💡 VETASSESS, Engineers Australia, ACS, and every other Australian skills assessment body requires a certified English translation of your Vietnamese diploma and transcripts, not an apostille. Submit the originals alongside the translation. An apostille is optional authentication of the original document's seal: the assessment bodies do not mandate it.
- Skills assessment bodies (VETASSESS, Engineers Australia, ACS, ANMAC) need certified English translations of your Vietnamese academic documents, not apostille.
- Apostille authenticates an original document's official seal; a certified translation converts its language. They are separate instruments with separate purposes.
- Since Vietnam joined the Hague Apostille Convention on 11 September 2026, you can apostille Vietnamese documents for use in Australia, but assessment bodies do not require it.
- The Department of Home Affairs (for your 189/190/491 visa application) also asks for certified translations, not apostille.
- The certified translation and the original are submitted together: the translation does not replace the original, and any apostille goes on the original, not on the translation.
| Requirement | VETASSESS | Engineers Australia | ACS (IT) | Dept of Home Affairs (visa) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certified English translation | Required | Required | Required | Required |
| Original document | Required (upload scan) | Required (upload scan) | Required (upload scan) | Required (upload scan) |
| Apostille on original | Not required | Not required | Not required | Not required |
| Certified true copy | Not required | Not required | Not required | Not required |
| NAATI or equivalent | Preferred (AU) / professional overseas | Required or equivalent | Professional | Professional |
What exactly does VETASSESS ask for with a Vietnamese diploma?
VETASSESS requires you to upload both the original Vietnamese document and a complete certified English translation for every qualification and transcript. Every document not in English must be accompanied by a certified translation. The translator's full name, address, phone number, and qualifications must appear on the translation. VETASSESS does not ask for an apostille on the original: the certified translation is the document they use to assess your qualification.
If you are applying from Vietnam (overseas applicant), VETASSESS accepts translations by a professional translator recognized in your country. NAATI accreditation applies to translators working inside Australia; overseas translators with recognized credentials and clearly stated qualifications are accepted for applications submitted from Vietnam.
Engineers Australia: the same rule for migration skills assessment
Engineers Australia's migration skills assessment guide (January 2026) sets the same standard: every document not in English must be accompanied by a certified English translation by an authorized translator. The guide, available on the Engineers Australia website, does not list apostille as a required item. You submit the original document scan alongside the translation. Engineers Australia uses the translation to confirm your degree title, institution, subjects, and grades.
For Vietnamese applicants, a certified Vietnamese diploma and transcript translation delivered in a format recognized by VETASSESS, Engineers Australia, and the Department of Home Affairs is what you actually need.
Does the apostille go on the original or on the translation?
An apostille always goes on the original public document, not on the translation. It authenticates the seal and signature of the issuing authority, for example the university registrar or the Ministry of Education and Training that signed your diploma. The apostille says the official signature is genuine. It says nothing about the language content.
The certified translation is a separate document produced by a translator. It carries its own translator's certificate of accuracy. An apostille placed on a translation would only authenticate the translator's signature, which no assessment body requests.
Do you need both apostille and certified translation for the same document?
For Australian skills assessment and skilled migration, no. You need the certified translation. Whether or not you also obtain a Vietnamese apostille on the original is a separate question. The MOFA apostille process (available since 11 September 2026) is useful when the receiving authority specifically asks for an apostilled original, which VETASSESS, Engineers Australia, ACS, and ANMAC do not. If the Department of Home Affairs requests additional verification at any point, a Vietnamese MOFA apostille on the original can satisfy that, but it is not a standard step in the 189/190/491 process.
What changed for Vietnamese documents after September 2026?
Vietnam officially joined the Hague Apostille Convention on 11 September 2026 under Decree 293/2026/ND-CP. Before that date, a Vietnamese document intended for use in Australia needed consular legalization, a multi-step process through the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then the Australian consulate. From 11 September 2026, a single MOFA apostille replaces consular legalization for all Hague Convention member states, including Australia.
This means authenticating an original Vietnamese diploma for use in Australia is now faster. But it does not change what VETASSESS, Engineers Australia, or the DoHA actually ask for. The certified translation was always required, and it remains the key document in your package.
What a correct certified translation for VETASSESS must include
A certified translation accepted by VETASSESS and Engineers Australia must include: the full text of the original diploma and all transcripts, rendered accurately in English; the translator's full name, address, telephone number, and credentials; and a signed statement that the translation is complete and accurate to the best of the translator's knowledge. It is submitted alongside a copy of the original Vietnamese document.
No notarization is required. Notarization is a separate act performed by a Vietnamese notary office or a notary public, and neither VETASSESS nor Engineers Australia asks for it.
See also: certified Vietnamese diploma and transcript translation overview, Vietnamese diploma for WES Canada: apostille or certified translation?, Vietnamese criminal record certificate No. 2 for Australia, and certified translation for Australian partner visa.
FAQ
Do I need a NAATI-certified translator if I am applying from Vietnam?
No. NAATI accreditation applies to translators working in Australia. If you are submitting from Vietnam, VETASSESS and Engineers Australia accept translations by a professional translator based in your home country, provided the translator's full name, credentials, address, and phone number appear on the translation.
Can the same certified translation serve both the skills assessment and the visa application?
Yes. A single certified translation is accepted by both the skills assessment body (VETASSESS, Engineers Australia, ACS) and the Department of Home Affairs for your 189/190/491 visa application, so you do not need to commission two separate translations.
Does Vietnam's new apostille (September 2026) mean my diploma now needs to be apostilled for Australia?
No. Vietnam's Hague Convention accession means you can now apostille your original diploma for use in Australia more easily, but VETASSESS, Engineers Australia, ACS, and the Department of Home Affairs do not require it. The certified translation is what each body evaluates.
My original Vietnamese transcript is damaged or lost. What should I do?
Request a certified true copy from your university's academic registry. A Vietnamese notary office (văn phòng công chứng) can also certify a copy. Most assessment bodies accept a certified copy when the original is unavailable, provided it is accompanied by a complete certified English translation.
Does "certified" in VETASSESS's instructions mean apostille?
No. When VETASSESS says "certified translation," they mean a translation carrying the translator's signed accuracy certificate, not an apostilled document. An apostille is a government-issued authentication of an original document's seal: a completely separate concept.
Written by Dao Huy (Lucas), Vietnamese translator and localization specialist (English, Chinese and French into Vietnamese). See translation services → · Certified Documents →