Your marriage certificate is an important document, and if you plan to move to another country with your spouse, you must make sure that you have it ready so you can take advantage of the benefits of marriage.
Even so, the process is a little bit more complex than arriving in the country and showing the embassy your Canadian marriage certificate. You must go through a verification process known as authentication and legalization. If these terms confuse you, it’s okay! Today, we’ll discuss the steps you need to take to ensure that the entire process is smooth and fast.
Canadian Marriage Certificate Apostille
If you’ve lived in a different country before, you might have heard about apostille. The marriage certificate apostille process derives from The Hague Apostille Convention. This was a piece of legislation signed by multiple countries in the Netherlands as a standardized way of verifying foreign documents. It makes the process easy and quick.
However, Canada was not a signee of this treaty and follows a slightly different process known as authentication and legalization. Yes, it means that you need to jump through a few more legal hoops to apostille your documents, but the end result is the same as marriage certificate apostille.
Marriage Certificate Authentication
The first step is to do your marriage certificate authentication service in Ottawa. This happens at Global Affairs Canada in Ottawa. They’ll review your Canadian marriage certificate and ensure that it meets all of the legal requirements. They’ll check its legitimacy, and once it passes, they’ll provide you with a stamp that means it is ready to move onto the next step, legalization.
Canadian Marriage Certificate Legalization
The final stage of this process is marriage certificate legalization. This essentially converts the document and ensures that your destination country will recognize it. Failing to complete this stage can lead to headaches and trouble down the road, so make sure you don’t forget it!
You’ll need to go to the embassy of your destination country here in Canada. Make sure that your marriage certificate is original and in long-form. They’ll review it and ensure that it is correct and will provide you with their seal of approval. From there, you’re ready to use it in your new country!
We Can Help
This entire process can be long, stressful, and confusing in many cases, but we’re here to help! Simply bring us your Canadian marriage certificate, and we’ll handle the entire process for you saving you time and worry. To get started, get in touch with us today!
Source of picture: www.servicealberta.ca