If you need to submit a Chinese household register for an Australian visa, migration or citizenship application, provide an English translation with the Chinese document. A translation completed in Australia must be prepared by a NAATI-certified translator. The document is also known as a Hukou (户口本) or household registration booklet, and its translation shows the identity, household and family relationship information recorded on the submitted pages. Home Affairs translation requirements
An English Hukou translation can also support school enrolment, court, legal, banking or property matters when household records are requested. Before ordering, identify the pages you need and check that names, dates of birth, the household address and recorded family relationships can be matched across them.
Standard NAATI translation costs A$25 per page; order the number of original pages you need translated.
When might you need a household register translation?
A Hukou translation lets the receiving organisation read the identity, birth and family registration information in the original document. Its role depends on the particular application, as these examples show:
| Application or purpose | How a household register may be relevant |
|---|---|
| Partner visa, subclass 820 | If you cannot provide a birth certificate showing both parents’ names, the identity checklist lists alternatives, including a family book with those details. This is a birth or identity evidence provision; a Hukou does not establish the partner relationship on its own. Official checklist |
| Australian citizenship by conferral | If a full birth certificate is unavailable, family or household registration is one of the listed alternatives for birth evidence. The guidance for children aged 15 or younger also includes family or household registration with parents’ details; the other required identity evidence must still be supplied. Official guidance, sections 2 and 5 |
| Visitor visa, subclass 600: Tourist stream outside Australia, applicants under 18 | If a birth certificate cannot be provided, the listed alternatives include identity pages from a family book showing both parents’ names. Official checklist |
| Other visa, permanent residence, parent or child applications | When the checklist requests household or family relationship records, prepare the household and member pages that show the relevant information. A migration agent or legal representative may use these records to prepare the requested evidence. |
| School, university or childcare enrolment | When family or household records are requested, the relevant pages may include the child, parents or guardian and household head. A birth certificate or guardianship document may also be required. |
| Court, lawyer, inheritance, family law or property matters | Prepare the complete booklet or selected pages specified for the matter. Translation is separate from any requirement for notarisation, original documents or certified copies. |
| Banking, insurance, financial verification or government requests, including state and territory departments | Supply the requested identity, address or household pages when the organisation asks for those records. This is not a standard checklist for every financial or government transaction. |
A Hukou and a birth certificate are not automatically interchangeable. A household register records household membership and registration details; a birth certificate records birth and parent details. The substitution provisions above apply to the particular applications described.
Which Hukou pages need translation? Is my own page enough?
Translate the original pages required for your application. Your own page may be enough if that is all the receiving organisation requests. If the purpose involves parents, a spouse or children, you may also need household and member pages that show the relevant relationships.
Check the following against the instructions you have received:
- Household information or index page: household number, household head, address and registration details.
- Applicant’s page: name, date of birth, identity number and relationship to the household head.
- Relevant family members’ pages: the parent, spouse or child records needed to show the relationship.
- Changes, stamps and notes: relevant former names, marital status, transfers into or out of the household, place of employment and other amendments.
If the checklist asks for the full household register, prepare the complete booklet as requested. A label such as “visa” or “citizenship” does not establish the same required page combination for every applicant. If the page scope is unclear, include the receiving organisation’s instructions with your enquiry or order.
What does the English translation include?
AO Translation provides Chinese-to-English translation of Chinese household registers, household registration pages and individual household registration records (常住人口登记卡). The translation follows the selected original pages, including their text, stamps and notes. Depending on what the document records, this may include:
- Names, former names, gender, date and place of birth, ancestral place of origin and identity numbers.
- The household head, each person’s relationship to the household head, marital status and registered address.
- Registration dates, issuing authorities, household transfers and other amendments.
- Stamps, annotations and other information on the submitted pages.
The translated document includes the translator’s name and credential details, a translation declaration, a signature or stamp, and the translation date. It is supplied as a certified PDF. Tell us about any required formatting, wording, file names or printed copies before translation begins.
Jinhong Li is a NAATI Certified Translator, practitioner number CPN5BW39O, certified in Chinese into English and English into Chinese. This service is Chinese into English. You can check the certification directions in the official NAATI practitioner profile.
Family relationships are translated as recorded. The translation does not add a relationship or other information missing from the original. Whether the recorded relationships and supporting pages meet the evidence requirement is a separate decision for the receiving organisation.
Case example: a six-page Hukou and supporting documents for a PR application
For a Chinese client preparing a permanent residence (PR) application, we translated a household registration booklet (Hukou), identity card, certificate of no criminal record and proof of family relationship. The Hukou comprised six pages, including records of transfers into and out of the household and numerous handwritten entries. We checked these details individually before completing the translation.
Before translation began, the client checked our CPN and confirmed the urgent service by email. We completed the translations and sent the PDF files to the client that same day. The client was very satisfied with the service.
What should you provide? Do you need to send the original Hukou?
You usually do not need to send the original booklet to have it translated. Clear photos or scans of the selected pages are normally sufficient. Before submitting them, check:
- Complete pages: show all four corners, page numbers, the household number, relationship fields and stamps without cropping.
- Readable details: avoid glare, shadows, blur and obstruction, particularly over names, numbers, dates, addresses and notes.
- All relevant records: include the family member pages and amendments needed for the requested purpose.
- English name spelling: type the spelling used in your passport or established English identity records in the order notes. You do not need to upload a passport page solely to provide the spelling.
- Clear dates: make sure the original year, month and day are readable so they can be expressed accurately in the English translation.
- Instructions and delivery: provide the purpose, required pages and any PDF or printed-copy instructions. Include an Australian postal address if you need a printed copy sent to you.
Photos and scans are the input for preparing the translation. They do not replace an original document or certified copy if one is separately required when you lodge the application.
Can you use a PDF? What if you need a printed copy?
The completed English translation is delivered as a PDF by email. You can use it for electronic submission where the receiving organisation permits that format. Printed copies can also be arranged for delivery to an Australian address.
Postage is separate from translation turnaround and may incur an additional charge. If you need a printed copy or extra copies, explain this before the translation is prepared.
Will Australian authorities accept the translation?
Acceptance depends on meeting the requirements for the source document, translation and application. For example, a complete English translation cannot supply a missing parent’s name that the original Hukou does not contain, or replace additional evidence listed for the application.
For the Home Affairs applications described above, submit the Chinese source document together with its English translation. Its Visitor visa document guidance also requires the NAATI practitioner number for translations completed in Australia. NAATI certification does not guarantee that a document will be accepted or that an application will be approved. For an application question, use the relevant checklist or Home Affairs help and support.
How much does a Hukou translation cost, and how long does it take?
The price is based on the number of original pages requiring translation, not the number of pages in the English translation.
| Service | Price | PDF delivery |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | A$25 per page | Usually about 12 hours |
| Priority | A$40 per page, including the 60% surcharge of A$15 | Within 1 hour by email |
For example, select quantity 2 for two original pages: A$50 for Standard or A$80 for Priority.
The standard estimate applies to clear, complete, standard household-register pages in a small submission. Priority service is available 24/7; the one-hour period starts after payment and receipt of all clear, complete pages to be translated. It does not include postage or separately arranged additional services. For complex handwriting, unclear images or a larger set of pages, confirm the scope, price and expected completion time first.
Order online
Choose the number of original pages and select Standard or Priority on the product page. Submit clear photos or scans, the English name spelling and the purpose or receiving instructions. A NAATI-certified translator prepares the translation and checks key names, dates, addresses and relationships before the completed PDF is emailed to you. Arrange printed delivery if needed.
If your checklist requests additional Chinese documents, the Chinese document NAATI translation guide helps you find the relevant service. Existing options include Chinese birth certificate translation and Chinese ID card translation, alongside marriage certificate and police clearance certificate services. You can also review the NAATI translation pricing guide. Prepare additional documents only when they are relevant to your application.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Chinese Hukou called in English?
- A Chinese Hukou (户口本) is commonly called a Chinese household register or household registration booklet in English. These names refer to the same document for this translation service.
How much does a Chinese household register translation cost?
- The standard price is A$25 per page.
- Select the quantity by the number of Hukou source pages: 2 pages = quantity 2: standard A$50 or priority A$80. Do not count the English translation’s output pages.
How long does a Chinese household register translation take?
- Clear, standard pages are usually translated in about 12 hours.
- 1-hour priority costs A$40 per page, including the 60% surcharge (A$15). Available 24/7; the hour starts after payment and receipt of clear, complete materials. Delivery is PDF by email; postal delivery is separate.
Do Chinese household registers need NAATI translation in Australia?
- For the Home Affairs applications described above, a non-English Hukou submitted as evidence needs an English translation together with the source document. Australian translators must hold NAATI accreditation; different details apply to overseas translators.
- Other organisations set their own document and translation requirements. Check the relevant checklist before ordering.
Do I need to translate the whole household register?
- Not always. Follow the receiving organisation’s instructions.
- Check whether the household index, relevant family-member pages and any changes are needed for the requested identity or relationship evidence. Do not assume that only your own page is enough or that every application needs the entire booklet.
Can I submit photos instead of scans?
- Yes, clear photos are usually acceptable for preparing the translation.
- They must show the full page clearly, with no cropped edges, glare or blurred text. This does not change the receiving organisation’s source-document requirements.
Do I need to send the original Hukou booklet?
- Usually no. Clear scans or photos are normally enough to prepare the translation.
- The receiving organisation may separately ask for an original or certified copy; follow its instructions.
How should names be translated?
- Names should normally match passport spelling or existing English identity records.
- Type the required spelling; do not upload a passport page only to supply the name spelling.
Can the translation show family relationships?
- Yes. Household relationship information shown on the Hukou page will be translated into English.
- The receiving organisation decides whether those recorded relationships and the accompanying pages are sufficient for the required evidence.
Can I get a printed hard copy?
- Yes. If the receiving organisation requires a printed NAATI translation, we can arrange postal delivery to an Australian address.
Is the translation accepted by Australian authorities?
- Acceptance depends on the receiving organisation’s current requirements for the source document, translation and application.
- NAATI certification does not guarantee document acceptance or application approval.
Last edited: 19 October 2026.
