NAATI Translation: How to Find a Certified Translator
Updated 8 October 2026 · facts checked against NAATI and Home Affairs pages on 7 September 2026
Quick answer: To find a NAATI certified translator, search NAATI's online directory at directory.naati.com.au, which NAATI calls Australia's only official directory of NAATI-certified translators and interpreters. Choose Translator, select the language you are translating from, and contact the practitioner directly. NAATI notes that some organisations, such as government departments, will only accept stamped translations, so ask the translator for a NAATI-stamped translation if your document is going to one of them.
This guide is for people who need a document translated. If you searched "NAATI" because you want the 5 migration points, you need the CCL test instead, and our beginner's guide to the CCL is the place to start. You can also practise a full CCL dialogue free.
Translator or interpreter?
NAATI draws a clear line between the two, and it decides which search you run in the directory:
- Translators deal with the written word. They translate written content from one language to another: birth certificates, licences, academic transcripts, contracts.
- Interpreters deal with the spoken word or signs, such as Auslan. They interpret what each speaker is saying or signing into the other person's language: at a medical appointment, a court hearing, an interview.
If you have a document, you need a translator. If you need help in a conversation, you need an interpreter. The directory lets you search for either.
What makes a translation "NAATI certified"
NAATI is the national standards and certifying authority for translators and interpreters, and the only organisation that issues credentials or certification to people who want to work in the profession. NAATI certification is the industry standard for working as a translator or interpreter in Australia.
For translators, NAATI offers two credentials:
| Credential | What it means |
|---|---|
| Certified Translator | The holder passed NAATI's translator test. Certified Translators can work with complex but non-specialised content in most situations. Currently the only certification available for translators |
| Recognised Practising Translator | For languages with no NAATI test available. The holder met the prerequisites and has work experience as a translator; no test is required |
Both appear in the directory. NAATI's credentials expire after the initial three years, and practitioners recertify by showing ongoing professional development, so a current credential means the translator is still practising.
The stamp
NAATI's FAQ makes a practical point that matters for official documents: some organisations, for example government departments, will only accept stamped translations. Certified translators can use the digital stamp available from their myNAATI account, or a physical stamp. When you contact a translator, tell them where the translation is going so they can provide it in the form that organisation accepts.
Searching NAATI's online directory
The directory is at directory.naati.com.au. NAATI describes it as Australia's only official directory of NAATI-certified translators and interpreters. You can search three ways:
- Translator: "A translator transfers a written message from one language into another."
- Interpreter: "An interpreter helps people communicate in spoken or signed languages."
- Endorsed language service provider: a business that delivers language services, including translations and interpreting.
For a translator, choose the language you are translating from. The language list is long and includes community languages such as Bangla, Dari, Hazaragi, Nepali, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi and Kannada as well as the major European and Asian languages.
What a directory profile shows
NAATI says a practitioner profile shows their name, NAATI credentials, location, phone, email and website. Since NAATI's directory update, practitioners can also choose to add optional fields such as a photo, working dialects, qualifications, services provided and domain expertise. Each profile has its own shareable web address.
Two things to keep in mind when you read a profile:
- Not every field is checked by NAATI. NAATI says the newer optional fields, except photo and gender, are not verified by NAATI and rely on the practitioner's professional conduct. The credentials themselves are what NAATI issues.
- Domain expertise is self-declared. It describes a practitioner's experience in an area such as legal, medical, health, education or community services, and it can help you choose, but NAATI does not verify it.
Why your translator might not be in the directory
A translator can hold a NAATI credential and still not appear in a search. NAATI's rules:
- People granted their first NAATI certification before November 2022 were listed by default, without contact details.
- People who received a NAATI certification after November 2022 are not listed automatically.
- Practitioners turn their listing on or off themselves in myNAATI.
- Practitioner profiles with no contact details are not displayed in the directory.
So if someone tells you they are NAATI certified but you cannot find them, it does not necessarily mean they are not. Ask them for their credential details and check the credential verification page.
Checking a translator's credential
NAATI's credential verification page displays the photo the practitioner supplied with their original application. NAATI explains that the photo is one of the only ways clients can identify the person holding the credentials, which is why it does not recommend practitioners remove it. If the person you are dealing with does not match, contact NAATI at info@naati.com.au.
Translation, the CCL and migration: three different things
People searching "NAATI translation" for a visa often have one of three different needs, and it pays to separate them:
- You need documents translated for an application. You hire a NAATI credentialed translator from the directory. You do not sit any test.
- You want the 5 Credentialed Community Language points. You sit the CCL test yourself: online only, $814, 55 languages, no prerequisites. NAATI is clear that passing the CCL does not certify you to work as a translator or interpreter. Start with the 5 points guide.
- You want to work as a translator in Australia, or migrate as one. NAATI says translator and interpreter are on the Department of Home Affairs' skilled occupations list, and a migration skills assessment for these occupations needs a NAATI certification gained through testing. The Certified Translator test costs $605 for each direction in NAATI's 2026-27 fees; all the fees are in our NAATI test types and fees guide.
For a fuller picture of NAATI itself, see what is NAATI. Applications for any NAATI test go through myNAATI; our myNAATI login guide covers sign-in and booking.
If the CCL is what you actually need
Most people who search for NAATI from overseas are on the migration path, and for them the CCL is the test that counts. It is two dialogues between an English speaker and a speaker of your other language, which you interpret both ways, segment by segment, and marks come off for anything you leave out, add or change. Our 2,241 practice dialogues across 50 languages are written to the CCL specification, and AI marking shows segment by segment what you kept and what you lost; the score is our model's estimate, not a NAATI result. Your first full dialogue is marked free on the practice page. Check which languages we cover, and the Australian terms list for the community vocabulary that comes up. Seats for each language are in our live NAATI CCL test dates table.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find a NAATI certified translator?
Use NAATI's online directory at directory.naati.com.au, which NAATI calls Australia's only official directory of NAATI-certified translators and interpreters. Choose Translator, pick the language you are translating from, and the directory shows practitioners with their credentials and the contact details they have chosen to display.
What is a NAATI certified translation?
It is a translation done by a translator who holds a NAATI credential, such as Certified Translator. NAATI notes that some organisations, for example government departments, will only accept stamped translations, and certified translators can apply NAATI's digital stamp available through myNAATI or use a physical stamp.
What is the difference between a translator and an interpreter?
NAATI's definitions: translators deal with the written word and translate written content from one language to another. Interpreters deal with the spoken word or signs, such as Auslan, and interpret what each speaker is saying or signing into the other person's language.
Is NAATI translation the same as the NAATI CCL test?
No. A NAATI translation is a document translated by a credentialed translator. The CCL is a test you sit yourself to show you can communicate at a community level in English and another language, generally for skilled migration points. Passing the CCL does not certify you to translate documents.
Are all NAATI translators listed in the directory?
No. NAATI says people granted their first certification before November 2022 were listed by default without contact details, people certified after November 2022 are not listed automatically, and practitioner profiles with no contact details are not displayed. A translator can be certified without appearing in the directory.
How can I check a translator's credential?
NAATI credentials show on the practitioner's directory profile, and NAATI's credential verification page displays the photo the practitioner supplied with their original application. NAATI says the photo is one of the only ways clients can identify the person holding the credential.
Sources
- https://www.naati.com.au/online-directory/
- https://www.naati.com.au/news/mynaati-and-directory-updates/
- https://www.naati.com.au/resources/about-naati-services/
- https://www.naati.com.au/certification/
- https://www.naati.com.au/resources/faq/
- https://www.naati.com.au/fees/
- https://www.naati.com.au/migration-assessments/ccl/
Facts checked against NAATI pages on 8 October 2026.
Your first full CCL dialogue is marked segment by segment by AI, free and without an account, in 50 languages.
Practise a dialogue now →More CCL guides
naaticcl.com is an independent practice site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NAATI. The AI score is this site's estimate, not a NAATI result.