Certified copies

Please don’t post any original documents.

A certified copy is a photocopy of an original document (not a fax or a download) that’s been made in front of someone official. They sign each page of the document to show that they’ve checked it against the original document, and the photocopy is accurate.

Getting documents certified

Each page needs to be certified individually—if any page of a document isn’t certified, you’ll have to send the whole document again.

Documents can be certified by:

  • the organisation that issued the documents
  • a government office or embassy
  • a solicitor
  • a notary public
  • a Justice of the Peace, or
  • your school principal, if you’re a secondary school student.

We don’t accept documents that have been certified by:

  • doctors, pharmacists or dentists
  • your school’s careers adviser or your dean.

Submitting fake or forged documents

If you submit forged or fraudulent documents, we will:

  • automatically disqualify you from enrolling at Victoria University of Wellington
  • inform other universities in New Zealand of your name and date of birth
  • inform Immigration New Zealand and the Police.

If your documents aren’t in English

If your documents aren’t in English, you’ll need to:

  • certify copies of the original documents
  • get the documents translated and get the translations certified
  • send us both copies.

Contact NZTC International—The Translation Centre.