Certifying documents

What is a certified document?

A certified document is a copy of an original that has been cited by a qualified person and confirmed as correct and legitimate. When you need a document to be certified you must have both the copy and original with you.

Who can certify my documents?

The person who certifies your document/s must be contactable by telephone during normal working hours.

Your documents must be certified by one of the following authorised officers:

• any UWS staff member 
• any other university or TAFE College
• the official records department of the institution that originally issued the document/s
• an Australian overseas diplomatic mission and an Australian Educational Centre
• the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC)
• A Justice of the Peace (JP) with a registration number
• An accountant - must be a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, or the Australian Association of Taxation and Management Accountants or be a Registered Tax Agent
• A bank manager, but not a manager of a bank travel centre
• A credit union branch manager
• A commissioner for declarations
• A barrister, solicitor or patent attorney
• A police officer in charge of a police station, or of the rank of sergeant and above
• A postal manager
• A Principal of an Australian secondary college, high school or primary school
  

You or a family member cannot certify your documents, even if you or they belong to one of the categories listed above.

How should the authorised officer certify each document?

The certifying officer must print the following text on the copied document:

'I certify this to be a true copy of the document shown and reported to me as the original.' 

They must also include their name, address, contact telephone number, profession or occupation or organisation, the date and then sign the document.

The certifying officer should also include the official stamp or seal of the certifier’s organisation on the copy if the organisation has such a stamp.

In addition to the above, a Justice of the Peace must also print their registration number and provide details of the state in which they are registered.

Documents certified by a Justice of the Peace without a registration number will not be accepted. To find a Justice of the Peace in your area, check the Justice of the Peace public register of available online from the NSW Attorney-General's Department.

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Online lodgement of certified document

When providing documentation online or by email you need to attach scanned copies of certified documents. Scanned copies of originals will not be accepted.

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