Master prompt
Certified translation requirements — NAATI / NZSTI standards (NZ)
INZ Operations Manual A4.5 — accepted translator credentials, mandatory statement of competence, and the exact certification format to attach to every translated document.
NZDocumentsTranslationNAATINZSTIINZ Operations Manual A4.5
You are advising [CLIENT_NAME] on certified-translation requirements for documents in [SOURCE_LANGUAGE]. Anchor: INZ Operations Manual A4.5 ("Translations").
Documents to be translated:
[DOCUMENTS_TO_TRANSLATE]
Translation will be done: [TRANSLATOR_LOCATION]
§1 — WHO INZ ACCEPTS AS A TRANSLATOR (A4.5(a))
INZ accepts translations from:
(a) A translator accredited by a recognised national accreditation body, including:
• NAATI (National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters — Australia/NZ joint body)
• NZSTI (NZ Society of Translators and Interpreters)
• ITI (Institute of Translation and Interpreting — UK)
• ATA (American Translators Association — USA)
• CTTIC (Canadian Translators, Terminologists and Interpreters Council)
• For India: a member of the Indian Translators Association (ITA) OR a translator listed by the MEA / Indian Embassy in Wellington
(b) A translator who is a member of the diplomatic / consular corps of the country issuing the document, certifying within their official capacity
(c) A NZ Justice of the Peace (JP) OR NZ-registered solicitor — ONLY if they personally hold the linguistic competence (rare for non-English Indian languages)
§2 — WHAT INZ DOES NOT ACCEPT
• Self-translation by the applicant — NEVER accepted, even if applicant is fluent in English and source language
• Translation by a family member or friend — NEVER accepted
• Translation by the issuing authority's stamp / annotation alone (some Indian birth certificates have Hindi + English side-by-side — the English portion is original, not a translation, and is accepted; but if Hindi-only portions contain material content, those still need translation)
• Machine translation (Google Translate, DeepL) — NEVER accepted, even if reviewed by a human
• Notarised photocopies of foreign-language originals without a translation
§3 — MANDATORY CERTIFICATION FORMAT (Statement of Competence)
Every translated document MUST include a Statement of Competence on translator's letterhead OR appended to the translation, signed by the translator. Required elements:
(a) Translator's full name (printed and signed)
(b) Translator's accreditation body + accreditation / certification / membership number
• E.g. "NAATI Certified Translator — Hindi to English — Certification No. CPN12345"
• E.g. "NZSTI Member — Member No. NM2024-789"
(c) Translator's professional address + phone + email
(d) Statement: "I certify that I am proficient in [SOURCE_LANGUAGE] and English, and that the attached translation is a true and accurate translation of the original [SOURCE_LANGUAGE] document titled '[DOCUMENT NAME]' dated [DOCUMENT DATE]."
(e) Date of translation
(f) Translator's signature
(g) Translator's official stamp / seal (where the accreditation body issues one)
§4 — FORMAT OF THE TRANSLATED DOCUMENT
(a) Each page of the translation must have:
• Header: "Translation of [original document name] from [SOURCE_LANGUAGE] into English"
• Page numbering: "Page X of Y"
• Translator's initials at the bottom of each page
(b) Layout should mirror the original document where possible (do not omit logos, stamps, signatures — describe them in brackets: "[Round embossed seal of Registrar of Births, Punjab]")
(c) Translator should NOT translate names of people, places, or organisations into English equivalents — keep transliterations
• Hindi/Punjabi name in Devanagari/Gurmukhi → transliterated as on the applicant's passport (so it matches across documents)
(d) Untranslatable content (illegible portions, faded stamps): describe as "[illegible]" or "[partial: ...visible text...]"
(e) Attach the original document or a clear scan alongside the translation — INZ expects to compare
§5 — DOCUMENTS COMMONLY REQUIRING TRANSLATION (Indian context)
For Indian-origin applicants, typical translation-needed documents:
Birth-related:
• Birth certificate (if issued in Hindi/Punjabi/Tamil/regional language only)
• Caste / community certificate (if used as supporting ID)
Marriage / family:
• Marriage certificate (Anand Karaj certificate, Nikahnama, Hindu marriage certificate — most regional)
• Divorce decree / court order
• Death certificate of prior spouse (if widow/widower applying)
Education:
• School leaving certificates (often bilingual; check both languages)
• Old diplomas pre-2010 (often Hindi-only)
• Some state-board mark sheets
Employment:
• Experience letters from regional firms
• Salary slips (if Hindi-only)
• Provident Fund / ESI records
Police / character:
• PCC issued under Indian Passport Act (mostly bilingual now, but verify)
• Court records
§6 — NZ-SIDE TRANSLATION OPTIONS
If [TRANSLATOR_LOCATION] is "In NZ":
• NZSTI member directory — searchable at nzsti.org (free public directory)
• Common Hindi/Punjabi translators in Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton, Christchurch
• Cost: NZ$80-150 per page typically (verify current market — varies by complexity)
• Turnaround: 3-7 working days standard
§7 — INDIA-SIDE TRANSLATION OPTIONS
If [TRANSLATOR_LOCATION] is "In India":
• Translator must be NAATI / ITA / MEA-recognised
• Cheaper than NZ (₹500-1,500 per page typically)
• Risk: INZ has rejected translations from unaccredited Indian translators — verify accreditation BEFORE engaging
• Practical recommendation: translate in India, then have a NZ-side adviser verify the translator's credentials before submission
§8 — RED FLAGS INZ CHECKS FOR
• Translator's name / number not verifiable on accreditation body's public register → translation may be rejected
• Statement of Competence missing or incomplete → application returned
• Translation does not match original layout → suspicious of fraud
• Family member's name listed as translator → automatic rejection + character implication
• Multiple documents translated by translators with sequential certification numbers from the same micro-agency → INZ may verify directly
§9 — RECOMMENDED WORKFLOW FOR [CLIENT_NAME]
Step 1: Compile [DOCUMENTS_TO_TRANSLATE] into a single PDF batch
Step 2: Verify translator's accreditation BEFORE engagement (check NZSTI / NAATI online directory)
Step 3: Brief translator: provide passport spelling of names + list of any places/organisations needing consistent transliteration
Step 4: Receive translation + Statement of Competence + translator's CV (request the CV for INZ file)
Step 5: Quality-check — compare against original; verify Statement of Competence has all required elements (§3)
Step 6: Attach to INZ Online submission alongside originals
§10 — POST-SUBMISSION VERIFICATION
INZ may, under Operations Manual A4.5(c), contact the translator to verify the translation. Ensure:
• Translator's email / phone in Statement of Competence is current
• Translator agrees in advance to respond to INZ verification within 7 days
• Keep translator's professional contact in client file for future applications (continuity helps)
End with: "DRAFT — for IAA-licensed immigration adviser review. Verify against current INZ Operations Manual before submission."Unlock the vault to see the full prompt