Prism Linguistics provides certified Farsi translation of Iranian civil records and Farsi interpreters across Canada, for IRCC and Immigration and Refugee Board matters, the courts, and medical and family-law appointments. We match a speaker to the right Persian variety rather than sending a generic interpreter. The Iranian community in Canada is largest in the Greater Toronto Area, notably around Richmond Hill and Thornhill, and on the North Shore of Metro Vancouver.
Last reviewed September 6, 2026 by the Prism Linguistics editorial team
Farsi, or Dari? Iranian Persian, Afghan Dari and Tajik are close but not the same, and vocabulary, accent and everyday idiom diverge enough that an Iranian claimant and an Afghan claimant are better served by interpreters from their own variety. This matters most in an IRB refugee hearing, where a claim can turn on the exact wording of an answer, so we ask about country and background at intake rather than sending one Persian interpreter for every case.
Nationally, Farsi interpreting is common in refugee and asylum matters, in hospitals and mental-health settings where trauma histories are discussed, and in family and immigration law. A skilled interpreter renders a hesitation or a euphemism as it is spoken, in the first person, and does not smooth a frightened answer into something more fluent. We assign in person in the major centres and cover appointments anywhere in Canada by telephone or video, with attention to a gender preference where a client asks. Prism Linguistics is a private agency, not a court-appointed vendor.
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.
Farsi is written in the Perso-Arabic script and runs right to left, which is the first thing that trips up a scanner or a form built for Latin text. The Iranian document that appears most often is the shenasnameh, the booklet-style birth and identity certificate updated through life with marriage, children and sometimes a death entry on the back pages, so a translator has to render the added stamps and handwriting, not only the front. National identity cards, marriage and divorce certificates and educational records make up much of the rest.
Iranian records use the Solar Hijri calendar, and a year such as 1360 is not an error but a date that has to be converted to its Gregorian equivalent and shown clearly, because an unconverted date of birth on a permanent residence file invites a question. Names are a second recurring issue: Persian sounds transliterate several ways, so one applicant can appear as Mohammad, Mohammed or Muhammad across a passport and a certificate, and a certified translation should spell to match the passport and flag the variants against the original. Work is issued by a certified translator or carries a sworn affidavit before a commissioner of oaths, and acceptance ultimately depends on the receiving institution.
For documents rather than spoken interpreting, see certified Farsi translation, our full Farsi 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 Farsi 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 Farsi translation in the same cities:
Or browse every city we cover.
Farsi - also called Persian - has around 110 million speakers across Iran, parts of Afghanistan (where the variant is called Dari), and Tajikistan (where it is called Tajik). In Canada the largest Iranian communities are in the Toronto area - particularly North York and Richmond Hill - and in Vancouver, where the North Shore has a well-established Persian community. We translate a steady mix of Iranian civil documents - shenasnameh (the Iranian ID booklet), birth and marriage certificates, university degrees - alongside IRCC permanent-residence and refugee paperwork and IRB hearing documents, some of the most frequent reasons Farsi translation is requested in Canada. The script is Perso-Arabic and written right-to-left.
They are closely related Persian varieties but not identical in vocabulary and accent. For an Iranian speaker we assign a Farsi interpreter and for an Afghan speaker a Dari interpreter wherever possible, because in an IRB hearing or a medical history the precise wording matters. We ask about country and background at intake.
Yes. Iranian records use the Solar Hijri calendar, so we convert each date to its Gregorian equivalent and show it plainly, which avoids a query on an IRCC or court file. The original wording is preserved alongside the converted date.
We provide translation by a certified translator where available, or a translation with a sworn affidavit before a commissioner of oaths where the translator is not certified. Prism Linguistics is a private agency, and the receiving institution makes the final call on acceptance.
Telephone interpreting is often available the same day. For on-site attendance in the main centres, tell us the city, date, setting and the speaker's origin and we confirm availability.
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 Farsi interpreter and a firm price.