So, you have been asked for an apostille of certified true copies of your Canadian documents. What is an Apostille? What are certified true copies? Following you will find everything you need to know about the terminology and process to obtain an Apostille of Canadian certified true copies.
What is an Apostille?
Under the Hague Apostille Convention, signatory countries of this treaty have agreed to recognize public documents issued by other signatory countries, providing those documents are authenticated by the attachment of an internationally recognized form of authentication known as an “apostille”. An apostille ensures that public documents issued in one signatory country will be recognized as valid or legal in all other signatory countries.
Canada has recently signed the Hague Apostille Convention (taking effect 2024). The alternative Canadian process for documents destined for non-apostille countries is called authentication and legalization. However, unlike an “apostille”, the legalization must be done for each destination country. More information about the authentication and legalization process can be found on our website service pages here: Document Authentication and Legalization.
What are certified true copies?
Certified true copies are copies of your documents that a notary public or lawyer has certified as being accurate representations of the originals. A notary public or lawyer will compare the copies of your documents to the originals, and then stamp and sign the copies, marking them as certified true copies.
What documents can be notarized as certified true copies?
Certified true copies can be used when you don’t want your original documents to leave your possession, or to be marked up by the apostille process. Be sure to check with the recipient before making certified true copies because not all offices or countries accept them. In addition, some documents will require an original signature, such as a Power of Attorney.
Where can a certified true copy be apostilled?
Once your Notary Public has made the certified true copy of your document, you will need to submit it to the appropriate apostille office. These offices accept documents from specific regions.
Global Affairs Canada is responsible for issuing apostilles for Canadian documents notarized in or originating from the Government of Canada and the provinces of Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, and Yukon.
The provincial government offices in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Quebec, are responsible for issuing apostilles for documents that originate from or are notarized in their jurisdictions.
IDC can handle the entire process on your behalf!
We can manage the process on your behalf and save you valuable processing time. You send us the original documents and we will handle all steps involved. Contact us today by calling us toll free at 1-888-433-1011 or complete an online request form.
