government office has asked for it in writing. Or you are sending your own translation to the Department of Internal Affairs for an apostille, which requires a New Zealand Notary Public to sign it first.

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You do not need it when…

The document is for a visa, residence, citizenship or a qualification assessment here in New Zealand. Those offices want a certified translation from a professional service. A notary seal on top adds cost and nothing else.

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If you are not sure

Forward us the email or letter that asked for the translation. The exact words they used usually settle it in one read, because overseas offices tend to say precisely what they want. If notarisation is not required, we will tell you plainly and you keep the notary fee.

We see this every week. Someone applying for a New Zealand visa reads an overseas website, decides they need everything notarised, and pays for it. Their visa file only ever needed a certified translation. If that is where your document is going, our immigration document translation page covers exactly what Immigration New Zealand asks for.

Three Words, Three Meanings

What Is the Difference Between a Certified,
Notarised and Sworn Translation?

Who is standing behind it. A certified translation is backed by the translator. A notarised translation adds a Notary Public confirming the identity of that translator. A sworn translation comes from a court-appointed translator — and New Zealand does not have those.

  Certified Notarised Sworn
Who signsThe translatorThe translator, in front of a Notary PublicA translator appointed by a court
Used forINZ, DIA, NZQA and most NZ officesOverseas offices and apostillesCountries with a sworn system
In New ZealandAvailableAvailableDoes not exist here
Our priceFrom $49From $149—

Asked for a sworn translation?

People from Spain, Italy, Germany, Brazil and much of Latin America often reach us after searching for a sworn translator here, because that is what they grew up with at home. New Zealand never set up that system, so no one here holds that title — and anyone claiming to is not telling you the truth.

What a sworn-translation country will usually accept from New Zealand is a notarised translation, often with an apostille added. We check with you what the receiving office actually wrote before we prepare anything, because the right answer depends on that one country.

Going the other way is simpler. If the document is staying here for a citizenship application, the Department of Internal Affairs wants a certified version and nothing more — our citizenship document translation page shows what that office asks for.

Why we will not call ours sworn

When someone asks us how to get a notarised translation NZ offices abroad will trust, the honest answer is a certified and notarised translation, labelled as exactly that.

You will see the word used loosely online, including by businesses in New Zealand. We would rather lose a search than put a title on your document that it is not entitled to — our name goes on every page we sign, and we intend to keep it clean. A receiving office that knows its rules will notice, and then the whole thing starts again.

The Common Myth

Does a Notary Public Check
Whether the Translation Is Correct?

No. The notary confirms who signed the translation, not what it says. A Notary Public does not need to read the language at all. Whether the translation is accurate is still entirely down to the translator — which means it is still down to us.

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What the notary actually does

Checks the translator’s photo ID to confirm their identity, watches them sign a declaration that the translation is accurate, then adds a notarial seal, stamp and signature. The seal proves a real, named person stands behind the words. That is its whole job.

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Why that matters to you

A poor translation stays poor after it is notarised. It just has an official seal on it now, which makes the mistake harder to fix. Sealed pages cannot be edited, so an error found later means doing the translation and the notary step again.

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So we check before the seal

Names are matched to your passport and dates are checked against the original before anyone signs. We send you the draft to look over as well, because you know how your own name and your parents’ names should read. Only once you are happy does it go to the notary.

One more rule worth knowing. A translator cannot notarise their own signature. The notary has to be independent and impartial, which is exactly what gives the seal its value overseas. This is why we work alongside a Notary Public rather than doing it ourselves — and why every notarised translation starts with a certified one underneath, like the birth certificate translation most of our notarised jobs begin with.

A Costly Mix-Up

Can a Justice of the Peace Notarise
a Translation for Overseas Use?

No. A Justice of the Peace is for use inside New Zealand. For a document going overseas you need a Notary Public, and the Department of Internal Affairs will only accept a notary’s signature when it adds an apostille.

Who a Notary Public actually is

The New Zealand Society of Notaries describes a notary as a lawyer authorised by the Archbishop of Canterbury in England to witness signatures, take sworn statements and certify documents, usually for use overseas. It is an old arrangement, and it is exactly why notaries are recognised abroad in a way a JP is not.

A JP, by contrast, is a respected local volunteer. Their signature carries real weight in New Zealand courts and offices. It simply does not travel.

Where the confusion comes from

Some Australian websites say a Justice of the Peace can witness a notarised translation. That can be true there. It is not how it works for a New Zealand document heading overseas, and a lot of people read those pages first because they rank well.

We see the result more often than we would like: a translation witnessed by a JP, sent to an embassy, and posted back weeks later. The fee is gone and so is the time. If you remember one line from this page, make it this one — overseas means Notary Public.

When a JP is the right choice

For a New Zealand court, a JP affirmation is often exactly what is wanted. That is a different job for a different destination, and our legal translation page covers when a court-ready translation is the one to choose.

The Next Step

How Does a Notarised Translation
Fit With an Apostille?

It comes first. If you arrange your own translation and want an apostille on it, the government rules say it must be notarised by a New Zealand notary before the Department of Internal Affairs will touch it. Notarisation is usually one link in that chain, not the end of it.

1

Translate

A certified translation of your document, checked against your passport and the original.

2

Notarise

The translator signs before a Notary Public, who adds the notarial seal. Usually every page is sealed.

3

Apostille

DIA checks the notary’s signature against its records and attaches the apostille certificate.

4

Sent overseas

Couriered to you or straight to the receiving office. Nothing can be changed once it is sealed.

The honest option we will tell you about. The Department of Internal Affairs runs its own translation service at $95 a document, and translations done that way do not need a separate notary. For a single certificate with no deadline, that can be the cheaper route.

The trade-off is control and speed: you cannot use DIA’s faster service when DIA does the translating. If you have a date to meet, or several documents, arranging it with us usually wins. Either way, we will tell you which route suits you, even when the answer is not us. Our apostille services page explains the whole route.

Apostille rules are set by the Department of Internal Affairs and can change. Please confirm the current position on the official government page before you rely on it. Last checked: 21 September 2026.

One Order

How Do You Get a Notarised Translation
Without Two Separate Appointments?

You send us the document once. This is notary translation without the running around: we translate it, take it to our Notary Public ourselves, and send you the finished notarised translation. You never book a notary, and you never visit a law office.

What doing it alone looks like

Find a translator and wait for the translation. Then find a notary, book an appointment, travel there with your paperwork and pay their fee separately. Two businesses, two bills, and the notary will want an English translation in hand before they will do anything.

What it looks like with us

One photo of your document, one written quotation, one payment, one delivery. We handle the notary appointment because it is the translator who has to sign in front of them anyway, not you. The person who translated your document is the same person who signs for it, so there is always someone accountable for every word.

Tell us the destination first

Some countries want the notarised translation stapled to a notarised copy of the original. Others want the original itself. The receiving office decides, so give us their instructions and we build the job around them rather than guessing.

Start My Notarised Translation →

One photo, one written quotation, no appointment for you to book.

For companies. Powers of attorney, board resolutions and contracts for an overseas deal are private documents, so they need a notary before anything else can happen. Sending the whole set on one order is far cheaper than paying a notary per visit — our business translation page covers how those bundles are put together.

Clear Pricing

How Much Does a Notarised Translation
Cost in New Zealand?

From $149, with the translation and the Notary Public NZ fee both included. Most New Zealand notaries charge around $150 to $207 for the notary step alone, so on one order with us you pay less than the seal usually costs by itself. We can do that because we have a standing arrangement with our Notary Public rather than booking one fresh each time.

Notarised Translation
From $149
per document · GST inclusive
🌎 For an overseas office that asked for it
  • ✓Certified translation included
  • ✓Notary Public fee included
  • ✓Draft sent to you before sealing
  • ✓No appointment for you to attend
Most Chosen
Notarised + Apostille
From $199
per document · GST inclusive
📑 Going to a Hague Convention country
  • ✓Everything in Notarised Translation
  • ✓DIA apostille fee included
  • ✓We lodge it with DIA for you
  • ✓Whole chain on one order
Multiple Documents
From $249
several documents · GST inclusive
📁 Families, companies and full sets
  • ✓Several documents, one notary visit
  • ✓Names checked across the whole set
  • ✓Apostille added where needed
  • ✓One combined delivery

The prices above are starting prices. A notarised translation depends on how many pages your document has, since a notary usually seals every page, plus the destination country and whether an apostille is needed. Send us the document and we will send a written quotation with the exact final price and the ready date. Nothing is charged until you approve it, so there is never a surprise.

Express delivery adds $20 and urgent delivery adds $50. Going to a country outside the Hague Convention? Our DIA authentication page covers that route instead.

Prices last reviewed: 21 September 2026. All prices include GST.

Still Wondering

What Else Do People Ask About
Notarised Translation in NZ?

How long does a notarised translation take?

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Usually a few working days — the translation first, then the notary step once you have approved the draft. Adding an apostille takes longer again, because the Department of Internal Affairs has its own queue. Your written quotation always carries a ready date, so you know before you commit.

Do I need to send my original document?

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To get a price, a photo is enough. Whether we then need the original depends on what the overseas office wants attached to the translation. Some want the original, some want a notarised copy, some want nothing but the translation. Send us their instructions and we will tell you exactly what to post, if anything.

Can you notarise a translation into another language?

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Yes, and this is common. A New Zealand birth, marriage or degree certificate going to Spain, China or Brazil often needs to be in that country’s language and notarised here before it leaves. For the United States, forms will ask for a notarized translation — same thing, American spelling. We work across more than 160 languages, and the notary step is the same whichever direction the translation goes.

Is a notarised translation valid in every country?

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Not on its own. Many countries also want an apostille on top, and countries outside the Hague Convention want an authentication instead. The notary seal is usually the first step, not the last. That is why we ask for the destination country before we quote anything at all.

Can I get my own translation notarised by your notary?

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Not usually, and the reason protects you. The notary witnesses the translator signing a declaration that the work is accurate. We can only sign that for a translation we have checked ourselves. Send us what you have, though — if it is sound we will tell you, and we can build on it rather than starting again.

What if the overseas office rejects it?

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Send us what they told you. If the problem is in our translation, we fix it and cover the notary step again at our cost. The decision always belongs to the receiving office and nobody can promise their answer, but a mistake of ours will never cost you a second fee.
Documents We Notarise

Which Documents Do People
Most Often Have Notarised?

Each of these has its own page with the certified price that every notarised translation starts from.

💍
Marriage Certificate
Notarised from $149
 🎓
Academic Transcript
Degrees going overseas
 🛡
Police Certificate
Overseas jobs & visas
 🇳🇿
Citizenship Documents
Certified is enough here

Send Us the Request.
We Will Tell You If You Really Need a Notary.

Forward the email or letter from the overseas office along with a photo of your document. A real person here in Auckland reads it, tells you whether notarisation is actually required, and sends a written quotation covering the translation, the notary and any apostille. Free, inside 30 minutes, with no obligation. We have been doing this since 2013, and if something on our side goes wrong we put it right at our cost.

Get Your Free Check → WhatsApp Us

Auckland-based since 2013 · Open 7 days · Translator and notary on one order · From $149