You don’t have to authenticate and legalize your own documents! But what should you look for in an expert authentication and legalization services provider? If you need to authenticate and legalize Canadian documents for use in another country and you would like to secure assistance for this confusing process – read on.
About the Canadian authentication and legalization process
The Canadian document authentication and legalization process is used to certify the authenticity of Canadian documents, so that they will be officially recognized in other countries. Document authentication and legalization is a three-step process:
Step 1 – Preparing your documents: It is extremely important that your documents meet the requirements of Global Affairs Canada and the relevant embassy or consulate before they are processed. Document preparation may require having your documents notarized, having certified true copies made, having the documents translated, and providing necessary supporting documents.
Step 2 – Authentication at Global Affairs Canada: Global Affairs Canada’s JLAC section, located in Ottawa, is responsible for authenticating Canadian documents. JLAC staff review your documents to ensure they meet their requirements. If satisfied, they place a large red stamp directly on each of your documents, confirming that these documents have been authenticated.
Step 3 – Legalization at the relevant embassy or consulate: The final step involves submitting your authenticated documents to the embassy or consulate of the country in which you will be using these documents. The consular staff will review your documents to ensure they have been authenticated by Global Affairs Canada and that they meet all their requirements. When satisfied, they will add a stamp or sticker directly to your documents, confirming that they have been legalized.
Other names for the Canadian authentication and legalization process
In Canada, the process to get your documents certified for use in another country is properly called document authentication and legalization. However, there are some other terms that are frequently used, including document “apostille” and “attestation”. In Canada, both these terms refer to the authentication and legalization process. So, if you’ve been told you need to get an apostille on a Canadian document, what you will be doing is authenticating and legalizing the document.
Expert authentication and legalization services are available
It is possible to authenticate and legalize your own documents through the mail. However, there are a number of challenges and potential frustrations in managing the process yourself. Most people are unfamiliar with the document authentication and legalization process and getting accurate information can be difficult. In addition, getting your documents authenticated and legalized through the mail will take a minimum of many weeks and sometimes longer. If you’ve made a mistake in how you prepared your documents before processing, your documents may be refused and you will likely need to re-start the process from the beginning.
To overcome these challenges, we offer expert authentication and legalization services to individuals and businesses from across Canada and around the world.
What makes an “expert” authentication and legalization service?
We are the leading authentication and legalization service available in Canada. We are comfortable saying we offer “expert” authentication and legalization services because:
- First and most importantly, we focus on the Canadian authentication and legalization process. This is not just one of many services we offer. It is the core focus of our company.
- We take the time to explain your options to you. When you contact us, our experts will discuss the details of your job with you, answer any questions you have, and clearly outline your options. Once we know exactly what you need, we provide you with a detailed quote so you can make a fully informed decision about what option is right for you. There is never any pressure or obligation when talking to our experts. We want you to be comfortable you are making the right choice.
- We have developed our own proprietary software to capture the information we need from you to quickly and accurately process your documents. With our in-house software you can easily see and update the information about your job at any time, as well as track the progress of your documents in real time, greatly simplifying the process and giving you peace of mind.
- Our specialists present your documents in person to Global Affairs Canada, as well as the relevant embassy or consulate. This reduces the total processing time by many weeks, getting your documents back to you fast.
- We actively track the changing requirements of Global Affairs Canada and over 200 diplomatic missions in Canada. We have the most up-to-date information on document authentication and legalization in Canada, including information from the many embassies and consulates that do not publish useful information online or elsewhere.
- We process many thousands of documents for our clients every year. Our unrivaled experience means we can expertly navigate around the many obstacles and traps that can easily add months to the authentication and legalization process and hundreds of dollars to the cost.
- Finally, we are committed to providing truly excellent service to our clients. Our team of experts regularly goes over and above to ensure our clients’ documents are processed quickly and accurately.
What all this means for you is that you can relax with peace of mind as we rapidly move your documents through the authentication and legalization process.
More information on Canadian authentication and legalization services
Our website has extensive information on the Canadian authentication and legalization process and on the services we offer. Or even better, contact us directly. Our experts would welcome the chance to discuss your situation, answer your questions, and outline your options. Phone us at 1-888-433-1011 (toll-free), or submit our quick form and we’ll get right back to you!
