Frequently Asked Questions
What are you searching for?
General questions
Why won’t some government agencies accept a translation without a NAATI stamp?
Most government agencies in Australia require documents to be translated by someone who holds NAATI certification, if they are available in the relevant language. We encourage practitioners to contact agencies directly to check requirements for acceptable translations.
What is the difference between a translator and an interpreter?
One translates written language, the other interprets spoken language.
Why would I want to find a translator or an interpreter?
You might want a translator to translate. You might want an interpreter to interpret.
Using the directory
How do I use the directory?
Fill in the fields and click search.
Why would I use the directory?
You would use the directory to find a translator or interpreter.
Finding a translator or interpreter
What do I do if there are no translators or interpreters in my language?
Read this useful resource.
How can I find a translator or interpreter?
You can find a translator or interpreter using the NAATI directory.
Can I find deaf interpreters too?
Yes you can.
Working with an interpreter or translator
What is Lorem Ipsum?
Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.
Why do we use it?
It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using 'Content here, content here', making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for 'lorem ipsum' will uncover many web sites still in their infancy. Various versions have evolved over the years, sometimes by accident, sometimes on purpose (injected humour and the like).
Where does it come from?
Contrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum is not simply random text. It has roots in a piece of classical Latin literature from 45 BC, making it over 2000 years old. Richard McClintock, a Latin professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, looked up one of the more obscure Latin words, consectetur, from a Lorem Ipsum passage, and going through the cites of the word in classical literature, discovered the undoubtable source. Lorem Ipsum comes from sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum" (The Extremes of Good and Evil) by Cicero, written in 45 BC. This book is a treatise on the theory of ethics, very popular during the Renaissance. The first line of Lorem Ipsum, "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet..", comes from a line in section 1.10.32.
The standard chunk of Lorem Ipsum used since the 1500s is reproduced below for those interested. Sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 from "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum" by Cicero are also reproduced in their exact original form, accompanied by English versions from the 1914 translation by H. Rackham.
Where can I get some?
There are many variations of passages of Lorem Ipsum available, but the majority have suffered alteration in some form, by injected humour, or randomised words which don't look even slightly believable. If you are going to use a passage of Lorem Ipsum, you need to be sure there isn't anything embarrassing hidden in the middle of text. All the Lorem Ipsum generators on the Internet tend to repeat predefined chunks as necessary, making this the first true generator on the Internet. It uses a dictionary of over 200 Latin words, combined with a handful of model sentence structures, to generate Lorem Ipsum which looks reasonable. The generated Lorem Ipsum is therefore always free from repetition, injected humour, or non-characteristic words etc.
Practitioner questions
What is a practitioner?
A practitioner is someone who practices translation/interpretation.
How do I know if a practitioner is certified?
A certified practitioner will have certification.
About NAATI
I need to get a document translated. Can NAATI do it?
No. NAATI does not provide translation or interpreting services.
We are the certification authority – that is, we 'licence' people who work as translators or interpreters. Once certified, each translator or interpreter works for themselves, for an agency or other organisation.
Search from the homepage to find a translator or interpreter who holds a NAATI certification, or a language services company who can help you.
What does NAATI stand for?
The acronym NAATI stands for National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters.
Where is NAATI based?
NAATI is based in Australia.
Why is NAATI important?
View our help guides
Certification Information
Learn more about certifications