Certified translations and notarized copies in Canada
Certified translations and notarized copies in Canada
This is a small, boring, expensive topic that newcomers routinely get wrong — usually by paying for the wrong thing twice.
Two different services are involved, and they solve two different problems:
| Service | What it certifies | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Certified translation | That the translated text accurately reflects the original document | A birth certificate in Arabic submitted to IRCC |
| Certified true copy / notarized copy | That a photocopy faithfully reproduces an original | A copy of your degree sent to a licensing body that will not accept the original by mail |
You will probably need both, for different documents. Neither substitutes for the other.
What "certified translation" means in Canada
Canada's official languages are English and French. Any document in another language that you submit to a government body, a regulator, a court, an employer, or an educational institution will normally need a certified translation.
A translation is certified when it is produced by a translator who is certified by a provincial or territorial translators' association. Examples:
- ATIO — Association of Translators and Interpreters of Ontario
- OTTIAQ — Ordre des traducteurs, terminologues et interprètes agréés du Québec
- equivalent bodies in the other provinces
The certified translator applies a stamp or seal, and attests that the translation is accurate and complete. That seal is what the receiving institution is actually looking for.
When no certified translator is available
IRCC accepts a translation from a non-certified translator when it is accompanied by an affidavit — a sworn statement in which the translator declares, before a commissioner for oaths or a notary public, that the translation accurately reflects the original.
This is the standard path for languages where no certified translator is available in your area. Confirm the current requirement on canada.ca for your specific application, because the rules for immigration applications are stricter than for most other uses.
Who is not allowed to translate for you
This trips up more people than anything else on this page. You cannot use:
- yourself,
- a family member — spouse, parent, sibling, child,
- anyone with an interest in your application, including your immigration representative,
even if that person is a professionally certified translator. Translations from any of these are typically rejected outright, and the rejection costs you weeks.
What a certified true copy is
A certified true copy (often loosely called a "notarized copy") is a photocopy that a qualified person has compared against the original and stamped to confirm it is a faithful reproduction.
You need one when an institution wants proof of a document but will not accept, or you cannot risk mailing, the original.
Who can certify a copy in Canada varies by province and by receiving institution, but commonly includes:
- a notary public
- a lawyer
- a commissioner for taking affidavits
- in some cases, specific designated officials
Some settlement agencies, some banks, and some university registrar offices also provide the service. Confirm with the institution receiving the document what they will accept before you pay — this is the single best way to avoid doing it twice.
Which documents to prioritize
If budget or time is limited, translate these first, in roughly this order:
- Birth certificates — for everyone in the family. Used for school registration, benefits, and almost every status process.
- Marriage certificate — used for name matching, benefits, sponsorship, and taxes.
- Divorce decree or death certificate of a spouse — needed to establish marital status.
- Degrees, diplomas and transcripts — required for credential assessment and licensing. See Getting your foreign degree, licence or trade recognized.
- Professional licences and registration certificates.
- Driving record / letter of experience — see Exchanging a foreign driver's licence in Ontario.
- Police certificates, if you may need them again.
- Employment reference letters, if you are entering a regulated profession.
Doing translations before you leave
Translations produced in your home country are usually cheaper and faster than translations produced in Canada, and getting an official document reissued is far easier while you are still standing in the country that issued it.
The trade-off: some Canadian bodies require a translator certified in a Canadian province. Credential assessment agencies and professional regulators are the strictest.
The practical compromise most newcomers land on:
- Translate the civil-status documents (birth, marriage, divorce) before leaving, since these are widely accepted.
- Wait on credential documents until you know exactly which assessment body you are using and what it requires.
- Bring originals of everything regardless — see Documents to bring when you move to Canada.
Practical tips
- Translate every page, including stamps, seals, and handwritten notes on the back. A translation missing the reverse side of a certificate is commonly rejected.
- Keep the original and the translation together, always. Almost every institution wants to see both.
- Ask for extra certified copies at the time of the original order — the marginal cost is small and a second trip is not.
- Confirm the format requirement: some bodies want the translation mailed directly by the translator, in a sealed envelope, exactly like sealed transcripts.
- Keep the translator's contact details and certification number. Institutions sometimes verify.
Store the scans, not just the paper
A certified translation is expensive and slow to replace. Scan every certified translation and every notarized copy the day you receive it — including the page with the stamp, which is the part that carries the legal weight.
How my-id.ca helps
Translated documents multiply your paperwork: for every original you now hold a translation, an affidavit, and often a certified copy — for every member of your family. Keeping track of which version you already sent to which institution becomes its own job.
my-id.ca gives you a free, encrypted Canadian vault for all of it, with search that works across the contents of your documents, not just their filenames — so "where is my son's translated birth certificate" is a question you can actually ask. Because the AI runs on my-id.ca's own servers in Canada, your family's civil-status documents are not sent to a third-party AI provider. See Find anything you've stored and Storage: what counts, and how to free space.
Next steps
- Documents to bring when you move to Canada
- Getting your foreign degree, licence or trade recognized
- Keeping your immigration documents safe
- First 90 days in Ontario: a newcomer's checklist
Important: this is general information, not legal advice
This article is general information to help you get organized — it is not legal, immigration, tax, or financial advice, and my-id.ca does not provide legal or professional consultation. my-id.ca is not a government agency, law firm, notary, translation service, or licensed advisor, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, IRCC, the Canada Revenue Agency, Service Canada, ServiceOntario, or any translators' association.
Requirements for translation and certification differ between institutions, provinces, and application types, and change over time. Always confirm what the receiving institution accepts, and check the official government sources (canada.ca and ontario.ca) before you pay for anything. For advice about your individual circumstances, consult a qualified professional or a government-funded settlement agency. If anything in this guide differs from an official source, the official source is correct.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a certified translation in Canada?
- A translation produced by a translator who is certified by a provincial or territorial translators' association — for example ATIO in Ontario or OTTIAQ in Quebec. The translator stamps or seals the translation and attests to its accuracy. Where no certified translator is available, IRCC accepts a translation accompanied by an affidavit sworn before a commissioner for oaths or notary.
- Can I translate my own documents?
- No. IRCC and most Canadian institutions will not accept a translation done by the applicant, by a family member, or by anyone with an interest in the application — even if that person is a certified translator.
- What is the difference between a certified translation and a notarized copy?
- A certified translation attests that the translated text accurately reflects the original. A notarized or certified true copy attests that a photocopy is a faithful reproduction of an original document. They solve different problems and one does not substitute for the other.
- Do I need to translate documents that are already in English?
- No. Canada's official languages are English and French, and documents in either are accepted without translation across the country.
- Is it cheaper to translate documents before I leave my home country?
- Usually yes, and often faster. The catch is that some Canadian bodies require the translation to be produced by a translator certified in a Canadian province. Check the specific requirement of the body you are applying to before paying for translations abroad.
- Who can notarize a document in Canada?
- A notary public, a lawyer, or in some provinces a commissioner for taking affidavits. Some institutions and settlement agencies also offer the service. Requirements differ by province, so confirm what the receiving institution will accept.