Translating UAE Documents for a New Zealand Visa
The Short Answer
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) needs an English translation of supporting documents that are not in English, but how formal that translation must be depends on the visa type. When translating UAE documents for a New Zealand visa, INZ's operational instructions (A13.5, effective 26 May 2025) say:
- Resident visas: a certified translation of every document not in English.
- Temporary visas (work, student and similar): certified translations of police and medical certificates; other documents only if an immigration officer asks.
- Visitor visas: English translations of all non-English documents, which no longer need to be certified since 26 May 2025, but must show the translator's full name, address, phone number and qualifications or experience.
What INZ Means by a Certified Translation
Who may not translate
The translation must not be prepared by the applicant, a member of their family, or the immigration adviser helping with the application.
Who may translate
INZ lists acceptable translators, including the Department of Internal Affairs Translation Service, embassies or high commissions that endorse the translation with their seal, reputable community members, and private or official translation businesses.
What it must carry
The translator must know both languages and be competent in translation, and the translation must bear the translator's or the business's stamp or signature, on letterhead where applicable.
Originals
It must be accompanied by the original or a certified copy, unless legible copies are acceptable for that application.
UAE Documents That Usually Need Translating for New Zealand
| UAE document | Usual language | Translation needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Birth certificate | Arabic; some newer certificates are bilingual | Yes if the details are in Arabic only |
| Marriage contract or certificate (court-issued) | Arabic | Almost always |
| Divorce certificate or judgment | Arabic | Almost always, including any reasons or custody terms the authority asks for |
| Police clearance (good conduct) certificate | Arabic, sometimes bilingual | Yes if any part the authority must read is in Arabic only |
| Court records and judgments | Arabic | Yes, in full |
| Salary certificate, employment letters, bank statements | Arabic, English or both | Only the Arabic-only parts |
| University degree and transcript | Often English; some Arabic | Only if issued in Arabic |
| Emirates ID | Bilingual | Usually not needed; rarely asked for |
For temporary visas the police certificate is the one document that always needs a certified translation if it is not in English. Check how your UAE certificate is issued, and see our page on police clearance translation if any part is in Arabic only.
If Translations Are Missing or Incomplete
For visitor visas, INZ may decline an application where translations are missing or incomplete. If the gap is minor and there is enough other evidence, the officer may decide using the English documents alone. For any visa, an officer who is not satisfied can ask for a translation of the whole document, where only part was translated, or for a translation by a specified translator. Translating everything the first time costs less than a second round.
Is MOFA Attestation Needed?
INZ's translation instructions do not mention UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation or New Zealand legalisation. What INZ asks for is in the checklist and guide for your visa, so read it, and treat attestation as a separate question for any other body that will see the document. Our MOFA attestation guide explains the UAE steps if you need them.
A Practical Order of Work
- Confirm your visa type: resident, temporary or visitor. It decides the level of translation.
- List the Arabic documents, starting with the police certificate and any medical certificate.
- Order complete translations with the translator's stamp or signature and full contact details.
- Check names against your passport. See name spelling mismatches.
- Upload each original or certified copy next to its translation.
Do New Zealand resident visa translations need to be certified?
Yes. INZ requires a certified translation of every document not written in English for resident visa applications.
Do New Zealand visitor visa translations need to be certified?
Not since 26 May 2025. They must still be in English and show the translator's full name, address, phone number and qualifications or experience.
Which documents need certified translation for a work visa?
Police and medical certificates that are not in English. Other documents are translated if an immigration officer asks for them.
Can a UAE translation company translate for INZ?
INZ lists private or official translation businesses among acceptable translators. SWLT is licensed by the UAE Ministry of Justice. We do not claim membership of a foreign accreditation body, and each immigration authority sets its own acceptance rules, so confirm what your application requires before you order.
Can my spouse translate my documents for INZ?
No. The applicant, family members and the immigration adviser on the application may not prepare the translation.
Do I need to translate my Emirates ID for New Zealand?
Usually not. It is bilingual and your passport is the identity document INZ relies on.
How much does Arabic to English translation for New Zealand cost?
Arabic⇄English legal translation is AED 60 per 200-word page (excl. VAT), with same-day delivery available. Translation into other languages is quoted per document.
How SWLT Helps
We translate UAE police certificates, civil records, court documents and employment letters into English for New Zealand applications, stamped and signed with our full company details, and we match the level of translation to your visa type. See birth certificate translation and court judgment translation.
Disclaimer
This article is general information about the translation side of an immigration application. It is not immigration or legal advice. Immigration authorities change their instructions, and rules differ between programmes; follow the current guide and document checklist for your own application, and take advice from a licensed adviser where you need it.
Prepare Your New Zealand Visa Documents
Send us your Arabic documents and tell us which New Zealand visa you are applying for. Smart World Legal Translation – Sole Proprietorship L.L.C. (SWLT) is a UAE Ministry of Justice-licensed legal translation company in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, led by Dr. Hani Elimam. Our federal accreditation is accepted across the UAE, including by Dubai Courts, and we hold exclusive interpretation contracts with the UAE Federal Courts and the Federal Public Prosecution. Arabic⇄English legal translation is AED 60 per 200-word page (excl. VAT), with same-day delivery available. Translation into other languages is quoted per document. Send your documents on WhatsApp (+971 50 864 8439), email info@swlt.ae, or use our contact page.