Prism Linguistics provides professional Kurmanji interpreters and certified Kurmanji-related translation across Canada, heavily for Immigration and Refugee Board hearings and IRCC files. Kurmanji, or Northern Kurdish, is the most widely spoken Kurdish variety, and civil records often arrive in Turkish or Arabic rather than in Kurdish. Speakers come from Turkey, Syria, northern Iraq and Iran.
Last reviewed September 6, 2026 by the Prism Linguistics editorial team
Kurmanji is distinct from Sorani (Central Kurdish) and from Zazaki, so it should not be assumed that a Kurdish speaker uses Kurmanji, and we confirm the variety at booking. Kurmanji itself shifts by region across Turkey, Syria and Iraq, and plenty of speakers also hold Turkish or Arabic, yet leaning on a second language at a refugee hearing is risky where one word can decide a point.
Our Kurmanji interpreters work mainly in Immigration and Refugee Board protection hearings and IRCC interviews, alongside Canadian court and legal-aid matters and hospital and clinic appointments under PHIPA and PIPEDA. Sessions run by telephone or video anywhere in the country, with in-person attendance in the larger centres, and a gender preference can be noted in advance. Prism 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.
In Turkey and Syria, Kurmanji is written in the Latin-based Hawar alphabet, while in Iraq an Arabic-based script is also used, so a translator confirms which script and variety a document uses before starting. Turkey issues civil records in Turkish and Syria in Arabic, so a Kurmanji speaker's birth, marriage or death certificate is frequently translated from Turkish or Arabic into English rather than from Kurdish.
Refugee files frequently carry thin paperwork, and where a document is absent a sworn affidavit taken before a commissioner of oaths can record how a name or date of birth came to be settled. Output is issued by a certified translator or supported by a sworn affidavit, and acceptance ultimately depends on the receiving institution.
For documents rather than spoken interpreting, see certified Kurmanji translation, our full Kurmanji 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 Kurmanji 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 Kurmanji translation in the same cities:
Or browse every city we cover.
Kurmanji is the largest of the Kurdish languages by speaker count, with around 15 million speakers - primarily across southeastern Turkey, northern Syria, and parts of Iraq and Iran. It's written in a Latin-based alphabet in Turkey and Syria but increasingly seen in Arabic script in northern Iraq. In Canada most Kurmanji translation work is refugee and resettlement documentation tied to Syrian Kurdish newcomers - many of whom arrived through Canada's Syrian refugee resettlement programs - with community concentrations in Toronto, Vancouver, and southern Ontario. Kurmanji and Sorani are not mutually intelligible in writing, so document type matters when assigning a translator.
Yes. Turkey issues records in Turkish and Syria in Arabic, so we translate from the source language into English and keep names consistent with what you already use.
No. Kurmanji is Northern Kurdish while Sorani is Central Kurdish, and the two part ways in script and grammar. We pin down the variety at booking so the correct interpreter is sent.
Yes. A gender preference can be noted in advance for sensitive Immigration and Refugee Board hearings or medical appointments, subject to 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 Kurmanji interpreter and a firm price.