Core Documents for Australia Awards
The document requirements for Australia Awards Scholarships are extensive, and the OASIS system is not forgiving about missing items. If something is absent, poorly formatted, or not properly certified, your application will not progress. There is no grace period and no option to submit documents after the deadline. Everything goes in before the portal closes, or it does not go in at all.
Here is the full list. Not every document applies to every applicant, but most of them apply to most people. Read through the entire list before you start gathering materials, because some items (like referee reports and certified translations) take weeks to arrange.
Completed OASIS Application Form
This is the application itself. You fill it out online in the OASIS portal, and once you submit it, OASIS generates a PDF summary. You do not need to upload this separately; it is created by the system. But you should download and save a copy for your records, because after the portal closes you may lose access to it.
Certified Copy of Passport (Bio-Data Page)
The page with your photo, name, date of birth, and passport number. Must be a certified copy, not a scan of the original. If your passport is expired or close to expiring, renew it before you apply. The name on your passport must match the name you use on the application form exactly.
Certified Copies of ALL Academic Transcripts
Every post-secondary qualification you have completed or are currently completing. This means university, polytechnic, vocational training, any diploma programmes, everything after high school. If you attended multiple institutions, you need transcripts from all of them. Partial transcripts or transcripts that only show a final grade without individual subjects are not acceptable. More on this below.
Certified Copies of Academic Certificates and Degrees
The actual degree certificates, diplomas, or graduation documents. These are separate from transcripts. A transcript shows your grades; a certificate confirms you completed the programme and were awarded the qualification. You need both.
Proof of Citizenship
Birth certificate or national identity card. This establishes that you are a citizen of an eligible country. Your passport alone may satisfy this requirement in some cases, but having a separate proof of citizenship is safer. If your birth certificate is in a language other than English, you will need a certified translation.
CV / Resume (3-4 Pages Maximum)
Keep it tight. This is not a 10-page academic CV. Focus on your education, relevant work experience, community involvement, and any leadership roles. The selection panel does not need to know about your high school achievements or hobbies. Three to four pages is the expected range. If yours is longer, cut it down.
Statement by Applicant (Motivation Essay)
This is written directly inside the OASIS form, not uploaded as a separate document. You answer structured questions about why you want to study in Australia, how the scholarship aligns with your career goals, and how you will contribute to your country's development when you return. This is where most applications are won or lost. Generic answers about "wanting to gain international experience" will not cut it. Be specific about the development problem you want to solve back home.
Two Referee Reports
Submitted through OASIS by your referees directly. You do not upload these yourself. You enter your referees' details in OASIS, and the system sends them a link to complete an online form. This is a major source of problems. See the detailed section below.
English Language Proficiency Proof
An IELTS Academic or TOEFL iBT score report. The minimum score varies by country and by programme, but for most Australia Awards applications, you need at least IELTS 6.5 overall (with no band below 6.0) or TOEFL iBT 84. Some countries accept a lower score at the application stage if you agree to attend English language training in Australia before starting your degree. Check your country-specific guidelines. The test must have been taken within two years of the application deadline.
Employer Support Letter (If Currently Employed)
If you are working, your employer needs to write a letter confirming they are aware of your application and will release you for the duration of your studies. Some country programmes require this; others merely recommend it. Either way, having one strengthens your application because it shows that your organisation values your development enough to let you go. If you are self-employed or unemployed, you do not need this.
Additional Documents for Research Degrees
If you are applying for a Master's by Research or a PhD, the standard document list is not enough. You need to demonstrate that you have a viable research project and that an Australian university can actually supervise it. These extra requirements exist because research degrees are more expensive and more resource-intensive than coursework degrees, so the programme wants proof that you will not waste the investment.
Research Proposal (1,000 to 2,000 Words)
This is not a full thesis proposal. It is a concise summary of what you want to research, why it matters for your country's development, what methodology you plan to use, and what outcomes you expect. The panel is not looking for a publishable research design. They want to see that you can think clearly about a problem, frame it as a research question, and explain why an Australian university is the right place to investigate it. Keep it focused. If your proposal reads like a literature review, it is too broad.
Evidence of Supervisor Communication
Email correspondence or a letter from a potential supervisor at an Australian university indicating their willingness to supervise your research. Not all country programmes require this, but it strengthens your application significantly. Finding a supervisor before applying shows initiative and demonstrates that your research topic is viable. Start reaching out to potential supervisors at least three to four months before the application deadline. Many academics take weeks to respond, if they respond at all.
Publications List
If you have published journal articles, conference papers, book chapters, or similar academic work, include a list. This is not mandatory, and many successful applicants do not have publications. But if you do, it demonstrates research experience and strengthens your case for a research degree. Do not pad the list with blog posts or newspaper articles. Stick to peer-reviewed or academically credible publications.
Certification Rules
This is where a surprising number of applications fall apart. The programme requires certified copies, not originals and not plain photocopies. A certified copy is a photocopy of the original document that has been verified and stamped by an authorised person who confirms it is a true copy. The rules about who counts as "authorised" are specific, and they vary slightly by country.
Who Can Certify Your Documents
- Notary public — the most universally accepted option across all countries.
- Justice of the Peace — widely recognised, especially in Commonwealth countries.
- University registrar or authorised academic official — for academic transcripts and certificates, this is often the easiest route.
- Australian Embassy or Consulate official — accepted but may involve travel to the embassy and longer waiting times.
Translation Requirements
Any document not in English must be accompanied by a certified English translation. Both the original language document and the translation need to be submitted together. A translation alone, without the source document, is not accepted.
The translator must be an accredited or sworn translator. In Australia, that means someone accredited by NAATI (National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters). Outside Australia, it means someone recognised by the equivalent national authority. Your bilingual friend cannot do this. A certified translation typically costs between USD $30 and $80 per page, and turnaround time is usually one to two weeks. Plan accordingly.
Country-Specific Certification Requirements
Some countries have additional rules. For example, certain country programmes require documents to be certified by a specific government ministry, or require apostille stamps for international recognition. Always check the country-specific annex or guidelines published by your local Australia Awards administering body. The general rules cover most cases, but do not assume they cover yours.
Common mistake: submitting colour scans of original documents and assuming those count as certified copies. They do not. A scan of an original is just a scan. A certified copy is a photocopy that someone with legal authority has signed and stamped to confirm it matches the original. Those are two different things.
Academic Transcript Details
Transcripts are one of the most frequently problematic documents. Many universities around the world issue transcripts in formats that do not meet Australia Awards requirements, and applicants do not find out until it is too late. Here is what you need to know.
Every Post-Secondary Institution
If you started at one university and transferred to another, you need transcripts from both. If you did a diploma at a polytechnic before going to university, you need that transcript too. Everything after high school, no exceptions.
Individual Subject Grades Required
A transcript that only shows your final GPA or cumulative average is not sufficient. The panel needs to see individual course or subject grades for each semester or academic year. If your university does not include these by default, request a detailed transcript specifically.
Grading Scale Must Be Included
A grade of "B+" means very different things at different institutions. Your transcript must include the grading scale so the assessors can interpret your results. If it does not include one, ask your university to add it or provide a separate document explaining the scale.
Currently Studying? Submit What You Have
If you have not yet completed your current degree, submit transcripts for all semesters completed so far. You are not disqualified for still being enrolled. But the transcript must be up to date as of the application deadline, not from six months earlier.
Referee Reports — How It Actually Works
The referee system in OASIS is one of the most common sources of stress and failed applications. It works differently from most other scholarship programmes, and the consequences of getting it wrong are severe. Your referees do not write you a letter. They fill out an online form, and you have no control over when or whether they do it.
The Process, Step by Step
You enter your referee's name, title, organisation, and email address in the OASIS form.
OASIS sends an automated email to each referee with a unique link to an online referee report form.
Your referee clicks the link and completes a structured form. It includes ratings on various competencies and open-ended questions about your suitability.
The referee submits the form. You receive a notification that it has been completed, but you cannot see what they wrote.
Both referee reports must be submitted before the application deadline. If one is missing, your application is incomplete.
Choosing Your Referees
At least one of your referees should be someone who can speak to your academic abilities. A former professor, thesis supervisor, or department head who knows your work well. Someone who taught you in a 300-person lecture hall and cannot remember your face is not a good choice.
Your second referee should ideally be someone from your professional life. A current or former supervisor, a manager, or a colleague in a senior position who can speak to your work ethic, leadership potential, and commitment to your field. This is especially important for Australia Awards, where development impact matters as much as academic merit.
Common Referee Problems (and How to Avoid Them)
Brief your referees. Do not just give them your name and walk away. Send them a summary of the scholarship, what it values (development impact, leadership, community contribution), and why you are applying. A referee who understands the programme writes a much stronger report than one who gives generic praise. This is not cheating. It is standard practice, and the programme expects it.
OASIS Upload Requirements
The OASIS portal has technical limitations that catch people off guard, especially those with large scanned documents. If you wait until the last day to upload everything and hit a file size limit, you are in trouble.
Technical Specifications
5 MB per document
This is the typical limit per file. Certified academic transcripts scanned at high resolution can easily exceed this. You will need to compress them.
PDF (preferred)
PDF is the safest format. Some sections may accept JPEG or PNG, but PDF ensures your document looks the same on every screen and prints correctly.
Tips for Compressing PDFs
- Use free tools like Smallpdf, ILovePDF, or Adobe Acrobat's built-in compression. Most can reduce file size by 50 to 80 percent without visible quality loss.
- When scanning, use 200 to 300 DPI. Higher resolutions produce unnecessarily large files. You do not need 600 DPI for a transcript.
- Scan in grayscale rather than colour where possible. Colour scans are typically three to four times larger than grayscale ones, and most documents do not need colour.
- Combine multiple pages of the same document into a single PDF rather than uploading individual pages. Multi-page transcripts should be one file, not five.
Saving and Backup
- Save after each section. OASIS allows you to save your progress. Use this after every major section you complete. The system can time out, and if you lose an hour of work because your session expired, you will not get it back.
- Take screenshots of every page. After you submit your application, take screenshots of each section of the submitted form. Some applicants have reported losing access to their application after submission, and screenshots are the only record they have of what they submitted.
- Keep all original files organised locally. Create a folder on your computer with named subfolders for each document type. You may need to re-upload if something goes wrong, and scrambling to find the right file under pressure is not fun.
Country-Specific Additional Requirements
The list above covers the standard requirements for most Australia Awards applicants. But individual country programmes often add their own requirements on top of the standard ones. These vary considerably and can include documents that take significant time to obtain.
Government Endorsement Letters
Some countries require applicants to obtain an endorsement letter from a relevant government ministry or department. This letter confirms that the government is aware of your application and supports your proposed field of study as relevant to national development priorities. In some countries, this is a formality. In others, it involves a genuine review process that can take weeks. Start early.
Nominating Agency Approval
In certain countries, applications are channelled through a nominating agency, which is typically a government body or an organisation designated by the Australian Embassy. You may need to register with this agency, attend information sessions, or submit your application through them rather than directly through OASIS. The agency may have its own pre-screening process and separate deadlines that are earlier than the OASIS deadline.
Indonesia: Separate Pre-Selection Process
Indonesia has one of the largest Australia Awards programmes and runs its own pre-selection process. Indonesian applicants go through an initial screening by a local managing contractor before their applications are forwarded to OASIS. This means additional forms, additional document requirements, and additional deadlines. If you are Indonesian, do not rely on the general OASIS instructions alone. Visit the Australia Awards Indonesia website for the country-specific process and timeline.
How to find your country's requirements: Go to the DFAT Australia Awards page and look for the country-specific profile or annex for your nationality. Each participating country has its own page listing the local administering body, any additional requirements, and the exact deadlines that apply to you.
Related Pages
How to Apply
The OASIS portal walkthrough, step-by-step process, and country-specific instructions.
Eligibility
Which countries qualify, academic requirements, work experience expectations, and age limits.
Interview
What happens after shortlisting, what the panel asks, and how to prepare.
Ready to start your application?
Once you have your documents sorted, the next step is understanding the application process itself. The how-to-apply page walks through OASIS from start to finish.
How to Apply