We accept certified copies of documents as scans or digital photographs.

A 'certified copy' is one that has been verified as being a true copy of the original document by an authorised person.

Application documents that have not been correctly certified will not be accepted. 

Prepare your documents

Make copies of documents, including all relevant pages.

Obtain a suitable witness

The RANZCP considers the following people eligible to witness documents.

Within Australia

• A Justice of the Peace.
• A Notary Public.
• A Chief Magistrate, Police Magistrate, Resident Magistrate, Special Magistrate.
• A person appointed under the Statutory Declarations Act 1959, as amended, or under a State Act to be a Commissioner for Declarations.
• A person appointed as a Commissioner for Declarations under the Statutory Declarations Act 1911, or under that Act as amended, and holding office immediately before the commencement of the Statutory Declarations Act 1959.

Outside Australia

• A Notary Public.
• A Commissioner of Oaths (South Africa, Sudan and Canada only).
• A person appointed to hold, or act in, the office in a country or place outside Australia in an Australian Embassy, High Commission, Legation or other post as:
  
  
  • Australian Consul-General, Consul or Vice-Consul.
  • Australian Trade Commissioner or Consular Agent.
  • Australian Ambassador or High Commissioner.
  • Australian Minister, Head of Mission, Commissioner, Chargé d’Affaires or Counsellor.
  • Australian Secretary or Attaché.

Note: A Justice of the Peace registered outside Australia or New Zealand is not accepted by the RANZCP for witnessing documentation.

Certification of documents

Certification should be made on each page of the copied document.

The witness must state in their wording:

• that it is a ‘certified true copy’
• their name and title
• the date certified.