Prism Linguistics provides professional Tigrinya interpreters and certified Tigrinya translation across Canada. Tigrinya is spoken in Eritrea and in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia, and much of the work here is refugee and family-reunification interpreting tied to Eritrean and Tigrayan arrivals. The community has grown quickly in recent years across the Greater Toronto Area, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton, and we cover appointments on site in those centres or by telephone and video nationwide.
Last reviewed September 6, 2026 by the Prism Linguistics editorial team
When you book a Tigrinya interpreter it helps to say whether the speaker is Eritrean or from Tigray, since there are differences in accent and in some vocabulary, and to note if an older speaker is more comfortable in a related language such as Amharic or Tigre. In an Immigration and Refugee Board hearing an accurate first-person rendering can affect how a claimant's account is understood, so we match background carefully rather than assuming one form fits all.
We assign Tigrinya interpreters for IRB refugee hearings, IRCC interviews for permanent residence and family sponsorship, hospital and clinic visits under PHIPA and PIPEDA, legal-aid appointments and school and settlement meetings. The interpreter keeps the speaker's own wording rather than summarising for the official. On-site interpreters attend in the main centres, and telephone or video covers appointments in smaller communities across Canada, often the same day when urgent.
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 Tigrinya translation is a steady part of most files. Tigrinya is written in the Ge'ez script, also called fidel, and documents from Eritrea and Ethiopia arrive with official stamps, seals and endorsements that have to be translated in full; some records, particularly Ethiopian ones, may instead be in Amharic, which is written in the same script, so we confirm the language before starting.
The records we see most are birth, marriage and death certificates, baptismal and church records, refugee and UNHCR documents, police clearances, and education records for credential assessment. We deliver a complete English or French translation with a signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy from a certified translator, or a sworn affidavit before a commissioner of oaths where a body prefers one. Names are transliterated to match the passport spelling, and acceptance ultimately depends on the receiving institution.
For documents rather than spoken interpreting, see certified Tigrinya translation, our full Tigrinya 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 Tigrinya 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 Tigrinya translation in the same cities:
Or browse every city we cover.
Tigrinya is the working language of Eritrea and the language of Ethiopia's Tigray region -- closely related to Amharic but distinct enough that one does not stand in for the other. About 9 million people speak it. The Tigrinya-speaking community in Canada has grown sharply over the last two decades, driven largely by Eritrean refugee resettlement -- with refugee-background communities concentrated in Toronto and Ottawa. Most of our Tigrinya translation work is IRB refugee-hearing supporting documents and birth certificates, plus the family-tracing and sponsorship paperwork that refugee cases often require. Tigrinya uses Ge'ez script, the same writing system as Amharic.
Yes. Tell us whether the speaker or document is Eritrean or from Tigray and we match accent and vocabulary. This matters most in refugee hearings, where small differences can affect how testimony is understood.
Yes. Amharic and Tigrinya share the Ge'ez script, and some Ethiopian records are in Amharic. We translate either language and confirm what your Canadian body needs.
Yes. Baptismal and church records and UNHCR refugee documents are common in Tigrinya files, translated with a signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy or a sworn affidavit where required. Acceptance ultimately depends on the receiving institution.
Yes. Requirements vary by province and case type, so tell us the court or tribunal and the hearing type and we confirm what will be accepted and assign accordingly. We are a private agency, not a court-appointed vendor.
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 Tigrinya interpreter and a firm price.