Certified copies of documents

Certification is where the copy of your document is confirmed as a true copy of the original by one of the following professional people:

  • a legal practitioner (solicitor, lawyer)
  • a notary public
  • an official of the competent nursing/midwifery registration/regulatory authority in your country of training
  • an official who is authorised to certify documents from an embassy or consulate
  • a police officer
  • a justice of the peace
  • the office of mayor (when authorised to do so), and
  • a member of the UK or Scottish parliaments or a member of the Welsh or Northern Ireland assemblies.

The professional person must state their full name, profession, address and telephone number, and sign and date the certified copy. We cannot accept subsequent photocopies of these certified documents.

In addition, we accept certification of passports and birth or marriage certificates from the UK Post Office identity checking service.

Certified translations of documents

All certified documents in a language other than English must be accompanied by an official English translation, unless they are accompanied by a multilingual standard form which has been signed and stamped or sealed by the authority which issued the original document.

You must provide a certified copy of the original language document and the official English translation or multilingual standard form. We do not accept photocopies of these documents.

Translations must be from a legally licensed and authorised translator. The translator must confirm in writing that the translation is an exact and direct translation from the original language into English. The translator’s full name, address, signature, contact details and stamp must be provided.

Your application

Please make sure all your applications forms are completed in full, and stamped and signed where appropriate.

All accompanying paperwork requested as part of the registration process must be provided as certified copies of the original documents, including both the original language version and an English translation or multilingual standard form which has been signed and stamped or sealed by the authority which issued the original document.

Please do not send original documents such as passports and certificates to us, as we cannot return these to you.