Prism Linguistics arranges Sara interpreters and certified translation for refugee protection, IRCC and medical matters across Canada, where civil records usually run from French. Sara is a cluster of closely related languages of southern Chad, with Ngambay the most widely spoken alongside Sar, Mbay and others. The community here is small, and naming the specific Sara language is the first step in matching an interpreter.
Last reviewed September 6, 2026 by the Prism Linguistics editorial team
The Sara element of a file is most often the interpreting, and the specific language matters because Ngambay, Sar and Mbay are related but not freely interchangeable. We ask for the speaker's home area so we match the right Sara language rather than assume Ngambay, and note whether French is a reliable fallback for that person.
Interpreters attend IRB refugee protection hearings, IRCC interviews, legal aid and hospital and clinic appointments, on site in the larger centres or by telephone and video anywhere in Canada. For a sensitive hearing a gender preference can be noted in advance, and each turn is rendered in full rather than summarised.
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.
The Sara languages are written in the Latin alphabet, but Chad issues civil records in French and Arabic, so a Sara-speaking family's birth, marriage and death certificates are normally translated into English from French, or sometimes Arabic, rather than from a Sara language. A request framed as Sara translation is in practice a certified French, or Arabic, to English translation for an IRB claim or IRCC file.
Because a Sara name can be transliterated differently between French and local spellings, the same person may appear inconsistently across a file, so we keep the transliteration steady and note the variants. Where a rural birth was registered late or an original is missing, a sworn affidavit before a commissioner of oaths can accompany the translation. Output is issued by a certified translator, and acceptance ultimately depends on the receiving institution.
For documents rather than spoken interpreting, see certified Sara translation, our full Sara 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 Sara 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 Sara translation in the same cities:
Or browse every city we cover.
Sara is a group of related Nilo-Saharan languages spoken by around 3 million people primarily in southern Chad and northern Central African Republic. The Sara peoples were historically targeted during the long Chadian civil conflicts. The Sara-speaking community in Canada is small, concentrated in Quebec and other areas that received Chadian and Central African refugee resettlement. Our Sara translation work is occasional and typically tied to IRB refugee hearings.
Chad issues civil records in French and Arabic, so we provide a certified French, or Arabic, to English translation. The Sara part of a file is usually the interpreting.
It is a group of related languages such as Ngambay, Sar and Mbay. Tell us the speaker's home area and we match the right one rather than assume Ngambay.
Yes. A sworn affidavit before a commissioner of oaths can accompany the translation to explain how a name or date was established. 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 Sara interpreter and a firm price.