Translation Requirements

If your B.C. public document is eligible for authentication in B.C. and if all or part of it is in a language other than English, the document must:

• First be translated to English, according to the translation requirements below
• Then be notarized as a set (original with translation) by a B.C. Notary Public (B.C. lawyer or B.C. non-lawyer notary) who is on file with this office (see BC Notarized Documents)

The original source document with its translation must be notarized together as a set. Unnotarized translations will not be accepted for authentication. 

The notarized set (original with translation) will then be authenticated together by our office, as a single translated document, unless clearly requested otherwise. This means the documents will be riveted together (physically attached with hole punch and rivet) and cannot be separated.

Can I request that my document be authenticated separately from its translation (in a notarized set)?

Some countries require that the notarized translation not be attached to the original, non-English notarized document. If this applies to you, please clearly indicate on the B.C. Document Authentication Request form (under Special Return Mail Service instructions) that the notarized translation should not be included in the authentication.

Do you need a document translated from English to another language? See Translations from English to other languages.

Our office is unable to authenticate foreign documents for use abroad, and therefore these translation requirements do not apply to foreign documents. (See What if I need to get a foreign document translated?)

How do I get my document translated?

There are 2 options for translation.

OPTION 1: Have your document translated by a Certified Translator. This means a translator who is certified through one of the following societies:

• The Society of Translators and Interpreters of British Columbia (STIBC)
• A Member Society of The Canadian Translators, Terminologists and Interpreters Council (CTTIC)

Translations done by a client or consultant will not be accepted unless the client or consultant is also a Certified Translator and a member of one of the societies mentioned above.

Translations done by Associate Members of these societies will only be accepted if there is no Certified Translator listed for that language in any of the STIBC or CTTIC society directories.

OPTION 2: Have your document translated by a B.C. Notary Public (B.C. lawyer or B.C. non-lawyer notary) who is both:

• On file with this office
• Fluent in both languages

The lawyer or notary must also attach a declaration that includes all of the following statements:

• They attest to speaking both languages.
• They attest to translating the document themselves.
• They certify the accuracy of the translation.

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SAMPLE TRANSLATION DECLARATION

 I, [name of lawyer or notary], [title/credentials], hereby declare that I am fluent in both languages and did translate the attached document(s) from [foreign language] to English, and to the best of my knowledge, the translation accurately reflects the contents and meaning of the original.

List of translated document(s):

1. [document type], [person named on document] - one page, double-sided
2. [document type], [person named on document] - two pages, single-sided
3. [document type], [person named on document] - three pages, single-sided

This translation package comprises seven (7) pages including the statement page.

DATE:

LAWYER OR NOTARY NAME/SIGNATURE:

LAWYER OR NOTARY SEAL:

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Exceptions

The following types of documents do not need to be accompanied by translations:

• Diplomas issued by recognized Canadian educational institutions in Latin or Greek
• Official bilingual English-French documents issued by a Canadian government agency

The following types of documents may not need to be accompanied by translations:

• Proof of life documents (also known as life certificates) drafted in a foreign language related to a foreign pension benefit. The text must not exceed half a page and on the application form you must indicate that it is a proof of life document. If the text is longer than half a page, it must be translated according to the Translation Requirements above.
• Standard official bilingual or multilingual forms or templates (in which English is one of the languages) that are issued by an embassy or consulate.
• If your bilingual document is a 2-column document (side-by-side English and foreign language), it must be translated according to the Translation Requirements above.

Translations from English to other languages

In some cases, other offices or countries may require that English documents authenticated by our office be translated into other languages. Check first to find out if the other office or country also requires this translation to be authenticated along with the original English document. 

If the other offices or countries do require the translation to be authenticated, it must be translated according to the translation requirements above.

If the other offices or countries do not require the translation to be authenticated, please do not send the translation in with your English document to be authenticated. You do not need to follow our translation requirements. Instead, you may choose whatever translation method is acceptable to the other office or country that requested it of you.

What if I need to get a foreign document translated?

Our office authenticates B.C. public documents for use outside Canada. We are unable to authenticate foreign documents for use abroad, and therefore these Translation Requirements do not apply.

If you have a foreign document and need to have it authenticated for use abroad, we recommend that you contact the embassy, high commission or consulate in Canada of the country of issuance.

Example: A Birth Certificate issued in Romania, to be used in the USA, should be authenticated in Romania, and translated into English as per the requirements and policies set by the entity requiring it in the USA.