Prism Linguistics arranges professional Afghan Persian interpreters and certified Afghan Persian (Dari) translation across Canada. Dari is one of the two main languages of Afghanistan, and much of the current demand follows the resettlement of Afghan families since 2021, with the largest communities in Ontario, particularly the Greater Toronto Area and the Ottawa region. We handle IRB refugee hearings, IRCC interviews, and medical and settlement appointments on site in the major centres and by telephone or video nationwide.
Last reviewed September 6, 2026 by the Prism Linguistics editorial team
Afghan Persian interpreting turns up most often at Immigration and Refugee Board hearings and IRCC interviews, where a claimant's account of departure and family history has to come through precisely. The most useful thing to tell us at booking is the speaker's home region and first language, because a client listed as Dari-speaking may in fact be stronger in Pashto, Hazaragi or Uzbek, and matching the wrong one can distort testimony.
In hospitals, mental health services and settlement offices, interpreters keep to a complete first-person rendering rather than summarising for the clinician, which matters for consent and for an accurate history from a newly arrived family. Two Afghan features are flagged in advance so they are not confused during an appointment: the Solar Hijri calendar used on many records, and names built from a given name followed by a father's and grandfather's name rather than a fixed surname.
For court and tribunal work, requirements differ by province and case type, so we confirm what a particular Canadian court will accept before assigning. Prism Linguistics is a private agency and not court-appointed, and gender preference is flagged where a client raises it. Telephone interpreting is usually available the same day for anything urgent.
Common settings include legal and court interpreting, medical and hospital interpreting, IRCC and Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) interviews, and police and enforcement work. See all on-site interpreting options or start a free quote.
Certified Afghan Persian translation covers the civil records behind refugee and family reunification files. Dari is written in the Perso-Arabic script, often in a flowing nastaliq hand read right to left, and many Afghan records are handwritten and dated in the Solar Hijri calendar, which we convert to the Gregorian one and label so a Canadian reader does not misread a year.
The document seen most is the tazkira, the national identity paper, which may be an older handwritten booklet or a newer electronic card, alongside marriage and education records. Because births were frequently unregistered at the time, a tazkira may carry an estimated year rather than a full date, and we render this as printed and note plainly where a date is approximate. Names are set out in the given-name-and-father's-name order so a patronymic is not treated as a family name.
Each translation is issued by a certified translator, or supported by a sworn affidavit before a commissioner of oaths where a receiving body prefers one. Acceptance ultimately depends on the receiving institution, such as IRCC, the IRB or a provincial registry.
For documents rather than spoken interpreting, see certified Afghan Persian translation, our full Afghan Persian translation services, or general document translation. Every translation moves through our TEP workflow — translation, editing and proofreading by separate linguists — with free revisions.
An interpreter attends in person for hearings, medical appointments and meetings. On-site interpreting
Same-day, often within minutes, for calls, intake and urgent situations. Phone interpreting
Telehealth, remote hearings and sign language, anywhere in Canada. Video interpreting
Simultaneous interpreting for events and multilingual meetings. Conference interpreting
Legal consultations, settlement services and private appointments. Private interpreting
ASL and LSQ interpreting for accessible appointments and events. Sign language
We arrange Afghan Persian interpreters in cities across every province and territory — on site in the major centres and by telephone or video everywhere else:
Need documents translated locally? We provide certified Afghan Persian translation in the same cities:
Or browse every city we cover.
Afghan Persian is more commonly called Dari - Afghanistan's second official language and the lingua franca of Afghan business, education, and media. Around 15 million people speak it as a first language. Translation work for Afghan Persian in Canada has surged since the 2021 fall of Kabul, driven by Canada's special humanitarian programs for Afghan nationals - IRCC resettlement and permanent-residence paperwork, civil documents (tazkira identity cards, marriage records), and the medical and education intake forms tied to recent refugee arrivals. Afghan Persian uses Perso-Arabic script - the same alphabet as Iranian Farsi but with distinctive Afghan vocabulary.
They are varieties of the same language but differ in accent and everyday vocabulary. We match Afghan Persian (Dari) for Afghan clients and ask about the home region, since a speaker may be stronger in Pashto, Hazaragi or Uzbek.
Yes. Late or absent birth registration is common in Afghanistan, so a tazkira may carry an approximate year. We translate it exactly and note that the date is estimated; acceptance ultimately depends on the receiving institution.
Yes. We arrange interpreters for IRB hearings and IRCC interviews on site in the main centres and by telephone or video nationwide, with gender preference flagged where it is raised.
Solar Hijri dates are converted to the Gregorian calendar and both are labelled, so an officer reading the English version is not left to guess at a year.
Tell us the language, the setting and the date through our quote form or by phone. We return a written quote with the exact price and turnaround, usually within 60 minutes during business hours, before you commit.
Tell us the setting, the city and the date, and we will confirm a qualified Afghan Persian interpreter and a firm price.