Global Affairs Canada Apostille: Authenticate Your Documents to Use Outside Canada
Since January 11, 2024, Canada has been a member of the Apostille Convention, which streamlines document authentication for over 120 countries.
How Does the Apostille Affect Global Affairs Canada Services and Information Required to Authenticate Documents
Authentication or apostille is typically required in order for Canadian documents (or other public documents from different countries) to be approved for usage in other countries. Through this procedure, the validity of the official’s signature that is found on the document is demonstrated. After your document has been authenticated, if you want to use it in a country that is not a party to the Apostille Convention, you may be required to have it authorized by the authorities of the destination country (for example, a high commission, an embassy or consulate of the country Canada, or competent authorities in that country). Suppose you are able to acquire an apostille, and your document is destined for a nation that is a member of the Apostille Convention. In that case, it is expected that the document will be used in a country of destination without any additional actions being required.
The Apostille Convention removes the necessity for the legalization of documents meant for use in other member nations, simplifying the authentication procedure (nearly 120 countries are members, and a complete list can be seen below on this page), was joined by the government of Canada on January 11, 2024. This convention was established to facilitate the process of authenticating documents.
Select Our Apostille and Authentication Services in Canada to Authenticate Your Documents
- Contact Us Through the Form: Use the application form below to provide all necessary information.
- Prepare Your Documents and Submit Them: Submit your documents to our office or send them online (for electronic documents).
- Receive Your Prepared Documents: You can access them anywhere across Canada or outside Canada.
With over 15 years of success and practical experience in document services in Canada, we’re glad to help make your next international adventure one to remember for the right reasons.
Contact us today for more information!
Send Your Documents for Authentication Services and Apostille Documents
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We Work with All Canadian Competent Authorities
To simplify the process of authenticating documents and apostille certificates issued, we collaborate with all of the appropriate agencies in Canada. The processing of public documents, such as birth certificates and original documents issued by the court, that are intended for usage outside of Canada can be made more effective according to this collaboration.
Legalization Service Centre Canada (LSC), which has representatives in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, North York, Mississauga, Vancouver, and other cities, offers services to clients anywhere in Canada as well as other countries.
Apostille Ontario:
- Toronto
- Ottawa
- Mississauga
- Brampton
- Hamilton
- London
- Markham
- Vaughan
- Kitchener
- Windsor
Apostille Alberta:
- Calgary
- Edmonton
- Red Deer
- Lethbridge
- St. Albert
- Medicine Hat
- Grande Prairie
- Airdrie
- Spruce Grove
- Leduc
Apostille Manitoba:
- Winnipeg
- Brandon
- Steinbach
- Thompson
- Portage la Prairie
- Selkirk
- Winkler
- Morden
- Dauphin
- Flin Flon
Apostille New Brunswick:
- Moncton
- Saint John
- Fredericton
- Dieppe
- Oromocto
- Bathurst
- Miramichi
- Edmundston
- Riverview
- Rothesay
Apostille Newfoundland and Labrador:
- St. John’s
- Mount Pearl
- Corner Brook
- Paradise
- Labrador City
- Marystown
- Deer Lake
- Gander
- Grand Falls-Windsor
- Happy Valley-Goose Bay
Apostille Nova Scotia:
- Halifax
- Sydney
- Dartmouth
- Truro
- New Glasgow
- Glace Bay
- Kentville
- Amherst
- Bridgewater
- Yarmouth
Apostille Prince Edward Island:
- Charlottetown
- Summerside
- Stratford
- Cornwall
- Montague
- Souris
- Alberton
- Tignish
- Kensington
- Georgetown
Apostille Quebec:
- Montreal
- Quebec City
- Laval
- Gatineau
- Longueuil
- Sherbrooke
- Trois-Rivières
- Saguenay
- Lévis
- Terrebonne
Send Your Documents for Authentication and Apostille
Sending us the necessary documents is all that is required to get the process started. Our company handles anything from ensuring that documents are eligible for authentication to filing an application for an apostille at the authentication service section in Global Affairs Canada or the appropriate provincial competent authority in Canada. Your documents, regardless of whether they were issued in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta or any other provinces and territories, will be validated and apostille in the appropriate manner to be used outside of Canada.
Affidavit
Birth Certificate
Marriage Certificate
Divorce Certificate
Death Certificate
Marriage Search Certificate
University Degree
College Diploma
High School Diploma
Transcripts
Criminal Record Check Certificate from Ottawa RCMP
Criminal Record Check Certificate from Local Police
Fingerprints
Statement in Lieu of Certificate of Non-Impediment to Marriage Abroad
Power of Attorney
Corporate Documents
Court Documents
Adoption Certificate
Other
Hague Apostille Convention Signatory Countries
On January 11, 2024, Canada signed up under the Hague Apostille Convention. This implies that Canadian public documents validated with an apostille are now recognized in all convention member nations, making legalizing foreign public documents for international usage easier. The following is a list of participating nations that will accept apostilled documents.
Cabo Verde
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Estonia
Eswatini
Fiji
Finland
France
Georgia
Liberia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Malawi
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritius
Mexico
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Namibia
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niue
North Macedonia
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russian Federation
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
São Tomé and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Seychelles
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea (Republic of Korea)
Spain
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland
Tajikistan
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Ukraine
United Kingdom
United States of America
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Venezuela
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why Might a Document Not be Qualified for an Apostille?
It cannot be apostilled if your document is a photocopy or does not include an original signature or seal. Authentication is impossible if your document’s signature or seal cannot be verified. Documents that have been pasted or laminated cannot be stamped. If your document is coated with a material that blocks stamping, it is ineligible for apostille.
Religious documents and marriage certificates, among other documents issued by religious institutions, are not eligible for an apostille.
Competent authorities can authenticate documents issued by the government of Canada; hence, foreign-origin documents are not accepted. It cannot be apostilled if an unrecognized educational institution issued your document.
Competent authorities may refuse to affix an apostille attached to your document and report your case to the proper authorities if they consider it misleading, could be used for fraud or unlawful activity, or violates their policy.
Do You Need Notarized Copies of Documents Before Getting an Apostille?
Before a competent authority can validate any papers, they have to be notarized. This may contain documents issued by the Canadian government. The competent authority to whom you must deliver your document is determined by the province or territory in which it was notarized.
The process of document notarization can shorten the time required to get an apostille certification. The Legalization Service Centre (LSC) works with official notaries from various provinces to assist with this procedure.
Do Documents Need to be Translated Before Getting an Apostille?
If any section of the document requires an apostille or the whole document is written in a foreign language other than English or French, an official translation by a qualified translator—a member of a duly registered provincial association of translators—will be mandated.
Hiring a Canadian notary public who speaks English and French—the language in which the document originally was written—allows you to avoid a translation. In this situation, the notary must add a confirming endorsement to the document.
The most effective verification for a document written in a different language is determined case-by-case. The Legalization Service Center (LSC) can do this for both of these situations as part of apostilling one or more papers for the client.
How Long Does It Currently Take to Obtain an Apostille?
Global Affairs Canada takes about 10 business days to process apostille requests as of the end of September 2024. An additional five business days should be allowed to return the documents to the recipient. Provincial competent agencies can also carry out document legalization. The time required for this varies per specific competent authority.
At the Legalization Service Centre (LSC), we recognize the importance of receiving apostilled documents as soon as possible. As a result, we use our experience and partnerships to shorten the process as much as possible. Our professional record for acquiring an apostille is one business day.
What Other Factors Should You Consider When Getting an Apostille?
Apostille rates vary depending on the type of document and where it is issued. For the most up-to-date cost information, please get in touch with our experts at the Legalization Service Centre.
Does an Apostille validate the document’s content? No, an apostille does not evaluate the contents of a document. It only authenticates the signer’s authority and the authenticity of the issuing institution.
Only countries that have signed the Hague Apostille Convention require an apostille. Non-member nations continue to require conventional authentication and legalization procedures. Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan have been identified as authorities capable of issuing apostilles.
The apostille itself has no expiration date. Still, the legal validity of the certified document could be subject to the laws of the host nation. Therefore, it is critical to verify the particular requirements of the specific country in which the document will be used.