Prism Linguistics provides certified Icelandic translation and Icelandic interpreters across Canada. Icelandic is a North Germanic language written in a Latin alphabet with several extra letters, and Canada has a long historic connection to it through the New Iceland settlement around Gimli and Winnipeg in Manitoba. Records from Iceland are unusually well kept, so most work is precise document translation for immigration, education and civil purposes.
Last reviewed September 6, 2026 by the Prism Linguistics editorial team
Icelanders generally speak strong English, so live interpreting is requested less often than translation, but we arrange it for court and tribunal matters, medical appointments under PHIPA and PIPEDA, IRCC interviews and business meetings when a speaker prefers to give evidence or discuss detail in Icelandic. The language has changed little over centuries and has minimal regional variation, which keeps interpreter matching straightforward compared with more fragmented languages.
Because the modern Icelandic-speaking community across Canada is small and English is widely shared, interpreting is usually delivered by telephone or video anywhere in the country, with on-site attendance possible in the Winnipeg area and other centres where an interpreter can be scheduled. We confirm the setting and the purpose at booking so the right register, formal for a court or clinical for a hospital, is used throughout.
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 Icelandic translation is the larger part of the work. Iceland maintains detailed civil registration, and the papers we translate most are birth, marriage and death certificates, the national registry records, education transcripts and diplomas, and police and background certificates for permanent residence and provincial licensing. We deliver a complete English or French translation with a signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy, or a sworn affidavit before a commissioner of oaths where required, and acceptance ultimately depends on the receiving institution.
Icelandic naming needs particular care, because most people use patronymics ending in son or dottir rather than inherited family surnames, so a person's name changes form across generations. We transliterate the special Icelandic letters accurately and note how a name appears on the passport and on each source document, so a reviewing officer can follow one person consistently through a file.
For documents rather than spoken interpreting, see certified Icelandic translation, our full Icelandic 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 Icelandic 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 Icelandic translation in the same cities:
Or browse every city we cover.
Icelandic is the official language of Iceland, with around 350,000 native speakers. It's the most linguistically conservative of the Scandinavian languages, retaining grammatical features lost in Norwegian and Swedish - speakers of modern Icelandic can read 13th-century Old Norse sagas with relatively little adjustment. Canada is home to one of the largest Icelandic-descended communities outside Iceland, rooted in the late-19th-century New Iceland settlement at Gimli, Manitoba, with related communities across the Prairies. Most of our Icelandic translation work is genealogy and Icelandic civil records, plus the occasional commercial contract.
More often a translation. Icelanders generally speak strong English, so interpreting is arranged mainly for courts, medical appointments and IRCC interviews where a speaker prefers Icelandic, while document translation is the common request.
We transliterate the special letters accurately and record how the name appears on the passport and each source document, since patronymics ending in son or dottir change across generations and can otherwise confuse a reviewer.
Yes. We provide a signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy, or a sworn affidavit before a commissioner of oaths where required, for civil, education and police records. Acceptance ultimately depends on the receiving institution.
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 Icelandic interpreter and a firm price.