Prism Linguistics provides professional Mayan-language interpreters and certified translation across Canada, mostly for refugee, immigration and medical matters. Mayan is not a single language but a family of around thirty living languages spoken in Guatemala, southern Mexico and Belize, so the specific one is identified first. Civil records usually run from Spanish, and the Mayan element of a file is almost always the interpreting.
Last reviewed September 6, 2026 by the Prism Linguistics editorial team
Because the Mayan languages such as K'iche', Q'eqchi', Mam, Kaqchikel and Yucatec Maya are distinct and not dialects of one another, the first step at booking is the specific language and the home town or department, since even one language such as Mam or Q'eqchi' has regional differences. Someone who works in K'iche' cannot stand in for Mam, and a mismatched language can throw a hearing off course.
We arrange Mayan-language interpreters for Immigration and Refugee Board protection hearings, IRCC interviews, legal aid, and hospital and clinic appointments under PHIPA and PIPEDA, by telephone or video anywhere in Canada and in person in the larger centres. A number of speakers have only partial Spanish, so a first-language interpreter weighs especially heavily for consent and for testimony. 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.
Guatemala and Mexico issue civil records in Spanish, so a birth, marriage or death certificate is translated from Spanish into English, while Belize issues records in English, so a Belizean document may need no translation at all. The Mayan languages are seldom the language of an official certificate, so certified translation usually covers the Spanish record behind a file.
For a rural birth logged late, or a handwritten Spanish record that reads unclearly, a sworn affidavit taken before a commissioner of oaths can record how a name or date came to be fixed, and we align name spellings with the passport. Output is issued by a certified translator or supported by a sworn affidavit, and acceptance ultimately depends on the receiving institution such as IRCC, the IRB or a provincial registry.
For documents rather than spoken interpreting, see certified Mayan translation, our full Mayan 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 Mayan 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 Mayan translation in the same cities:
Or browse every city we cover.
Mayan is the umbrella term for around 30 distinct languages descended from the language of the ancient Maya civilization, spoken by roughly 6 million people across Guatemala, southern Mexico (Yucatan, Chiapas), Belize, and parts of Honduras and El Salvador. The major Mayan languages we handle include K'iche', Mam, Q'eqchi', Q'anjob'al, Yucatec Maya, Tzotzil, and Kaqchikel - see our separate pages for each. When a Canadian client requests "Mayan translation" our first question is which Mayan language, because they are not mutually intelligible.
Name the precise language, whether K'iche', Q'eqchi' or Mam, along with your home area. Each is its own language, and we assign the interpreter to fit.
It will be in Spanish, the language Guatemala uses for civil records. We carry it from Spanish into English and set up a Mayan-language interpreter for anything spoken.
Only where Spanish sits easily with you. Plenty of Mayan-language speakers are sharper in their first language, and we can arrange that instead.
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 Mayan interpreter and a firm price.