Kurdish Translation Services

International Translating Company delivers native Kurdish translation for the energy sector, Kurdistan Regional Government, NGOs and humanitarian organizations, and diaspora documentation. Kurdish has two main dialect groups written in different scripts: Kurmanji in Latin script (Turkey, Syria) and Sorani in Arabic script (Iraq, Iran). The two are not mutually intelligible in written form. A translator who works in one cannot produce the other. ITC confirms the required dialect and script for every project before assigning a linguist.

Kurdish Translation for Key Industries

The Kurdish-speaking world spans parts of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. Iraqi Kurdistan, administered by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) from Erbil, is the most developed Kurdish-language institutional ecosystem. The KRG administers the Erbil, Duhok, and Sulaymaniyah governorates with its own ministries, universities, and regulatory framework. Each sector generates specific translation needs.

Oil and Gas

Iraqi Kurdistan holds significant oil reserves. The KRG has signed production sharing contracts with international oil companies including Genel Energy, DNO, Gulf Keystone Petroleum, and HKN Energy. Technical documentation, HSE manuals, environmental impact assessments, operational procedures, and joint-venture agreements require Sorani Kurdish translation alongside Arabic and English versions. Pipeline and refinery projects generate engineering specifications that demand precise terminology handling.

ITC has served oil and gas clients since 1969.

Kurdistan Regional Government

The KRG operates a full government structure: the Council of Ministers, the Kurdistan Parliament, and line ministries covering health, education, finance, agriculture, and the interior. Business registration through the KRG Board of Investment, construction permits, education policy documents, and government correspondence require Kurdish-language versions. The KRG’s bilingual policy (Kurdish and Arabic) means many documents need both language versions.

NGO and Humanitarian

The Kurdish regions of Iraq, Syria, and Turkey have been focal points for humanitarian response. The Yezidi displacement from Sinjar (2014), the Syrian Kurdish autonomous administration, and ongoing refugee and IDP crises generate documentation requiring Kurdish translation. Medical aid coordination, education programs, protection monitoring reports, and human rights documentation all need precise Kurdish versions. Humanitarian translation carries a particular responsibility: unclear phrasing in a medical instruction or a protection advisory can endanger lives.

Immigration and Diaspora Documents

The Kurdish American community is concentrated in Nashville, Tennessee (the largest Kurdish community in the US, approximately 15,000 people, primarily from Iraqi Kurdistan), San Diego, Dallas, Detroit, Phoenix, and Seattle. Many families arrived as refugees following the 1991 Gulf War uprisings and the Anfal genocide (1988). Birth certificates, marriage contracts (which may be in Arabic, Sorani, or both), academic transcripts, and asylum documentation require certified English translation for USCIS filings.

The European Kurdish diaspora is larger still: Germany alone has approximately one million Kurds, with additional communities in France, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the UK.

ITC delivers every immigration translation with a signed, notarized certificate of accuracy. This is what makes an ITC translation accepted by USCIS and immigration courts.

Kurdish Language Expertise

Kurdish is an Indo-Iranian language in the Indo-European family. It is spoken by approximately 30 to 40 million people across a geographic area spanning parts of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria, and the Caucasus. Kurds are the largest ethnic group in the world without a nation-state, and the Kurdish language reflects this political history in its standardization.

Two Dialects, Two Scripts

The single most important fact about Kurdish translation: the two main dialect groups use different scripts and are not mutually intelligible in written form.

Kurmanji (Northern Kurdish): Spoken by approximately 15-20 million Kurds in Turkey, Syria, and parts of Iraq, Iran, and the Caucasus. Written in a modified Latin alphabet (the Hawar alphabet, standardized in 1932 in Syria). This is the Kurdish of Turkish Kurdistan and Syrian Kurdistan.
Sorani (Central Kurdish): Spoken by approximately 6-8 million Kurds, primarily in Iraq and Iran. Written in a modified Arabic script. Sorani is the official language of education and government in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

A Kurmanji text uses Latin letters. A Sorani text uses Arabic letters. A reader of one cannot read the other without study. ITC confirms the required dialect and script with every client before assigning a linguist.

Kurmanji (Latin Script)

Kurmanji uses the Hawar alphabet, standardized in 1932 in Damascus under the guidance of Kurdish linguists and the French mandate authorities. The alphabet has 31 letters based on the Latin script with special characters for Kurdish-specific sounds: ê, î, û, ç, ş (and related forms such as Ê, Î, Û, Ç, Ş). Example place and language labels in Kurmanji Latin: Kurdistan, Diyarbakır / Amed, and the self-name kurdî. These letters are part of the alphabet, not optional accents. Stripping them produces wrong words or unreadable labels. Kurmanji is the Kurdish of Diyarbakir (Amed), Kobane, and Afrin. It is the variety most commonly encountered in US asylum cases involving Turkish and Syrian Kurds.

Sorani (Arabic Script)

Sorani uses a modified Arabic script with additional letters for Kurdish sounds not found in Arabic. It is written right-to-left. Showcase forms in Arabic-script Sorani include the language name کوردی and the regional capital هەولێر (Hewlêr / Erbil). Sorani is the official administrative, educational, and media language of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It is the variety most commonly encountered in KRG government documents, Iraqi Kurdistan business contracts, and Erbil-based institutional communication. ITC preserves full Sorani orthography and RTL layout in every Arabic-script deliverable.

A Stateless Language

Kurdish standardization has occurred across multiple political jurisdictions, each with different policies. Turkey banned Kurdish in public education, broadcasting, and government for most of the 20th century. The ban was formally lifted in 1991, but the legacy means Kurmanji standardization in Turkey has been uneven. Iraq’s KRG has built the most developed Kurdish-language infrastructure: Kurdish-language universities, media, textbooks, and government publications. Syria’s Kurdish regions adopted Kurmanji as a working language during the autonomous administration period beginning in 2012. Iran’s Kurdish population speaks both Sorani and Kurmanji but Persian dominates official life.

This political fragmentation means that Kurdish terminology for legal, technical, and administrative concepts can vary by country. A legal document prepared in Erbil (Sorani) will use different terminology than one prepared in Diyarbakir (Kurmanji). ITC matches the translator to the document’s geographic origin.

Certified Kurdish Translation

Every Kurdish translation ITC delivers starts with a native-speaking linguist assigned by dialect, script, industry, and document type. Our linguists hold the highest certification available in their country and language. ITC also certifies its own translators to internal standards on a more frequent cycle than external bodies require.

A qualified translator alone is not enough. Every project runs through a multi-step process: translation by a native linguist, independent proofreading and editing by a separate linguist who compares the translation against the source line by line, and a quality assurance review that checks for non-linguistic errors.

For US-side legal, immigration, and court work, ITC issues a signed, notarized certificate of accuracy attesting that the translation is faithful to the source, complete, and performed by a translator competent to do the work.

Our Translation Process

Project intake. A dedicated project manager reviews requirements: dialect (Kurmanji or Sorani), script (Latin or Arabic), language pair, direction, industry, document type, certification needs, deadline.
Team selection. The PM assigns a native Kurdish linguist by dialect and skill.
Translation. The linguist translates following industry terminology and client glossaries.
Independent proofreading. A second native linguist checks script accuracy, terminology, and dialect consistency.
Quality assurance. Software checks for numbers, missing text, and formatting.
Final review and delivery. The PM reviews from the client’s perspective.

Why Choose ITC for Kurdish Translation

Since 1969. Over five decades of translation experience.
Both dialects, both scripts. Kurmanji (Latin) and Sorani (Arabic) handled by native linguists.
Dialect-matched assignment. Every translator is matched to the document’s dialect and geographic origin.
KRG and energy sector experience. Erbil-based institutional translation and oil and gas documentation.
USCIS-accepted certification. Signed, notarized certificate of accuracy.
Multi-step quality process. Translation, independent proofreading, and quality assurance on every project.
Dedicated project manager. A single point of contact from intake to delivery.
230+ languages. Kurdish is one of more than 230 languages ITC covers.

Explore our Arabic and Farsi translation services for regional languages. Browse all languages to see the full scope of ITC’s capability.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Kurdish dialect do I need?

It depends on where your document will be used. For the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (Erbil, Duhok, Sulaymaniyah), you need Sorani in Arabic script. For Kurdish communities from Turkey and Syria, you need Kurmanji in Latin script. If you are unsure, tell us where the document originates and where it will be used, and we will confirm the correct dialect and script.

Can a Kurmanji translator produce Sorani?

No. Kurmanji and Sorani use different scripts (Latin vs Arabic) and are not mutually intelligible in written form. A Kurmanji-speaking translator cannot read or write Sorani without separate training. ITC assigns linguists based on the specific dialect required.

Can you translate documents for USCIS?

Yes. ITC provides certified translations with a signed, notarized certificate of accuracy for birth certificates, marriage contracts, asylum documentation, and other records required by USCIS. Our certified translations are accepted by US immigration courts and federal agencies.

What is Sorani Kurdish?

Sorani (Central Kurdish) is written in a modified Arabic script and is the official language of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It is used in KRG government, education, media, and business. Sorani is the Kurdish variety most commonly encountered in Iraqi Kurdistan documents.

What industries does ITC serve for Kurdish?

Oil and gas (KRG production sharing contracts), Kurdistan Regional Government (ministries, investment board), NGO and humanitarian (refugee documentation, medical aid), immigration and diaspora (Nashville, German Kurdish community). ITC matches each project to a linguist with industry-specific vocabulary expertise.

How quickly can I get a Kurdish translation?

Turnaround depends on document length, complexity, dialect, and certification requirements. Standard delivery is typically 2 to 4 business days for most documents. Expedited and rush options are available. Contact us for a quote and timeline.

Do you handle Kurdish-to-English and English-to-Kurdish?

Yes. ITC handles both directions. Kurdish-to-English translation is assigned to a linguist who writes English natively and reads Kurdish at native level. English-to-Kurdish translation is assigned to a linguist who writes Kurdish natively in the specified dialect and script.

Can you translate Kurdish marriage contracts from Iraq?

Yes. Iraqi Kurdish marriage contracts may be in Arabic, Sorani, or both languages. ITC handles bilingual document translation and produces certified English versions accepted by USCIS for immigration purposes.

Request a Quote for Kurdish Translation

Request a Quote

Tell us your document type, dialect required (Kurmanji or Sorani), and language direction. We respond fast. Call 1-888-415-1580 for urgent or complex requests.