IRCC Certified Translation
Certified translations for all your Canadian immigration applications. Permanent residence, citizenship, family sponsorship.
✅ Quote within 1 business hour · ⚡ 2 to 3 business days · 🔒 Translators certified by Canadian provincial associations (ATIO, STIBC, OTTIAQ…)
Is digital PDF accepted by IRCC?
Yes, for online applications: IRCC asks you to upload the translation, bearing the certified translator's seal or stamp, and the copy of the original they worked from. The affidavit route applies only if no certified translator, in Canada or abroad, can do the translation. We combine both in one PDF, under the translator's digital seal.
- ✓Format: PDF ready to upload to the IRCC portal
- ✓Contents: translation and copy of the original in one PDF, under the translator's digital seal
- ✓Affidavit: only if no certified translator, in Canada or abroad, can translate
- ✓Turnaround: 2 to 3 business days
Send us the front and back of each document.
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Most Requested Immigration Documents
- Birth certificates (with apostille if required)
- Marriage certificates or civil union
- Police clearance / Criminal record checks
- Diplomas and transcripts
- Employment letters and pay stubs
- Proof of family relationship (sponsorship)
IRCC translation requirements
When a document is not in English or French, IRCC asks for a translation and a copy of the original. Here is what its published instructions say, and how Asiatis prepares each translation to meet them. Each application remains governed by the document checklist of its program.
What to upload
- The English or French translation, bearing a certified translator's seal or stamp. IRCC accepts a translation accompanied by the translator's affidavit instead only if no certified translator, in Canada or abroad, can do the translation (see below).
- A copy of the original document the translator worked from: a scan of the original, or of a certified photocopy.
How we deliver
- The translation and the copy of the source document are combined in one PDF, under the translator's digital seal, ready to upload.
- Certified PDF bearing the translator's digital seal, verifiable online for ATIO and STIBC members, at no charge.
- Paper copy on request (regular mail or Xpresspost), shipping fees extra.
Who can translate
For IRCC, a certified translator is a member in good standing of a professional translation association, in Canada or abroad. In Canada, that means a provincial or territorial association. The translator's seal or stamp shows their membership number. A translator who is still completing certification does not count as certified.
Asiatis translations are signed by certified translators who are members of Canadian provincial associations, mainly ATIO (Ontario), STIBC (British Columbia) and OTTIAQ (Quebec), and also ATIA, ATIS, ATIM, CTINB and ATINS. IRCC's rule does not favour any province: membership of any of these associations meets its definition.
Who cannot translate
- you, the applicant;
- a member of your family: parent, guardian, sibling, spouse, common-law or conjugal partner, grandparent, child, aunt or uncle, niece or nephew, first cousin;
- your representative or consultant, even if they are a lawyer, notary or translator.
A complete translation
IRCC requires every stamp and seal that is not in English or French to be translated too. We always translate both the front and the back of the source document.
Source: IRCC instructions on translating documents — canada.ca
No certified translator in Canada for your language? Translation with affidavit
IRCC provides another route: a translation accompanied by an affidavit, in which the translator swears to the accuracy of the translation before a person authorized to administer oaths (commissioner of oaths or notary). IRCC's condition: use this route only if no certified translator, in Canada or abroad, can do the translation.
When no translator certified by a Canadian provincial association covers your language, Asiatis offers this route and handles it from start to finish: a qualified translator for your language, the translation, and the affidavit sworn before a person authorized to administer oaths, delivered together and ready to upload with the copy of your original.
- The affidavit cannot be taken by you or by a member of your family, even if they are a lawyer, notary or authorized translator.
- Turnaround: 2 to 3 business days, same as a certified translation — the affidavit is sworn at the same time. Pricing: quote on request.
- Example: Tagalog to English translation with affidavit
How to check that a translator is certified
You do not have to take our word for it: the proof is on the document you receive. Every translation we deliver carries the certified translator's signature, along with their seal or stamp showing their association and their membership number. The check happens on your own translation, document in hand.
- The certified translator's signature, on the translation itself.
- Their seal or stamp, showing the name of their association and their membership number.
- Their status: certified member, not associate member.
- For ATIO and STIBC members, a digital seal you can verify online, at no charge.
Certified member, associate member: the difference matters
“Member of an association” and “certified translator” do not describe the same thing. Alongside their certified members, several associations also have associate members — a real and perfectly legitimate status, which simply does not carry the certification required to certify a translation. The difference does not show in the association's name; it shows on the seal, in the membership number. That is why ours carry it.
The associations that grant certification in Canada. IRCC favours none of them: membership of any one meets its definition.
| Association | Province |
|---|---|
| ATIO — Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario | Ontario |
| STIBC — Society of Translators and Interpreters of British Columbia | British Columbia |
| OTTIAQ — Ordre des traducteurs, terminologues et interprètes agréés du Québec | Quebec |
| ATIA — Association of Translators and Interpreters of Alberta | Alberta |
| ATIS — Association of Translators and Interpreters of Saskatchewan | Saskatchewan |
| ATIM — Association of Translators, Terminologists and Interpreters of Manitoba | Manitoba |
| CTINB — Corporation of Translators, Terminologists and Interpreters of New Brunswick | New Brunswick |
| ATINS — Association of Translators and Interpreters of Nova Scotia | Nova Scotia |
Looking for an ATIO-certified translation in Toronto? Certified translator in Toronto
Frequently Asked Questions
What are IRCC's requirements for translated documents?
For any document not in English or French, IRCC asks for the English or French translation bearing a certified translator's seal or stamp, plus a copy of the original (or of a certified photocopy) the translator worked from. IRCC accepts a translation accompanied by the translator's affidavit instead only if no certified translator, in Canada or abroad, can do the translation. Our translations are prepared to meet the requirements IRCC publishes; the decision on the application remains IRCC's.
- Certified translator's seal or stamp, with their membership number
- Copy of the original (or of a certified photocopy) the translator worked from
- At Asiatis: translation and copy of the original in one PDF, under the translator's digital seal
- Stamps and seals in another language translated too
- Affidavit only if no certified translator, in Canada or abroad, can do the translation
Can anyone do a certified translation for IRCC?
No. The translator must be a member in good standing of a professional translation association; in Canada, a provincial or territorial one. You cannot translate your own documents, and neither can a family member, your representative or your consultant, even if they are a lawyer, notary or translator.
- Excluded family: parent, guardian, sibling, spouse, common-law or conjugal partner, grandparent, child, aunt or uncle, niece or nephew, first cousin
- A translator still completing certification does not count as certified
- No certified translator in Canada for your language: we offer translation with affidavit
How do you know if a translator is certified?
The answer is on the translation itself: it carries the certified translator's signature and their seal or stamp, showing their association — ATIO, STIBC, OTTIAQ, ATIA, ATIS, ATIM, CTINB or ATINS — and their membership number. A useful distinction: alongside their certified members, several of these associations also have associate members, whose status does not carry the certification required to certify a translation. It is the membership number on the seal that tells them apart, not the name of the association.
- Certified translator's signature on the translation
- Seal or stamp showing the association and membership number
- Status "certified", not "associate"
- ATIO and STIBC members: digital seal verifiable online
Is a certified translation the same as a notarized translation?
No. A certified translation carries the seal or stamp of a translator who is a certified member of a professional association. In a notarized translation, the translator swears to the accuracy of the translation in an affidavit before a person authorized to administer oaths (commissioner of oaths or notary), who receives the oath but does not review the translation. For IRCC, a translation bearing the seal or stamp of a certified translator in Canada needs no affidavit; the affidavit route applies only if no certified translator, in Canada or abroad, can do the translation.
- Certified: translator's seal and membership number
- Notarized: affidavit sworn before a person authorized to administer oaths
- IRCC: affidavit only if no certified translator, in Canada or abroad, can do the translation
Which IRCC programs do you translate for?
We translate documents for all IRCC programs, in line with the requirements IRCC publishes. Each program's document checklist sets out what to provide, and the decision remains IRCC's.
- Express Entry (FSW, CEC, FSTC)
- Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP)
- Family sponsorship (spouse, children, parents)
- Canadian citizenship
- Super Visa for parents/grandparents
How long does an IRCC translation take?
Standard turnaround for a certified translation is 2 to 3 business days. An express service in 24 to 48 hours is available on request, at a surcharge.
- Standard: 2 to 3 business days
- Express: 24 to 48 hours, at a surcharge
- Delivery: certified PDF under the translator's digital seal, at no charge
- Paper copy on request (regular mail or Xpresspost), shipping fees extra
Do I need to legalize or apostille my translation?
For IRCC, a certified translation bearing a certified translator's seal or stamp is usually sufficient; an apostille is generally not requested for the translation. Some original documents may, however, need to be authenticated: your program's document checklist specifies this.
- IRCC: a certified translation is usually sufficient
- Original documents: authentication sometimes required
- We advise based on your country of origin
How much does a certified translation for IRCC cost?
Certified translation is $69 per 250-word page, with a minimum charge of $89 per project — that minimum is what applies to a short document. Send us your documents for an exact quote.
- Per-page rate, 250 words per page
- Minimum charge per project
- Translation with affidavit: quote on request
- Paper copy: shipping fees extra
- Free quote: reply within 1 hour during business hours, within 24 hours otherwise.
Requirements verified on canada.ca on September 21, 2026. View the IRCC page