Translating UAE Documents for Canada Immigration (IRCC)
The Short Answer
If you live in the UAE and apply to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for permanent residence, a visa, a permit or citizenship, every supporting document that is not in English or French must come with a translation into English or French. In translating UAE documents for Canada immigration, IRCC's published instructions give two routes: a translation stamped by a certified translator, or, only if a certified translator cannot be used, a translation with the translator's affidavit sworn before a notary or commissioner. Either way you also submit a copy of the Arabic original.
IRCC's wording differs between application guides. The Express Entry instructions prefer a certified translator and allow an affidavit as a fallback, while some Help Centre answers ask for a translation, an affidavit and a certified photocopy of the original. Follow the guide for the exact application you are filing: it overrides any general summary, including this one.
What IRCC Asks For
Route 1: a certified translator
IRCC defines a certified translator as a member in good standing of a professional translation association in Canada or abroad. Certification is shown by a stamp or seal that includes the translator's membership number. A translator who is still working towards certification does not count.
Route 2: a translation with an affidavit
Where a certified translator cannot do the work, the translator swears an affidavit before a commissioner or notary authorised in the country where they live, stating that the translation is accurate. The affidavit must refer to both the translation and the original the translator worked from, and the notary or commissioner must be proficient in English or French.
A copy of the original
Upload the Arabic original as well, or a certified photocopy of it if the translation was made from a photocopy.
Everything on the page
Stamps, seals and handwritten notes that are not in English or French must be translated too, not left out.
Who Cannot Translate Your Documents
IRCC does not accept translations made by the applicant, by a family member, or by the applicant's representative or consultant, even if that person is a lawyer, notary or translator. The same exclusion applies to who may take the translator's affidavit. Ask a bilingual relative to help you understand a document, by all means, but the translation you upload must come from an independent translator.
UAE Documents That Usually Need Translating for Canada
| UAE document | Usual language | Translation needed? |
|---|---|---|
| Birth certificate | Arabic; some newer certificates are bilingual | Yes if the details are in Arabic only |
| Marriage contract or certificate (court-issued) | Arabic | Almost always |
| Divorce certificate or judgment | Arabic | Almost always, including any reasons or custody terms the authority asks for |
| Police clearance (good conduct) certificate | Arabic, sometimes bilingual | Yes if any part the authority must read is in Arabic only |
| Court records and judgments | Arabic | Yes, in full |
| Salary certificate, employment letters, bank statements | Arabic, English or both | Only the Arabic-only parts |
| University degree and transcript | Often English; some Arabic | Only if issued in Arabic |
| Emirates ID | Bilingual | Usually not needed; rarely asked for |
Police certificates are a common sticking point. IRCC publishes country-by-country instructions on how to obtain them, and its Help Centre says a police certificate that is not in English or French must be sent with a translation from a certified translator. Our guide to the UAE police clearance certificate explains how to get the certificate itself.
Is MOFA Attestation Needed?
IRCC's translation instructions do not ask for UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation or Canadian legalisation of the translation. What IRCC needs is set out in the document checklist for your programme, so check it. Attestation becomes relevant for other uses of the same document, such as provincial registration or a professional licensing body; those bodies set their own rules. Our MOFA attestation guide explains the UAE side if you do need it.
Steps That Avoid a Returned Application
- Download the document checklist and instruction guide for your exact programme, and note what it says about translations.
- Collect clean scans of every Arabic document, including the back of each page if it carries stamps.
- Ask the translator which route applies: a stamped translation from a certified translator, or a translation with an affidavit.
- Make sure names match your passport spelling across every translation. See name spelling mismatches.
- Upload the translation, the affidavit if used, and the copy of the original together, so the officer can match them.
Does IRCC accept translations made in the UAE?
IRCC accepts translations by a certified translator in Canada or abroad, or a translation with a translator's affidavit sworn where the translator lives. Where the translation is made is not the test; who made it and how it is certified are.
Is SWLT a certified translator for IRCC purposes?
SWLT is licensed by the UAE Ministry of Justice. We do not claim membership of a foreign accreditation body, and each immigration authority sets its own acceptance rules, so confirm what your application requires before you order. Where your guide allows it, the affidavit route can be used.
Can my brother translate my Arabic birth certificate for IRCC?
No. IRCC excludes family members, and your representative or consultant, from translating your documents.
Do I need to translate my Emirates ID for Canada?
Usually not. IRCC relies on your passport for identity, and the Emirates ID is bilingual. Translate it only if your checklist asks for it.
Can I submit documents in French instead of English?
Yes. IRCC accepts English or French. Arabic to French translation is quoted per document; Quebec selection programmes have their own rules, so check them separately.
Does the affidavit need to be notarised?
Yes. It is sworn before a notary public or commissioner. SWLT does not notarise; where an affidavit is needed, the oath is taken before a notary through our legal partner.
How much does it cost to translate UAE documents for IRCC?
Arabic⇄English legal translation is AED 60 per 200-word page (excl. VAT), with same-day delivery available. Translation into other languages is quoted per document.
How SWLT Helps
We translate Arabic birth, marriage and divorce certificates, police certificates, court records and employment documents into English for Canadian applications, translate every stamp, and keep names consistent across the file. See birth certificate translation, marriage certificate translation and court judgment translation.
Disclaimer
This article is general information about the translation side of an immigration application. It is not immigration or legal advice. Immigration authorities change their instructions, and rules differ between programmes; follow the current guide and document checklist for your own application, and take advice from a licensed adviser where you need it.
Prepare Your Canadian Application File
Send us your Arabic documents and the IRCC checklist for your programme. Smart World Legal Translation – Sole Proprietorship L.L.C. (SWLT) is a UAE Ministry of Justice-licensed legal translation company in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, led by Dr. Hani Elimam. Our federal accreditation is accepted across the UAE, including by Dubai Courts, and we hold exclusive interpretation contracts with the UAE Federal Courts and the Federal Public Prosecution. Arabic⇄English legal translation is AED 60 per 200-word page (excl. VAT), with same-day delivery available. Translation into other languages is quoted per document. Send your documents on WhatsApp (+971 50 864 8439), email info@swlt.ae, or use our contact page.