Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) accepts documents in English or French. Anything in Spanish is submitted with a complete translation and, if the person who signs it is not a Canadian certified translator (a member in good standing of a provincial translators' association), with the translator's affidavit swearing to their proficiency in both languages and to the accuracy of the translation, plus a copy of the original document. My sworn translation into English carries the certification of accuracy, my name, my signature, my stamp as sworn translator no. 7310 appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the date and my contact details as standard; what I cannot guarantee is that your IRCC office will treat an official appointment by the Spanish State as equivalent to Canadian membership, so if your programme requires the affidavit we sort it out before I start. The usual certificates (criminal record, birth, marriage) cost from €35 and are delivered in 24/48 hours. I am Elena Peñaranda, sworn translator of English, and this guide is what I explain to anyone preparing Express Entry, a study permit or a family sponsorship from Spain.
What IRCC actually requires of a translation
The IRCC Help Centre boils it down to three pieces for any document that is not in English or French:
- the translation into English or French, complete, by a translator who is not the applicant, a family member or their representative;
- an affidavit from the person who did the translation, if they are not a certified translator (a member in good standing of a provincial or territorial association of Canadian translators, such as ATIO in Ontario, OTTIAQ in Quebec or STIBC in British Columbia). The affidavit is sworn before a notary or a commissioner of oaths in the country where the translation was done;
- where the programme says so, a certified copy of the original that was translated.
The sources are the official pages IRCC: language of documents and IRCC: what is an affidavit for a translation. Note what it does not ask for: an apostille. IRCC works from digital copies and the translation; an apostille only comes into play if another body in the process (a university, a professional regulator, a credential assessment organisation) requires it on its own account.
How a Spanish sworn translation meets it (and where the nuance lies)
A sworn translation by a translator appointed by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a certified translation in the strongest sense that exists in Spain: it is signed by a person appointed by the Ministry, with a number that can be checked on the official register, and it carries certification, signature, stamp, date and a stamped copy of the original. For IRCC I add my contact details on the certification itself and an express declaration of proficiency in both languages and of accuracy, which is the content of the affidavit.
The nuance is one of form: IRCC defines certified translator as a member of a Canadian association, and my appointment is an official title from the Spanish State, not a membership. In practice many applicants submit official translations from their own country without any issue, but the written rule says certified translator or affidavit, and I would rather tell you now than have you find out through a request for more documents. If your office or your immigration adviser asks for the affidavit, my declaration is sworn before a notary in Spain and I give you its cost with the quote, before charging anything. I say the same on the page for clients with paperwork between Canada and Spain.
Express Entry: which Spanish documents get translated
Express Entry (Federal Skilled Worker, Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Trades and provincial nominations) is the file I translate most often for Canada. The Spanish-language documents that almost always appear:
- Criminal record certificate from the Spanish Ministry of Justice, for every country where you have lived for six consecutive months or more since the age of 18. Sworn translation: €35.
- University degree and academic transcript for the Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) by WES, ICAS, IQAS or the body for your profession. Each assessor has its own procedure (WES, for instance, asks the university to send the transcript directly) and requires a translation whenever the documents are not in English or French. Degree: €50; transcript: fixed quote within 2 hours.
- Employment reference letters, employer's certificates and contracts proving the work experience you claim, with duties, dates, hours and salary. Employer's certificate or payslip: €45; letters and contracts quoted once I see them.
- Marriage certificate or registered-partnership certificate, and the birth certificates of accompanying children: €35 and €35 each.
- Proof of funds: bank letters showing the six-month average balance. Many banks issue them in English; if yours is in Spanish, it is translated.
The language test (IELTS, CELPIP, TEF) and the medical exam with a panel physician are already done in English or French: nothing to translate. The Spanish social security employment history can be requested in English from its own online portal; check before translating it.
Study permit
To study in Canada you need the letter of acceptance from a designated learning institution (DLI), the provincial attestation letter that the institution itself handles for most programmes, and proof of funds, on top of the records the university asked for when it admitted you:
- Diplomas and transcripts from secondary school or university, depending on the programme. Admissions wants them translated; IRCC, afterwards, usually relies on the letter of acceptance.
- Funds: a guaranteed investment certificate (GIC) or bank statements; if the money is your parents', a letter of support and your birth certificate to prove the relationship.
- For minors, a custodian declaration in Canada and the parents' consent.
- Criminal record certificate only if IRCC expressly asks for it.
Family sponsorship: spouse, partner, children and parents
In Canada family reunification is a sponsorship: the Canadian resident or citizen sponsors and the family member applies. The file revolves around proof of the relationship, and that is where the Spanish documents carry weight:
- Spouse: the full (literal) marriage certificate from the Spanish Civil Registry. The Spanish family book (libro de familia) helps, but IRCC understands the certificate better.
- Common-law partner: the registered-partnership (pareja de hecho) certificate and proof of at least a year of cohabitation (joint municipal registration, tenancy agreement, utility bills), translated when in Spanish.
- Dependent children: birth certificates and, with shared custody or a parent who is not travelling, the court order or consent.
- Parents and grandparents: birth certificates linking sponsor and sponsored person.
- Criminal record certificates for the sponsored family member, from every country where they have lived for six months or more since the age of 18.
- Divorce judgments or death certificates from previous marriages, where they exist.
Table: document, procedure, apostille, affidavit and price
| Spanish document | Typical procedure | Apostille? | Affidavit? | Sworn translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Criminal record certificate | Express Entry, sponsorship, studies (if requested) | Not for IRCC | Only if your office requires it | €35 |
| University degree | ECA (WES, ICAS…), studies | Depends on the assessor | Depends on the assessor | €50 |
| Academic transcript | ECA, university admission | Depends on the assessor | Depends on the assessor | fixed quote within 2 hours |
| Marriage / registered-partnership certificate | Express Entry (spouse), sponsorship | Not for IRCC | Only if your office requires it | €35 |
| Birth certificate | Children, sponsorship of parents | Not for IRCC | Only if your office requires it | €35 |
| Employer's certificate, payslips, reference letters | Work experience | No | Only if your office requires it | €45 (letters: quote) |
| Bank statements and letters | Funds | No | Only if your office requires it | Fixed quote within 2 hours |
Prices from the price list, per standard one-page document; longer documents are quoted once I see them. With the complete file you get a single fixed price and a single date.
How we do it, step by step
- You send me scans by WhatsApp, email or the document catalogue, complete and legible, and tell me the programme (Express Entry, studies, sponsorship) and, if you know it, which format your office accepts.
- Within 2 working hours I confirm what needs translating, whether an affidavit is advisable and its cost, a fixed price and a date in writing.
- I translate into English, certify, sign and stamp each document, with my contact details and the declaration of proficiency and accuracy on the certification; names and dates stay identical across all of them.
- You receive the electronically signed PDF in 24/48 hours for short certificates; upload it as it is to the IRCC portal, without rescanning. If a notarised affidavit or paper is needed, we courier it to Canada with the courier cost stated in the quote.
If your case is the reverse, Canadian documents for a procedure in Spain, the Canada guide explains the Global Affairs Canada apostille and the sworn translation into Spanish. And to compare with what the UK, Ireland and Australia ask for, see sworn translations for leaving Spain.
Message me on WhatsApp with your list of documents and your programme and I will tell you what needs translating, whether an affidavit is needed, a fixed price and the deadline. You can also read the sworn English translator page.