How to apply
Certified or notarised documents for application
As part of your application, you may be asked to supply certified or notarised copies of documents. Certified copies are sometimes called verified copies; regardless of the naming, the requirements are the same.
What is a certified document?
A certified copy is a photocopy of an original document, signed as being a true and accurate copy by an authorised person.
True and accurate copy
To be considered true and accurate a copy needs to be of the full document/page requested (i.e. not be cropped, or missing edges), and have the below on each page supplied:
- The words '"original sighted"
- The date the original was sighted
- The name and signature of the person sighting the original
- The stamp or name of the institution/organisation of the person verifying the documents
The above annotations must be in English.
Authorised person
The below people are authorised to certify documents for the purposes of enrolling at Otago Polytechnic:
- Justice of the Peace (or JP's on campus)
- Registrar or Deputy Registrar of the Court
- Barrister
- Solicitor
- Notary public
- Member of Parliament
- Otago Polytechnic Staff Member
Notarised documents
In some instances, you may be requested to provide a notarised document. Notarised documents have been signed in front of a notary public and vetted for authenticity.
The notary public is an official who verifies the identities of everybody signing the document, witnesses the signatures, records the act in an official log, and marks the document with a stamp (or "seal").
Frequently Asked Questions
The task in your application portal will tell you what documents are required for your application.
The most common certified documents we request for applications are below:
- Passport
- Birth certificate
- Visa (for non-New Zealand citizens)
- Marriage or civil union certificate
- Deed poll
Please read the requirement in your application portal for the documents you need to provide. Most applicants will not need to supply all of the above, and some programmes have additional or specific requirements.
All learners in New Zealand are given a National Student Number (NSN) which is recorded on the National Student Index (NSI).
It is a requirement for us to verify the name, date of birth, and residency of each leaner so you can be matched to your NSI record (see https://nsi.education.govt.nz for more information).
Certified copies are sometimes referred to as verified copies. For application purposes a verified copy is the same as a certified copy.
Yes, Notarised documents have been signed before a notary public and vetted for authenticity. A notarized document is recorded in an official log and marked with a stamp (or "seal") by the notary public.
The task requesting the document will contain further information about why we need you to upload another document. Some common reasons are:
- Your copy was not certified correctly
- Your copy was not certified by a suitable person
- The copy provided was cropped
- The copy provided was not legible
- You uploaded an incorrect file (but thanks for the photo of your cat)
Please read the task which has been set for you, and contact us if you need further clarification.
NZ Citizens whose details match a verified NSI record will not normally need to supply documents for ID verification.
This is normally for one of the below reasons
- Your NSI record is not verified – if this is your first time studying at a tertiary institute your NSN may have not yet be verified. Otago Polytechnic will verify your NSI record for you once we receive your certified documents.
- You have changed your name since the last time you studied in NZ – in this case we will require evidence of your name change (such as a Marriage or civil union certificate, or Deed poll).
- You are not a NZ Citizen – we need a copy of your passport and/or visa on record.
There are some documents we need to have copies of each year, for example residency visas which have an expiry date.
Contact us
If you’re not sure what to study and would like some guidance, we’re here to help. Feel free to chat to us directly about any questions you may have.
