If you have a Canadian death certificate that you need to present in another country, you may be wondering how to apostille the death certificate? In this article we look at how to get a death certificate apostilled in Canada.
What is death certificate apostille?
The Canadian apostille process is used to confirm the authenticity of a Canadian document so that this document will be officially recognized in another country. If your document is destined for a country that is also a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, all you need is the apostille. If you need to present a Canadian death certificate in another country that is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, you will also need to have the document legalized.
There are two steps to follow in order to have a death certificate apostilled:
- Make sure the death certificate is an original official death certificate issued by the Province. If the death certificate you have is not an original or was not issued directly by a Canadian province, you can order a new one from the province where the death took place.
- Submit the original official death certificate to the appropriate Canadian apostille authority for the apostille. The apostille offices in Canada function on a jurisdictional basis, dependent upon the origins of the document.
When submitting the death certificate for apostille, you will first need to do some research to determine the requirements of the apostille office. You may be able to handle it in person, you may need to send it by mail, or you may certainly hire a service like ours to submit it on your behalf.
After your document has been apostilled, it may need to be legalized. You can check to see if your destination country is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention here: The Hague Apostille Convention and Canada
What is death certificate legalization?
The legalization of a death certificate is the final step in certifying the authenticity of the certificate so that it will be officially accepted in another country that has not signed the Hague apostille Convention. To legalize a death certificate, the apostilled certificate is submitted to the embassy or consulate of the country where the certificate will be presented.
For officials in the destination country, document legalization confirms that the death certificate has been verified by their official representative in Canada.
How do I notarize a death certificate?
If you need to present a Canadian death certificate in a foreign country, the original certificate will need to go through the apostille process. Notarizing a death certificate is not required for this process and is not recommended.
A notary can make what is known as a “certified true copy” of a Canadian death certificate. However, it is not recommended to try to process a certified true copy of any Vital Statistic document, as it is likely to not be accepted.
Can you assist me with the apostille of a death certificate?
If you are looking for more information on how to apostille a death certificate, or if you would like assistance with the process, we can help! We specialize in navigating the Canadian apostille process for our clients, processing many thousands of documents for our clients every year. Because we apostille thousands of death certificates every year, we avoid the common mistakes and pitfalls that can greatly increase the time and cost of processing.
Contact us today! We’ll explain the process, outline your options and answer your questions. No pressure or obligation. Call toll-free at 1-888-433-1011 or send us an online enquiry and we’ll get right back to you.
