<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2018-03-02</periodOfReport>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001170534</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>MITEL NETWORKS CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>MITL</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001220385</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>MATTHEWS TERENCE H</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>390 MARCH ROAD, SUITE 110</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>OTTAWA,</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>K2K 0G7</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState></rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>A6</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <officerTitle>Chairman of the Board</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Shares</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2018-03-02</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness></transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>146792</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>8.18</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>2619898</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Wesley Clover International Corporation</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Shares</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2018-03-05</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness></transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>9811</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>8.11</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>2610087</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Wesley Clover International Corporation</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Shares</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2018-03-05</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>S</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness></transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>1829</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>8.08</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>54205</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">146,792 shares sold on 2018-03-02 were sold at Cdn$10.55 converted to US$8.18 using the noon exchange rate of The Bank of Canada</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Dr. Matthews owns 100% of the outstanding voting shares of 4293711 Canada Inc. (&quot;4293711 Canada&quot;) which in turn owns 99.9% of the outstanding voting shares of Wesley Clover International Corporation (&quot;WCIC&quot;) (the remaining 0.01% of the outstanding voting shares of WCIC are owned by the Matthews Family Trust, of which Dr. Matthews is one of three trustees).</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Pursuant to Rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the &quot;Exchange Act&quot;), each of Dr. Matthews and 4293711 Canada may be deemed the beneficial owner of all of the common shares (the &quot;Common Shares&quot;) of Mitel Networks Corporation (the &quot;Company&quot;) beneficially owned by WCIC. The filing of this Form 4 shall not be construed as an admission that the Reporting Persons share beneficial ownership of these shares, and the Reporting Persons expressly disclaim such beneficial ownership except to the extent of any pecuniary interest therein.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">9811 shares sold on 2018-03-05 were sold at Cdn$10.527 converted to US$8.11 using the noon exchange rate of The Bank of Canada</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">Represents the automatic withholding of Common Shares to satisfy tax withholding obligations in connection with the RSUs that vested on March 2, 2018.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Terence H. Matthews</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2018-03-06</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
