What IRCC requires
from document translations

“Translations by certified translators”

This is sometimes read as requiring a Canadian certified translator specifically. IRCC recognizes professional-association membership in Canada or abroad.

For Express Entry, the main route is a complete translation bearing a certified translator’s stamp and membership number. A translator’s affidavit is allowed only if a certified translator cannot complete the translation. These are not two unconditionally interchangeable options. Check your program’s instructions.

Who is a certified translator for IRCC?

IRCC does not require a single worldwide translator register. Its instructions refer to a member of a professional association in Canada or abroad, with membership confirmed by a stamp or seal bearing a membership number.

Membership is not limited to ATIO, OTTIAQ or STIBC. Our translator’s lack of membership does not by itself make an affidavit permissible: Express Entry’s condition is that a certified translator cannot complete the translation.

What is a translator’s affidavit?

An affidavit is the translator’s sworn statement about the accuracy of a particular translation. In Canada it can be sworn before a notary public, commissioner of oaths or commissioner of taking affidavits. Outside Canada, use a notary public or an equivalent authorized to administer oaths.

An affidavit does not establish certified-translator status. For Express Entry it is a conditional alternative when a certified translator cannot complete the translation. Other programs may have different rules.

“We do not accept copies signed by notaries”

This is another phrase that is frequently misunderstood.

This concerns original documents. When IRCC specifically requests originals, upload the originals rather than notarized copies. A translator’s sworn affidavit is a different document and is expressly provided for in the translation instructions.

Translations that do not meet the instructions

• A translation by the applicant, a prohibited family member, representative or consultant, even if that person is a qualified translator
• A translator still obtaining certification does not count as a certified translator
• A partial translation: the whole document must be translated, including stamps, seals and marginal notes

Upload the original-document scan, or the certified-copy scan if that is what the translator worked from, in accordance with the program instructions.

How we work

We are not certified translators and do not claim that status. We can provide a complete translation with our stamp and a notarized translator’s affidavit where your program permits this route. For Express Entry, this is when a certified translator cannot complete the translation.

Before starting, we check the spelling of names against the passport to reduce discrepancies and requests for clarification.

Sources: IRCC instructions, Apply for permanent residence through Express Entry, Translation of documents section, and Citizenship applications: Translation of documents. This page is not legal advice. Requirements can differ by program and province. Always check your IRCC request and personalized checklist.