AHPRA Document Certification: Notarising Papers for Doctors Moving to Australia

If you are a doctor in the UK planning to work in Australia, your registration with AHPRA, the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, will depend on getting your paperwork certified correctly. AHPRA is strict about how copies of your documents are certified, and a UK Notary Public is one of the people it accepts. This guide explains what AHPRA requires, which documents need certifying, the exact wording the certifier must use, and how Pegasus handles it.

Who AHPRA is, and why it wants certified copies

AHPRA, working with the Medical Board of Australia, is the national body that registers doctors and other health practitioners in Australia. Before you can work as a doctor there, you must hold registration with the Medical Board through AHPRA.

Because AHPRA is verifying the credentials of someone it has usually never met, frequently while you are still overseas, it requires certified copies of your key documents: copies that an authorised person has confirmed are true copies of your originals, sighted in person.

Does AHPRA accept a UK notary public?

Yes. AHPRA publishes a list of "authorised officers" who may certify documents. For people outside Australia, that list includes a notary public, an Australian consular or diplomatic officer, an Australian-registered health practitioner, and certain legal professionals.

For a UK-based doctor, a Notary Public is the standard, practical route. In England and Wales a notary is a specialist lawyer, regulated by the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury, whose role is to certify and authenticate documents for use abroad, with an official seal that is recognised internationally. That is exactly why AHPRA lists notaries as acceptable certifiers.

AHPRA's exact certification requirements

AHPRA is unusually specific about how certification must be done, and getting any of it wrong is a common reason applications are delayed.

• In person, every page. The authorised officer must sight your original and the copy in person (AHPRA does not accept certification over a video call) and must certify every page of every document.
• The wording for ordinary documents. On each page, the certifier writes or stamps that it is a true copy of the original they have sighted, then signs and dates it and adds their name, profession and contact details.
• The wording for photo ID. Any document that contains a photograph (your passport or driving licence) needs a specific statement: "I certify that this is a true copy of the original and the photograph is a true likeness of the person presenting the document as sighted by me." That means the certifier must see you in person, not just your document.
• The certifier identifies themselves. They add their name, their profession (for example, "Notary Public") and contact details, so AHPRA can confirm their authority. A UK notary includes their appointment and seal as standard.

Which documents AHPRA usually needs certified

The exact list depends on your pathway (for example the Competent Authority, Standard or Specialist pathway) and your circumstances, but for an international medical graduate it typically includes:

• Proof of identity: usually your passport plus a second document; at least one must be in your current name and at least one must carry a recent photograph. (AHPRA also runs its own identity verification, so follow the identity steps in your application as well.)
• Evidence of any name change: marriage certificate, deed poll or similar, if the name on your qualifications differs from your current name.
• Your primary medical qualification: degree certificate and academic transcript.
• Evidence of current registration and good standing: your GMC registration and a Certificate of Good Standing (Certificate of Current Professional Status) from each authority you have been registered with.
• Specialist qualifications and CV, where relevant.
• English language evidence, if it is required for your case.

Always work from your own AHPRA application checklist, as requirements differ by pathway and are updated from time to time.

Certified copies vs primary source verification (EPIC)

Two different checks are easy to confuse:

• Certified copies are what a notary provides: confirmation that your copy matches the original.
• Primary source verification (PSV) is separate: your medical qualification is verified directly with the university or authority that issued it, usually through EPIC, the ECFMG/Intealth verification service used by the Australian Medical Council and AHPRA. You arrange PSV through your EPIC (MyIntealth) account, and the institution confirms your qualification at source.

You generally need both. PSV verifies your degree at source; certified copies satisfy AHPRA's document requirements for identity and your other papers. A notary cannot replace PSV, and PSV does not replace certified copies.

Do you need an apostille for AHPRA?

Usually not. For AHPRA registration, a notary's certified copy is the standard requirement: you do not normally need an FCDO apostille or consular legalisation on top. An apostille is a government certificate that proves an official's signature or seal for use abroad; AHPRA's process relies on the certifier's own authority and on primary source verification, not on legalisation.

Only obtain an apostille if a specific Australian body, your employer, or a visa or migration step asks for one: treat it as an optional extra, not a default.

How Pegasus helps doctors heading to Australia

1. Check your AHPRA checklist. Send us your application's document list (or a screenshot) so we certify exactly what AHPRA asks for, in the format it requires.
2. Book a short appointment. Bring your original documents and photo ID: a notary must see the originals, and you in person, to certify photo documents.
3. We certify correctly. We sight each original, take clear copies, and certify every page with the correct true-copy wording, including the "true likeness" statement on photo ID.
4. Translations if needed. If any document is not in English, we can arrange a certified or sworn translation to accompany it.
5. Apostille only if asked. We add an FCDO apostille only where a specific body has requested further legalisation.

Common mistakes, and how to avoid them

• Only the first page certified. AHPRA needs every page certified individually, and we do this as standard.
• Missing the "true likeness" wording on photo ID. Passports and driving licences need the specific photograph statement.
• Remote certification. AHPRA does not accept copies certified over a video call: it must be in person.
• Confusing certified copies with EPIC. Arrange both; one does not replace the other.
• Assuming you need an apostille. Often you do not; adding one unnecessarily costs time and money.
• Illegible or incomplete copies. Pages must be clear, complete and easy to read.

Turnaround and cost

A certification appointment is usually short, and you can often leave the same day with your certified bundle in hand. Pegasus certifies copies from £95 per document; for a multi-page set such as a transcript, we will quote for the full set before you commit.

If a particular body does ask for an apostille on top, that is a separate step: through Pegasus the apostille handling fee starts from £59 (separate from the FCDO's own charge), with turnaround of 3 to 7 working days depending on the service you choose.

Frequently asked questions

Will AHPRA accept a UK notary's certified copies? Yes. A notary public is on AHPRA's list of authorised officers for documents certified outside Australia. Always certify in line with AHPRA's current guidance, and make sure every page is certified.

Do I need an apostille for AHPRA registration? Usually not. A notary's certified copy is normally sufficient on its own. Only add an apostille if a specific body or process requests further legalisation.

What's the difference between certified copies and EPIC? Certified copies confirm your copy matches the original. EPIC (primary source verification) confirms your qualification directly with the issuing institution. Most applicants need both.

Can you certify my passport for AHPRA? Yes, and we include the required "true likeness" wording, which is why you need to attend in person so the notary can confirm the photo is of you.

My documents aren't in English, can you help? Yes. We can arrange a certified or sworn translation to go alongside your certified copies.

Get help from Pegasus

If you are a doctor preparing to register with AHPRA, we can take the admin off your plate: checking your application's document list, certifying every page in AHPRA's required format, arranging translations where needed, and adding an apostille only if a body specifically asks for one.

This guide is general information, not formal legal or migration advice; please confirm the details of your own case with AHPRA or with us. Call Pegasus Legalisation on 07982 303 077, email info@pegasusnotaries.com, or visit us by appointment at 11A Kilmersdon Road, Bristol BS13 9NQ.

Sources

• AHPRA, Certifying documents
• AHPRA, Proof of identity
• Medical Board of Australia, International medical graduates
• ECFMG / Intealth, EPIC primary source verification
• ECFMG, EPIC special instructions for physicians applying to practise in Australia (AMC)
• The Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Notaries