FAQ | Certified Translation Services

What is a certified or official translation?

A certified translation or official translation is a translation of an official document such as a birth certificate, driver’s license, marriage certificate, diploma, etc. A certified translation or official translation is generally required for legal or immigration purposes.

What makes the translation ‘certified’?

A certified translation is one that is done by a certified translator. The certified translator is authorized to provide certified translations of official documents and issued a seal by the organization to which they are a member. The certified translator will affix their seal to the certified translation and include a ‘Translator’s Declaration’, which states that the certified translation is true and accurate to the best of their knowledge.

My relative speaks several languages, why would I contact you when he/she can do the job?

Translations done by relatives are not accepted as certified translations or official translations by governing bodies, for example, Immigration Canada. They must be written by an accredited, certified translator who is registered with a certified translators' and interpreters' organization.

What language pairs do you provide certified translations in?

We provide certified translation services in the following language pairs:

English to:

Into English from:

Contact us if you don’t see your language pair here.

Do you provide certified translation services?

Yes. Please email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with your contact information and requirements so that we can issue you a quote for our certified translation services. Please include your full name, phone number, mailing address, the language pair, purpose of the certified translation, and deadline. Please attach ALL source document(s) to your email.

We will review your documents and email you a quote within 1 business day with our estimated cost and turnaround time, as well as payment details. If you choose to proceed with our certified translation services, payment is required in order to confirm the project.

How do I submit my documents for certified translation?

We only accept documents for certified translation by email (scans or electronic files) or by fax.

Please email scanned or electronic documents to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and include your contact information and requirements.

Or please fax your documents to 1-866-714-3189 and include a cover sheet with your contact information (email address is important) and requirements. Please note that the quality of faxed documents is considerably less than scanned documents. For this reason, we prefer to receive documents via email.

Can I drop my documents off at your office?

No, there is no need to drop off your original hard copies.

Please scan or fax the documents to our email/fax number.

I don’t have the document(s) available yet. Can I still get a quote?

We can issue you a quote for certified translation services if you provide enough information about the document(s) (ie. word count, languages, format, etc.) but it may need to be revised upon receipt of your final source document(s) and requirements.

How do I proceed with LingoStar's services?

Please make full payment in order to confirm your certified translation project. Kindly advise us via email and make sure to include a mailing address.

How do I make a payment for my certified translation?

Payment can be made online with a credit card or PayPal account, or by cheque.

For ONLINE PAYMENT:

1) Go to www.lingo-star.com and click on the 'Paypal' button on the left-hand side of the home page.
2) Under 'Your Order Summary', enter amount to pay in 'Item Price' and click 'Update'.

***Please note that an online fee of 3.3% may apply. Please check your quote for the total amount due***

3) You will be given the option to log in to your Paypal Account, or you can choose 'Pay with a credit card'.
4) Enter your credit card information in the appropriate fields and click 'Review Order and Continue' and then 'Pay Now'.
5) Kindly advise us via email once payment is made to ensure that your payment is received.

For CHEQUE PAYMENT: Please make cheque payable to LingoStar Language Services Inc. and mail to:

LingoStar Language Services Inc.
4950 Keith Rd,
West Vancouver, BC
V7W 2N1 Canada

Please note that we cannot initiate your certified translation project until payment is received. For this reason, most clients choose to pay online so that their payment can be processed instantly.

How is the price of the certified translation calculated?

The price is calculated according to the word count, number of documents, language pair and turnaround time required.

Can you give me a rough idea of the price for certified translation of a one-page document? Is there a minimum charge?

Yes, usually one-page documents fall within our minimum charge range which is $99-$150 plus tax, depending on the language pair and turnaround time required.

My document is several pages long. How do you charge for this?

We base our certified translation pricing on a rate per word and the number of documents. Your document will be reviewed and an estimated word count will be indicated on your quote. Please provide your source documents so we can verify the pricing. Discounts may be offered for large word count documents and for your first project with LingoStar.

There are a lot of tables with numbers, etc. in my document. Will I be charged for these?

Yes. The word count includes all numbers because the certified translator has to re-type everything into the certified translation and that can be very time-consuming. However a string of numbers (ie. 2834873927) is considered one word.

A translation has already been provided for some of the text on my document. Will I still be charged for this text?

Yes. You will be charged for all of the source text, regardless of whether or not a translation is already provided on the document. The reason for this is that the certified translator still needs to provide their translation on the certified copy and they may choose to use the existing translation (if it is accurate) or their own (if they disagree with the existing one).

How long does it take for a certified translation to be completed?

Our standard turnaround time for short certified translations is 3-5 business days.

Our rush turnaround time for short certified translations is 1-3 business days.

Please add 1-2 business days for mailing by Xpresspost.

We will confirm turnaround time for your certified translation upon receipt of your final source files and requirements.

For longer documents or multiple documents, turnaround times may be extended.

Is it possible to have my certified translation done by tomorrow morning?

This may be possible for short documents (1-2 pages) if we can confirm availability of a certified translator in your area and arrange for a pick-up. Please call us at 604-629-8420 for details.

How will I receive the certified translation?

The certified hard copies of your documents will be mailed to you by Canada Post ‘Xpresspost’, which typically takes 1-2 business days. For rush services, we may be able to arrange a pick-up from the certified translator’s home or office. Contact us for details.

What does a certified translation look like?

Certified translators try to keep to the layout of the original document. However, some elements such as stamps and signatures are rendered just as text. The certified translator will affix their seal and include a declaration in the form of a header/footer or separate page.

How can I be sure that my certified translation is accurate?

Our quality assurance procedures include thorough spot-checking of your documents by our LingoStar team to ensure that all information has been transferred accurately. For technical documents, we acquire the services of a second qualified translator to edit/proofread the certified translation.

I don’t agree with the translation of some of the text on my certified translation. What can I do?

Any suggestions/concerns regarding the way a particular phrase or word was translated will be discussed with the translator.

Do you provide certified and notarized translation services?

Yes. The certified translator will bring the certified translation to a notary public, who fills out an affidavit and/or stamps and signs the documents.

Are there extra fees for notarization?

Yes, please advise if you require notarization so we can include the fees on your quote.

What is an affidavit?

An affidavit is a form that sometimes needs to accompany official documents. The affidavit usually needs to be filled out by the certified translator and signed and/or stamped by a notary public. We refer to this as ‘notarization’ service. Please advise if you require certified and notarized translation services when you request a quote, as additional fees apply.

Do you provide Driver’s License translation services?

Driver’s Licenses need to be translated by certified translators who belong to the provincial organization that pertains to the province you currently reside in. For example, if you live in Ontario, your translation must be done by a certified translator who resides in Ontario and is registered with the appropriate association in Ontario. Contact us and we will advise if we are able to locate a certified translator for your Driver’s License translation in your province.

Do you provide certified translations by ICBC approved translators?

Yes, we have a large database of certified translators in most language pairs that are approved by ICBC. Contact us if you have a rare language pair and we will verify that we have an ICBC approved translator available.

Do you provide additional copies of certified translations?

Yes, we would be happy to ask the certified translator to issue and mail you as many certified hard copies as you need. Please note that there are fees for this service and they will be included on your quote.

I live in another province. Do I have to pay BC taxes?

No. Your quote will be adjusted to reflect the taxes applicable to your province of residence.

I live outside of Canada. Do I have to pay taxes?

No. No tax applies to clients outside of Canada.

What currencies do you accept?

All of our pricing is in Canadian dollars. Please advise if you require your quote to be provided in alternate currencies.