How to apply
If you are a first time applicant for NZSTI membership, read this page carefully and then click 'Continue' to access the online application form.
If you have previously been a member of NZSTI or applied for membership, do not use this form. Instead, go to the re-application page to complete the relevant form.
NZSTI's privacy policy is available here.
You must currently live in New Zealand, be a New Zealand citizen or provide proof of significant ties to New Zealand in order to be eligible for NZSTI membership (such as proof you lived in NZ for 5 or more years and continue to have strong personal ties to the country).
Accredited Practitioner and Practitioner membership of NZSTI is specifically granted for translation and/or interpreting, depending on each member's qualifications. On the application form, you will be asked to specify your native language (with a brief explanation) and your translation and/or interpreting language pairs. Membership for interpreting language pairs is awarded in both directions (e.g. Mandarin to/from English). Membership for translation is normally awarded in one direction, being into your native language (e.g. German to English and French to English). Your qualifications must support your requested language pairs for membership.
As part of your application, you will be asked to provide your qualifications and other supporting documents. You can do this by emailing or posting certified copies of your qualifications in translating and/or interpreting, or by sharing your eQuals or similar online credentials with NZSTI ([email protected]). Please ensure your documents meet the following criteria:
- State your translation and/or interpreting qualifications
- Include academic transcripts showing courses and grades obtained
- State the language(s) you were examined in
- If your qualification documents are not in English, please provide certified translations
Each application is assessed individually by the NZSTI Membership Committee and, if accepted, you will be offered the highest membership level for which you qualify. In all but rare cases, NZSTI membership is awarded based on qualifications in translation and/or interpreting only.
For information on the eligibility criteria for our different membership categories, see the Eligibility page.
Note that incomplete applications will not be assessed and will lapse after two months. For a complete application, you must complete the online application form and then send us the required documents (qualifications, transcripts, logbook, etc.), along with any other documents we request.
Fees
A non-refundable application fee must be paid at the time of submitting your application.
If your application is approved, you will receive a confirmation email and an invoice for your pro-rata membership fees for the current membership year. Your membership will be activated once your fees have been received in full. To check our fees, visit our Fees page.
You will not be invoiced if your application is not accepted.
Once you have completed the online form, remember to email your documents to [email protected] as soon as possible.
Application Process
Our application process is detailed and may take some time to complete. Our membership levels are benchmarked against tertiary qualifications and professional experience, ensuring your membership status accurately reflects your expertise.
Once we receive your application, our administration team will begin the initial assessment and may contact you to request any additional supporting documents. A recommendation is then prepared for the NZSTI Membership Committee, before being presented to the National Council for final approval at its monthly meeting, held on the third Monday of each month.
Our applications are reviewed monthly by the Membership Committee, with decisions typically made during the third week of each month. Depending on when your application is received, processing generally takes approximately 4–6 weeks. More complex or technical applications may require additional time. To support a timely assessment, please ensure all required documentation is submitted with your application.
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