The following is a guide to help you prepare your certified documents correctly. Certified documents are copies of important documents which need to be certified as true copies of the originals by a person authorised to do so.
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At certain stages of the application process, for approval as a higher education provider, you will be asked to produce ‘certified documents”. These are copies of important documents which need to be certified as true copies of the originals by a person authorised to do so.
The following is a guide to help you prepare your certified documents correctly.
A certified copy is a copy (often a photocopy) of a primary document that has on it an endorsement or certificate that it is a true copy of the primary document. It does not certify that the primary document is genuine, only that it is a true copy of the primary document.
Who can certify a copy?
It is usual for documents to be certified by a person who is authorised as a witness for statutory declarations under Statutory Declarations Regulations 2018 – Schedule 2. This schedule provides a wide range of authorised occupations and office holders who may certify a document, so finding a suitable person should not normally present a significant difficulty.
How do I obtain a certified copy?
Before certifying a document, the certifier must ensure the copy to be certified is an identical copy of the original. Suggested wording for the certification is as follows:
I certify that this is a true copy of
the document produced to me on
Signature
Name
Qualification (e.g. JP, Pharmacist)
Documents in languages other than English
A certifier should not certify a document in a language other than English unless they can be sure that the original and the copy are identical. A solution to this is to have the original photocopied in the presence of the certifier.
Multiple page documents
If the original is a multiple page document, each page must be checked against the copy to ensure that it is correct. The certifier can then proceed as follows:
- Sign or initial each page
- Certify the last page as follows:
- I certify that this page document is a true copy of the document produced to me on Signature Name Qualification (e.g. JP, Pharmacist)