Vancouver Certified Translation Services
Accredited, official translation for documents used across Vancouver and Metro Vancouver, accepted by IRCC, BC courts, universities, and regulators. Work with a certified translator in Vancouver, in more than 60 languages.
Certified translation in Vancouver, at Canada's Pacific gateway
Vancouver sits where Canada meets the Pacific, and few cities receive documents in as wide a range of languages. New arrivals from across Asia and the world, a property and trade economy tied to the Pacific Rim, and two major universities all generate a steady need for official translation. If you hold records in another language, or you are preparing Canadian documents to send overseas, an institution will ask for a certified version it can rely on. Our certified translation services exist to meet that need across the city and the Lower Mainland.
Accuracy alone is not enough for an official document. In Vancouver, a translation carries weight when an accredited translator prepares it, signs a certificate of accuracy, and presents it so the receiving office can act on it. Through Certilingua, your translation arrives with the translator's seal and that signed declaration, which is what immigration officers, registrars, admissions teams, and the courts expect before they accept a foreign-language record.
The languages Vancouver needs most
Vancouver is shaped by its Pacific and South Asian communities, and our accredited translators are matched to that reality. We translate more than 60 languages, with these among the most requested in the city:
This range reflects who lives here. Vancouver and its suburbs are home to large Mandarin, Cantonese, and Punjabi-speaking communities, alongside significant Korean, Tagalog, and Farsi populations, and our network is staffed to translate their documents accurately. Less common languages are covered too, with the right accreditation applied so the certified translation is still accepted. Whatever your source language, we confirm the pairing and the correct certification before any work begins.
Certified translation services we offer in Vancouver
Certified translation
A complete, faithful translation with a signed certificate of accuracy, accepted for most official purposes.
Accredited translator certification
Certification by a STIBC Certified Translator (C. Tr.) for IRCC, the courts, and regulators.
Notarized translation
A sworn affidavit before a notary when an authority or another country asks for it. See notarized translation.
Express 24-hour delivery
Priority handling for urgent Vancouver deadlines. See express service.
Legal translation
Court-ready translation of contracts, affidavits, and judgments for Vancouver law firms.
Technical, medical and business translation
Precise translation of technical, medical, financial, and corporate documents for organizations.
How certification works in British Columbia
In British Columbia, the authority to certify translations rests with the Society of Translators and Interpreters of British Columbia (STIBC), a CTTIC member that grants the Certified Translator (C. Tr.) title. A translation produced by a STIBC translator and accompanied by a certificate of accuracy is recognized as official by IRCC, provincial courts, universities, and regulators throughout BC. That is the standard we apply to every Vancouver file.
Because Vancouver looks outward across the Pacific, a large share of our work involves documents that leave the country. For those, certification is often only the first step. We add a notarized affidavit where required, and for destinations in the Hague Convention we help arrange an apostille, so a Canadian degree or civil status record is accepted abroad without a second round of paperwork. If you are unsure what your destination requires, we confirm it before any work begins.
Documents we certify for Vancouver clients
From civil status records to academic and corporate files, these are the documents we translate most often in Vancouver.
Who we help across Vancouver
Immigration drives much of the demand. Applicants through Express Entry, the BC Provincial Nominee Program, family sponsorship, and citizenship need certified translations of identity and civil status documents, and we prepare them so a file is not held up over a translation. Refugees and protected persons settling in the Lower Mainland rely on the same accredited service.
Education and the professions are close behind. Students bound for the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, Langara College, and BCIT translate diplomas and transcripts for admission and study permits. Internationally trained professionals submit degrees and licences to BC regulators in health, engineering, and finance for credential recognition. Meanwhile, Vancouver's businesses, real estate firms, and law offices, many of them working across the Pacific, translate contracts, financial statements, and corporate records, often with notarization for use overseas.
Families round out our Vancouver caseload. Parents translate civil status and school records when they settle in a new district, individuals translate medical histories for continuing care, and residents translate a foreign driver's licence when dealing with ICBC. These everyday needs receive the same accredited, official treatment as a complex corporate or court file.
Why Vancouver trusts Certilingua
Certilingua has delivered official translations for more than 20 years, and we are members of the Canadian Language Industry Association (CLIA) and the Globalization and Localization Association (GALA). Our translators are accredited through STIBC, and every Vancouver document is matched to the right professional, checked against the source, and certified to the level the receiving body needs. For an overview of certified translation across the province, see our British Columbia certified translation page.
Local knowledge counts in a market this active. We understand how a BC registrar, ICBC, a Vancouver school district, or an admissions office at UBC reads a translation, and we format each document so it mirrors the original and answers their questions before they arise. That attention is why much of our Vancouver work comes from referrals and returning clients.
Signed certificate of accuracy
Attached to every certified translation we deliver.
Accredited STIBC translators
Official translations by Certified Translators (C. Tr.).
Faithful, secure handling
Layout preserved, files kept confidential throughout.
Digital and mailed delivery
Signed PDF, with a hard copy across Metro Vancouver on request.
Common reasons Vancouver residents need a certified translation
The situations that bring people to us in Vancouver are remarkably consistent. Couples sponsoring a spouse or partner translate marriage and civil status records for IRCC. Skilled workers and graduates translate foreign degrees so a BC regulator or an employer can assess them. New residents exchanging an overseas driver's licence with ICBC need a certified translation of the original. Parents enrolling children in a Vancouver school district translate birth certificates and immunization records. Buyers and investors with ties across the Pacific translate financial and corporate documents for banks, notaries, and the courts.
Many of these are time-sensitive, tied to an application window, a registration date, or a property closing. That is why we confirm turnaround at the outset and offer express delivery, so a certified translation is never the reason a Vancouver deadline slips.
Ordering a certified translation in Vancouver
There is nothing complicated about getting started. Send us a clear scan or photo of your document, tell us the language and the office it is for, and ask for a free quote. Once you approve it, a STIBC-accredited translator carries out the work, a second linguist reviews it against the original, and your certified translation is delivered as a signed PDF. If you need an original, we mail a hard copy across Metro Vancouver and beyond. Most files are ready within a few business days, and urgent ones in as little as 24 hours, including some evenings and weekends.
Serving Vancouver and Metro Vancouver
We work with clients throughout Vancouver and the Lower Mainland online, from Downtown and the West Side to East Vancouver, Richmond, and the North Shore. For nearby communities, we also keep dedicated pages:
Vancouver certified translation: frequently asked questions
Where can I get a certified translation in Vancouver?
With Certilingua, you can arrange it online without crossing the city. We cover Vancouver and the whole of Metro Vancouver: upload your document, an accredited translator certifies it, and you receive a signed PDF, plus a mailed hard copy if an original is needed. There is no appointment to book and no downtown visit to plan.
Who accredits certified translators in Vancouver?
In British Columbia, certified translators are accredited by the Society of Translators and Interpreters of British Columbia (STIBC), a member of the Canadian Translators, Terminologists and Interpreters Council (CTTIC). A certified translator holds the Certified Translator (C. Tr.) title, and a translation bearing that seal is treated as official.
Can you translate Mandarin, Cantonese, or Punjabi documents for Vancouver?
Yes, and these are among our most requested pairs in the city. We translate Mandarin, Cantonese, Punjabi, Korean, Tagalog, and Farsi documents, among more than 60 languages, with the same accredited certification across all of them.
Is your Vancouver certified translation accepted by IRCC?
Yes. Our certified translations are produced by accredited translators and accepted by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, with no separate notarized affidavit needed because the translator is already accredited.
I need to send a document to Asia. Can you notarize or arrange an apostille?
Yes. Vancouver clients often send records abroad. We can add a notarized affidavit, and for countries in the Hague Convention we help arrange an apostille, so the document is recognized at its destination.
How much does certified translation cost in Vancouver?
It depends on the document, the language pair, and options such as notarization or rush delivery. Our pricing page shows how it works, and a free quote gives you an exact figure, usually within about 30 minutes.
How quickly can I get a certified translation in Vancouver?
Standard turnaround is a few business days, and our express 24-hour service handles urgent files when a BC deadline will not move. We confirm the timing before you pay.
Do you offer legal and technical translation in Vancouver?
Yes. We provide legal translation for law firms and the courts and technical translation for engineering, medical, and corporate documents, assigning each file to a translator with the right subject knowledge.
Is a Vancouver certified translation valid elsewhere in Canada?
Yes. The accredited standard is national, so a certified translation prepared for Vancouver is recognized across British Columbia, in other provinces, and by federal offices, as well as by many authorities abroad.
Do I receive a digital file, a paper copy, or both?
You receive a certified PDF with the translator's seal, signature, and certificate of accuracy. When an institution requires an original, we mail a hard copy with a wet signature anywhere in Metro Vancouver, and elsewhere on request.
Do you translate documents for the BC PNP and Express Entry?
Yes. We prepare certified translations of the civil status, identity, and education documents that the BC Provincial Nominee Program and Express Entry call for, formatted and certified so they meet both IRCC and provincial expectations.
Can you certify a translation for exchanging a foreign driver's licence in BC?
Yes. When ICBC asks for a translation of an overseas licence, we provide a certified version that meets the requirement, usually with a quick turnaround given the document's length.
Do you serve Richmond, Burnaby, and the North Shore from Vancouver?
Yes. We serve the whole Metro Vancouver region online, including Richmond, Burnaby, North and West Vancouver, and the Tri-Cities, with the same accredited certified translation and the same delivery options.
Are your translators based in Vancouver?
Our accredited translators work across Canada, and we assign your file to one qualified in the right language and subject. What determines acceptance is the STIBC accreditation and the certification itself, which apply wherever the translator is located, not a Vancouver postal code.
Order your certified translation in Vancouver
Accredited · Official · IRCC-accepted · 60+ languages · Across Metro Vancouver
Order online →