Attestation is one of a few terms that are used to describe the authentication and legalization process. The term attestation is commonly used by Embassies and High Commissions, such as the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates and the High Commission of India, and refers to the legalization of Canadian educational documents. For more information on the authentication and legalization process, take a look at this helpful article “Apostille Services Explained”.
We regularly process educational documents such as college certificates, university degrees, transcripts, and high school diplomas for use around the world. Both the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFATD) and each diplomatic mission have very specific requirements for the authentication and legalization of educational documents.
For example:
- The Department of Foreign Affairs will only authenticate educational documents issued by Canadian educational institutions recognized by the provincial/territorial ministries of education. If the recognized degree or transcript is signed and sealed by the appropriate office of the registrar with a full signature, name and title clearly present, it does not have to be notarized. In order to have a photocopy of a Canadian degree or transcript authenticated, it must be in the form of a certified true copy, signed and sealed by either the relevant office of the registrar or a Canadian notary public.
- Many diplomatic missions also require that your educational institution mail them a sealed record of transcript in order to legalize your degree or diploma. For example, this is a requirement of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates and the Embassy of Qatar. It is important to identify whether the diplomatic mission in question requires this step, as it may cause a delay in the process.
Contact an expert and International Documents Canada (IDC) to discuss your situation and the particular requirements to ensure your documents are prepared correctly.
Call IDC toll free at 1-888-433-1011, or visit idocscanada.ca .
