Every part of a certified translation has a job. The translation lets an officer read the document. The certificate tells the officer who stands behind it. The affidavit, where one is required, turns that promise into a sworn statement. A package missing any part can fail, however good the English is.
Which parts you need depends on who receives the translation. This guide explains each part, the rules of the main Canadian receivers, and what happens between your upload and the signed PDF.
What is in a certified translation?
A certified translation has three parts, and receivers expect all three together.
- The translation. Every word on the document, laid out like the original so an officer can match them line by line. Stamps and seals are described and translated, handwritten entries are included, and anything unreadable is marked [illegible] rather than guessed.
- The Certificate of Accuracy. A signed statement that the translation is complete and accurate, identifying the document, the languages and the date. Every Official Translations translation comes with one.
- A copy of the original. IRCC asks for the translation together with a scan of the original, or of the certified photocopy the translator worked from, so the two can be compared.
The what is a certified translation guide explains why "certified" means two things in Canada.
What does "complete" mean to IRCC?
Everything that is not already in English or French. IRCC's instructions say "All stamps and seals that are not in English or French must also be translated," which catches the registrar's stamp on the back of a birth certificate as surely as the main text.
Three more rules shape the work:
- The translation follows the paper you submit. It must be "of the original document, or of a certified copy of the original document." When you submit a certified copy, "the translator must stamp both the certified copy and the translation."
- English or French documents need nothing. "Documents that are already in English or French do not have to be translated," even if the application is in the other official language.
- A translation does not expire. IRCC says a translation "should be valid indefinitely" unless the original document has changed or expired, and an expired translator or notary signature does not invalidate it.
When do you need a sworn affidavit?
For IRCC, whenever the translator is not a certified translator in IRCC's sense: "a member in good standing of a professional translation association in Canada or abroad," with a seal or stamp showing the membership number. A translator still working toward certification does not count. IRCC's instructions say applicants in Canada "should use the services of a certified translator" in good standing with their provincial or territorial organization (bodies such as ATIO, OTTIAQ and STIBC), and add: "In situations where the translation cannot be provided by a certified translator, it must be accompanied by an affidavit swearing to the accuracy of the translation and the language proficiency of the translator."
The oath has rules of its own. In Canada it is taken by a notary public, a commissioner of oaths or a commissioner of taking affidavits; outside Canada, by a notary public or the local equivalent. "The commissioner or notary public must be proficient in English or French in order to administer the oath." The notary or commissioner administers the oath; the statement of accuracy remains the translator's.
Official Translations is not a member of a Canadian provincial association and does not use the title "certified translator" in Canada. Its IRCC route is the affidavit route: a complete certified translation plus the translator's affidavit, sworn before a notary, at CA$24.95 per document. The certified vs sworn affidavit guide compares the routes in detail, and the IRCC requirements guide covers the upload itself.
Which Canadian bodies want what?
Other receivers publish their own rules:
| Receiving body | What it requires | What that means for your order |
|---|---|---|
| IRCC | Certified translator's stamp or, failing that, the translator's affidavit; copy of the original | Certified translation plus affidavit |
| Ontario courts | Translation "certified by affidavit of the translator" (Courts of Justice Act, s. 125(2)(b)) | Certified translation plus affidavit |
| Federal Court | "An affidavit attesting to the accuracy of the translation" (rule 68) | Certified translation plus affidavit |
| IRB, Refugee Protection Division | "A declaration signed by the translator" with name, language and dialect, and a statement of accuracy (rule 32) | Check the declaration covers each point |
| WES | "Official word-for-word translations", uploaded in the WES account | Certified translation |
| NNAS | Translation by a certified translator, an approved source agency or NNAS, mailed directly from the translator | Our translations do not meet this rule; use one of those three sources |
| ICBC (British Columbia) | Translation by an "ICBC-approved translator" | Use a translator on ICBC's list |
Who is not allowed to translate?
IRCC excludes the applicant, the applicant's family members and their representatives or consultants, including family members who are lawyers, notaries or translators. Its family list runs from parents and spouses to first cousins. NNAS has the same principle: it "will not accept documents translated by either the applicant or anyone related to the applicant."
How does an order work, step by step?
- Upload. Add a scan or photo of every page and both sides on the order page, which takes PDF, JPG, PNG or TXT files, and choose the language pair. Our guide to submitting documents covers scan quality.
- Give the names. For languages not written in the Roman alphabet, the form asks for the exact English spelling of every name in the document, as written in a passport or other English document. Names you do not list are transliterated by the translator.
- See the price. Pages are counted from the words, up to 300 source words per page at CA$39.95, and the total appears before you pay. Add the affidavit for IRCC, an apostille for a foreign authority that requires one, printed copies or rush. Complex jobs can go for a manual quote instead.
- Pay. The full translation is prepared and signed off with the Certificate of Accuracy, and the translator swears the affidavit before a notary if you ordered one.
- Receive it. The signed PDF arrives by email, most one-page documents within 24 hours and longer documents in 1 to 3 business days. Printed copies are shipped by courier on request. See delivery formats for which office wants which format.
Why do certified translations get sent back?
- A certificate where IRCC needed an affidavit. A signed Certificate of Accuracy alone does not meet IRCC's rule unless the translator is an association member with a stamp.
- Untranslated stamps, seals or reverse sides. The officer sees text on the original that is missing from the translation.
- A translation of a different copy. The translation does not match the copy actually uploaded.
- Names that drift. A surname spelled one way in the translation and another in the passport leaves the officer asking whether two documents describe one person.
- The wrong translator. A relative, the applicant or the representative did the work.
Checklist: before you order
Questions people ask
Does a certified translation need to be notarized for IRCC?
IRCC does not ask for notarization as such. It asks for a certified translator's stamp or, failing that, the translator's affidavit sworn before a notary or commissioner of oaths. A notary's stamp on a photocopy of a translation is not an affidavit.
Can the translator's affidavit be sworn outside Canada?
Yes. IRCC's instructions allow the affidavit to be taken by a notary public or equivalent outside Canada, provided the notary or commissioner is proficient in English or French.
Can I translate my own documents if I am fluent?
No, not for IRCC. Applicants, their family members and their representatives or consultants may not translate documents for the application, even if they are professional translators.
Do I need to send my original document?
No. The translation is made from a clear scan or photo that you upload, and you keep the original. IRCC wants a scan of the original, or of a certified photocopy, alongside the translation.
Is a PDF certified translation valid for IRCC?
Yes, for online applications. You upload the signed PDF with the affidavit and a scan of the original as one file in the field for that document, within the size limit of your IRCC account.
What happens if a translation is refused?
If the Canadian body the translation was prepared for refuses it for accuracy, completeness or certification, Official Translations corrects and reissues it free, normally within 24 hours of receiving the refusal, and refunds the translation fee if a correction cannot resolve a refusal caused by the translation. The guarantee terms set out what is and is not covered.
