Is the NAATI CCL test the same as a certified translation?

What is the NAATI CCL test?

NAATI is the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters. It certifies people and keeps an online directory of practitioners who hold NAATI certification or recognition³. CCL stands for Credentialed Community Language.

NAATI describes the CCL test as an assessment of your ability to communicate at a community level between English and another language². In the test you interpret two pre-recorded spoken conversations, and the test is online only². It is generally taken by people planning to apply for a points-based skilled migration visa that awards points for Credentialed Community Language holders².

There are no training prerequisites. NAATI asks for upper intermediate skills in both languages, which it says is equivalent to B2 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages².

What does the CCL give you, and what does it not?

It gives you:

• a CCL credential, which is the way to earn Credentialed Community Language points if you are not a certified translator or interpreter²
• a possible 5 points: the Home Affairs points table for the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) gives 5 points for holding a recognised qualification in a credentialled community language¹

It does not give you:

• a translator or interpreter certification²
• the right to certify translations of other people's documents: a certified translator is someone certified to work with the written word⁴
• certainty about points. NAATI does not give migration advice, and says to confirm with the Department of Home Affairs or your migration agent that the test is accepted for the points when you apply²

NAATI says that if you pass the CCL test, you are not certified to work as an interpreter or a translator².

What is a NAATI certified translation?

It is a translation made by a person who holds NAATI certification, and it usually carries that person's NAATI stamp. NAATI says Certified Translators are certified to work with the written word, moving messages from one written language to another⁴. You must meet certain prerequisites before you can sit the Certified Translator test, and it is the highest credential available for translators under NAATI's Certification System⁴.

NAATI itself does not translate your document. It says it does not provide translation or interpreting services, and points you to its online directory³.

Where testing is not available, in low demand and new and emerging languages, NAATI grants a Recognised Practising credential. It says this credential does not have equal status with certification³.

When do government bodies ask for a NAATI translation?

NAATI says most government agencies in Australia require documents to be translated by someone who holds NAATI certification, if one is available in the relevant language³. The rules are set by each agency, so these are examples from the pages we stored, each with its capture date in the Sources list.

Two details are easy to miss. DFAT legalises documents with an apostille (a stamp that confirms a signature or seal) or a chain of authentications, and for a translation the legalisation relates to the signature or seal of the NAATI translator⁶. NAATI also says that from 1 July 2018 DFAT can only accept translations by translators with NAATI certification issued under the current system, which includes Recognised Practising credentials⁶.

There is one exception on the Victorian page. The registry may also accept a translation made by someone at an embassy, consulate or high commission, if that person is authorised to provide it and the translation is certified to be an exact translation of the original⁷.

South Australia and the other states and territories have their own rules. Check the page of the agency that asked for the translation.

Do I need a NAATI certified translation? A quick check

Work down the list and stop when a step answers your question.

1. Is your document already in English, or written in English and another language? The Victorian registry says you do not need a translation in that case⁷. Other agencies may differ, so check theirs.
2. Is the translation for a visa application? Home Affairs asks for the translator's NAATI practitioner number if you are in Australia, and the translator's name, address, phone number and qualifications if you are outside Australia⁵.
3. Is it for DFAT to legalise? Ask your translator to include the NAATI stamp on every translated page, with a copy of the original⁶.
4. Is it for a registry or a driver licence? The Victorian and Queensland pages above ask for a NAATI translator⁷⁸. Victoria asks you to contact it if exceptional circumstances stop you getting one⁷.
5. Still unsure? Contact the agency before you pay for a translation. NAATI encourages practitioners to check requirements with the agency too³.
6. To find a translator, search NAATI's online directory³.

What does each one cost?

These are NAATI's fees to sit the tests. They are not the price of a translation.

NAATI's fees are in Australian dollars and valid from 1 July 2026 until 30 June 2027¹¹. The fee page lists test fees, so ask the translator or agency for a quote for a translation¹¹.

What should you do next?

If you are weighing the CCL for visa points, read the free CCL guide, then how the CCL points work and booking and fees. If you only need a document translated, you do not need the CCL: find a certified translator and ask the agency what it requires. This guide is general information, not migration or legal advice.

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