Getting your Canadian documents authenticated and legalized during the Christmas holidays can be tricky. You first need to get your documents authenticated at Global Affairs Canada’s JLAC section. You will then have to get your documents legalized at the appropriate embassy or consulate. With holiday closures, it can be complicated to accomplish these two stages quickly. This post reviews the holiday schedule for Global Affairs Canada’s JLAC section and discusses where you can find the holiday schedule for the relevant embassy or consulate.
JLAC’s schedule for the Christmas holidays – 2019
The JLAC section of Global Affairs Canada will be closed completely the week of Monday, December 23rd to Friday, December 28th. JLAC will re-open on Monday, December 30th, with regular hours. Documents can be authenticated between 10:00 am and noon, and between 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm. JLAC is closed again on December 31st and January 1st. JLAC resumes its normal schedule starting on January 2nd, 2020.
Embassy and consulate closures during the Christmas holidays – 2019
Each embassy and consulate sets its own holiday schedule. Most will be closed for Canada’s statutory holidays, which include Christmas Day (Dec. 25th), Boxing Day (Dec. 26th), and New Years Day (January 1st). But there are exceptions. It is highly recommended that you consult directly with the relevant embassy or consulate to confirm their holiday hours. Our website has the contact information for some of the most frequently used embassies, and we are adding more embassy pages all the time. You can also contact our friendly staff directly. We maintain up-to-date information on over 200 embassies and consulates and we would be happy to talk to you. Phone use toll-free at 1-888-433-1011, or send us a quick email. We will be authenticating and legalizing documents for our clients through the holidays, with the exception of December 25th to 26th and January 1st, and are available to answer your questions.
All the best for the holidays!
The IDC Team
