Prism Linguistics provides professional Tigre interpreters and certified Tigre-related translation across Canada, mostly for Immigration and Refugee Board hearings and IRCC files. Tigre is a Semitic language of the mostly Muslim Tigre people in the lowlands of Eritrea and eastern Sudan, and it should not be confused with Tigrinya. Documentation is often thin and written in Arabic or Tigrinya rather than Tigre, and the community here is small.
Last reviewed September 6, 2026 by the Prism Linguistics editorial team
Tigre runs into regional forms across the Eritrean lowlands and on into Sudan, apart in vocabulary and sound, and it stands separate from Tigrinya despite the near-matching names, so we settle the language and the speaker's home area at booking. A good many Tigre speakers also hold Arabic, yet leaning on a second language at a refugee hearing is risky where one word can tip a point.
Our Tigre interpreters work mainly in Immigration and Refugee Board protection hearings and IRCC interviews, alongside hospital and clinic appointments under PHIPA and PIPEDA and settlement and legal-aid meetings. Because the community across Canada is small, most work is by telephone or video, with in-person attendance in the larger centres where it can be scheduled. 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.
Tigre has historically been written in the Ge'ez (Ethiopic) script, and some material also appears in Arabic script, but everyday literacy in Tigre itself is limited, so many speakers read and write Arabic instead. For that reason a Tigre speaker's civil records tend to come in Arabic or Tigrinya rather than Tigre, and a translation job is often for one of those instead.
Refugee files usually carry sparse 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 we render only what the source shows. Acceptance ultimately depends on the receiving institution.
For documents rather than spoken interpreting, see certified Tigre translation, our full Tigre 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 Tigre 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 Tigre translation in the same cities:
Or browse every city we cover.
Tigre is a Semitic language spoken by around 1.5 million people in northern Eritrea and adjacent parts of Sudan. It's closely related to Tigrinya and Ge'ez but distinct. The Tigre-speaking community in Canada is small, concentrated alongside the broader Eritrean-Canadian population in Toronto and other large cities. Our Tigre translation work is occasional and typically tied to IRB refugee hearings and IRCC asylum documentation.
No. The names sit close, but Tigre and Tigrinya are distinct languages. We fix the language at booking so the correct interpreter is sent and the correct source is translated.
Yes. Tigre records commonly appear in Arabic or Tigrinya, so we settle the source language and render it faithfully, holding to the original as written.
We render whatever you have, with nothing added, and a sworn affidavit can account for how a name or date came to be settled. 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 Tigre interpreter and a firm price.