Our Notary Public will authenticate the academic document, certify that it is as a true copy of the original and state on the certified copy that the original record has been verified with the issuing institution, as required by DFAT.

Australian Notary Publics can notarise academic documents issued by Australian universities, TAFE, colleges or schools.

Australian academic documents issued by university and TAFE institutions can be verified with the issuing institution via My eQuals.

My eQuals provides an easy and secure way to verify academic documents with the issuing institution.

My eQuals is a secure online digital platform for access to and verification of Australian academic documents, including degrees, transcripts and other academic statements. My eQuals digital academic documents are certified, legally valid and tamper-proof. The platform provides an easy and secure place for alumni to view and share their academic documents so that they can be easily verified by third parties, for example, Notary Publics and DFAT.

My eQuals currently serves more than 87 University, TAFE and other education providers across Australia and New Zealand, including all the major universities. More than 9 million documents have been issued on the platform and more than 2.5 million students and graduates are registered, per myequals.edu.au. To access My eQuals, visit www.myequals.edu.au

Australia Notary Publics are not permitted to authenticate academic documents from non-Australian academic institutions.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is the only body in Australia that is authorised to issue Apostilles. DFAT issues Apostilles through the passport offices in each capital city in Australia.  

The current DFAT processing time for an Apostille is up to 3 business days.

DFAT can Apostille:

- original Australian government issued documents
- documents translated by a NAATI certified translator
- documents that have been notarised by an Australian Notary Public

Australian Government issued documents include:
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- Academic Documents
- AFP National Police Certificate
- ASIC Certificate of Registration of a Company
- ASIC Company Extract (Current or Historical)
- Birth Certificate
- Certificate of Residency issued by the Australian Tax Office (ATO)
- Change of Name Certificate
- Citizenship Certificate
- Court Document
- Citizenship Certificate
- Death Certificate
- Divorce Order
- Drivers Licence
- Fingerprint Report issued by the ACIC
- Marriage Certificate (excluding ceremonial certificate)
- Passport
- Relationship Certificate
- Single Status or Record of No Result Certificate

Academic documents must be verified with the issuing university or TAFE institution before DFAT will issue an Apostille.

Verification can be completed via MyEqulals or by email to the institution.  

Original academic documents issued by public or private primary and secondary schools in Australia can only be Apostilled by DFAT only if:

- verified and signed by an authorised officer from the relevant State or Territory government body; or
- Notarised by an Australian Notary Public. 

DFAT will not accept primary or secondary school academic documents signed only by the school administration. If the academic document is signed only by the school administration, then our Notary Public can notarise it for you before presenting it to DFAT for an Apostille. Once the document has been notarised by our Notary Public, DFAT will accept it for Apostille.

An Apostille is a specific type of certification issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) certifying that a document is either an original Australian government document or a document that has been notarised by a Notary Public. An Apostille confirms the authenticity of the document's signature, seal, or stamp and the authority of the person or organisation that issued it. DFAT is the only body in Australia that can issue an Apostille.

An Apostille will only be recognised in a country that is a signatory to the Apostille Convention (Hague Apostille Convention). The Apostille Convention simplifies the process of authenticating documents for international use. Under this Convention, participating countries agree to recognise an Apostille as a valid certification for documents issued by authorities within the same country. Refer to our List of Countries Accepting an Apostille.

If the intended destination country is not a signatory to the Apostille Convention, then you may need to have your document "authenticated" by DFAT.

It depends on whether the document was originally issued electronically or in hard-copy.

Electronically
If the original document was issued electronically, then simply upload the electronic document in our booking platform and:
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- forward the original email from the issuing authority with the document linked or attached;
- provide login details to the issuing authority's online portal ; or
- complete email verification with the issuer of the document. Instructions are provided in the booking form.  

This information is required to verify the authenticity of the document.

Hard-Copy
If the document was issued in hard-copy, simply post the hard-copy document to our Po Box. We recommend sending by express post which guarantees next day delivery from most metropolitan areas in Australia.  

We can have your document Apostilled by DFAT for you. We attend DFAT daily for clients and offer a fully managed service - no appointment required.

Book online instantly by following this link to our booking platform. The platform will guide you through the process and provide a summary of the service and price prior to payment.

We can have your document Authenticated by DFAT for you. We attend DFAT daily for clients and offer a fully managed service - no appointment required.

Book online instantly by following this link to our booking platform. The platform will guide you through the process and provide a summary of the service and price prior to payment.

Notary fees in NSW are regulated by the Legal Profession Admissions Board and published on the Society of Notaries of NSW website.

We offer transparent prices which are displayed on our Pricing page.

All of our prices include GST and complimentary express postage of your completed documents anywhere in Australia.

We would be more than happy to assist. Please email us at support@swiftnotary.com.au and we'll get back to you right away during our business hours.