Apostille & Legalization in Canada

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Thinking of settling in the UAE? You aren’t alone! Whether you are a native returning to the land or pursuing a career or employment there, many individuals and families decide to call the UAE their home every year. There is a process to obtain a residency status, and you will need certain documentation to apply for it. You will need to add each member of your family to the residency status, as well. For your children born in Canada, birth certificates along with copies of their passport will need to be provided. Read on to learn about the process of preparing a Canadian birth certificate for use in UAE!

How do you obtain a Canadian birth certificate?

Whether you are in the country at the time or not, Canadian birth certificates are easy to obtain. Make sure you fill in the online application requests for either the short or long form. For the purpose of your UAE residency visa, it is best to order the long form. This one will contain more detail than the short certificate. Information such as place of birth and the names of both parents, along with details of the child are included in this form. Contrarily, the short form certificate only includes the child’s full name and place of birth.

Preparing a birth certificate for use in UAE

The Canadian government itself issues birth certificates. However, you can’t include it in your UAE residency application as is. In order to make the document valid, it must undergo attestation, known as authentication and legalization in Canada. While the two terms are different, the process of attestation and authentication/legalization are identical. Other parts of the world also call it ‘apostille’. After you complete the 2 steps listed below, your birth certificate for UAE will be ready.

How do you have your Canadian birth certificate attested?

The first step is authentication. You need to submit your document to Global Affairs Canada (GAC) along with an application form. GAC is the only government body in Canada that is responsible for authentication of all Canadian documents. Their head office is located in Ottawa and their task is to review the signatures and stamps on the document to ensure that they are valid. Along with this, they also ensure that any document provided to them contains the information and structure necessary to qualify for authentication.

Once the forms are submitted to GAC, it can take 10 days or more for your documents to be authenticated. But an attestation professional can significantly reduce this wait time. For example, Legalization Service Centre can have your documents authenticated within a few business days at GAC. All you need to do is provide a letter or a document proving the urgency of your business. This is because we have a strong network and years of experience with authentication. This can also lead you to save money on the process, as any corrections to the process after you submit your form will require additional fees.

The Final Step: Legalization

After authenticated, you must submit the document(s) to the UAE embassy for legalization. Legalization involves the embassy conducting their own review to ensure that the document meets their country’s standard and that it contains a valid GAC stamp.  Most embassies are located in Ottawa, in close proximity to the GAC office as well as the physical location of Legalization Service Centre. While legalization is not difficult to obtain, it can be a challenge if you are trying to complete it from somewhere outside of Ottawa. Since our office is intentionally close to both, it makes it easy for us to complete the submissions and conduct follow-ups until the entire attestation process is complete.

At Legalization Service Centre, we understand how tedious paperwork can be. Moving from one country to another is not an easy task. Obtaining residency and settling in the UAE may be exciting, but there is a lot of work to be done. Having your documents authenticated is just a hurdle in the process which can be even more difficult due to distance. Give us a call if you need more information or would like to have us take care of this important part of your paperwork. We are always happy to chat, even if it is only to share more information!

 

Image Credit: Zawaya

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