Japanese translation for IRCC, with sworn affidavit

What goes into your IRCC application

For each document that is not in English or French, Guide CIT 0001 asks for a high-quality colour copy of the document and its English or French translation. When the translation is not done by a Canadian certified translator, it also asks for an affidavit from the translator, which is how we provide it. We translate into English, not French. We email the translation within 48 hours of payment for you to review; after you approve it, we have the affidavit sworn before a notary and dispatch the notarized original within a few business days, excluding weekends and Japanese public holidays, plus EMS delivery time to addresses outside Japan. We translate from your scan, so the original stays with you. The document checklist for your application type lists which documents IRCC wants to see.

Source: IRCC Guide CIT 0001, Translation of documents and document checklist. Last reviewed: September 2026.

Do I need a certified copy of the original?

Online applications such as Express Entry ask you to upload a scan of the original document the translator worked from, together with the translation and the affidavit. Our affidavit refers to both the translation and the scan we translated from. The IRCC portal accepts one file per document field, so combine the three into one PDF. A certified photocopy of the original is needed only if your application's instructions ask for one. It must be certified as a true copy by an authorized person, not by you or a family member; outside Canada, IRCC says a notary public may be able to certify it but that you should check with your local authorities. We cannot certify copies, because we translate from your scan rather than the original.

Sources: IRCC, Express Entry: Apply for permanent residence (translations of documents); IRCC Help Centre glossary (certified photocopy); Guide 5256. Last reviewed: October 2026.

Why an affidavit is required

Because Japan has no translation organization recognized by IRCC as equivalent to a "Canadian certified translator", translations completed in Japan follow the affidavit route. This is the standard procedure described in Guide CIT 0001, not a workaround. IRCC also prohibits applicants and their family members from translating documents themselves. An independent translation accompanied by a sworn affidavit is therefore the standard format for Japanese official documents.