Preparing to work and live abroad is a big undertaking and you should expect a lot of paperwork. You will likely be asked to present various personal documents needed for your employment and residency, including and especially your university or college degree. However, did you know that in many cases your university or college degree will not be accepted abroad unless the document has first been “apostille” or “legalized”. This article answers your questions about how to apostille your university or college degree for work outside of Canada.
How do I know if I need to apostille my university or college degree?
There is no one rule that fits all circumstances. The only way to accurately determine whether you will need to apostille your university or college degree is to confirm this fact with the person or institution who is requesting this document. So make sure to check with the person or organization who has requested your degree to confirm what is needed in your specific case.
What is the process to apostille your university or college degree for work outside of Canada?
The process that Canada uses to confirm the authenticity of a Canadian document so that this document will be recognized in a foreign company is called “document apostille”. The term “apostille” refers to the Hague Apostille Convention. Canada is one of the 126 member countries that have signed the convention. For documents destined for non-member countries, the process is called “authentication and legalization“.
The steps of the process are: 1) document preparation, 2) document apostille, and 3) document legalization (for non-apostille countries). Each of these steps is reviewed below.
Step 1 – How to prepare your university or college degree
The first step is to prepare your university or college degree for the apostille process. This involves confirming that your degree meets the requirements of the apostille office responsible for the apostille of your document (see Step 2). Most apostille authorities can apostille an original degree issued by any accredited University or College in Canada. However, some of the apostille offices have specific requirements for University and College degrees.
When legalization is required, it is also necessary to ensure your degree meets the requirements of the embassy or consulate that will be legalizing your document (see Step 3). Generally, it is degrees from online educational institutions that can run into problems with embassies and consulates. If your degree is not from an accredited university or college it may still be possible to have it legalized.
If you are not sure if your degree is from an accredited institution, or if you have any questions about how to prepare your degree for apostille or legalization, contact us. Our friendly staff would be happy to answer your questions.
Step 2 – How to apostille your university or college degree
The second step of the process involves the apostille of your documents with the appropriate apostille office in Canada. They will place a certificate of apostille on the degree stating that they have authenticated the signature of the registrar of the school. Each apostille office has specific requirements which you should research in advance.
The apostille offices also function on a jurisdictional basis dependent upon where the degree was issued or notarized. In some cases, you can have a notarized copy (called a certified true copy) of your degree apostilled instead of the original. However, you will need to check that a notarized copy is acceptable by the apostille office, the recipient abroad, and if applicable, the embassy or consulate of the destination country.
Once apostilled, if your degree is destined for another apostille member country, your degree is now ready to use abroad. If your degree is destined for a non-apostille country, then you will need to proceed with an additional step of document legalization (step 3).
Step 3 – How to legalize your university or college degree
Legalization is the final step of the authentication and legalization process. Legalization is done by the embassy or consulate of the country in which you will be presenting your degree. The consular staff will review your degree, ensuring it meets their particular requirements and then they will place a stamp or sticker directly on the degree, confirming that it has been legalized. Your degree will now be officially recognized in this country.
It is important to note that some embassies and consulates require various supporting documents, such as translations, transcripts, and/or application forms. If your degree is submitted without all required supporting documents it will be returned unprocessed.
What is a certified true copy of a university or college degree?
Many of our clients do not want their official degree marked up by the apostille or legalization process. If you don’t want to mark up your original university or college degree, you may have the option of processing what is called a certified true copy of your degree instead. However, be sure to check with the apostille office, the recipient abroad, and if applicable, the embassy or consulate of the destination country. If in doubt, we strongly recommend processing your original degree document.
To obtain a certified true copy of your degree your document needs to be submitted to a Canadian notary public, along with a photocopy. The notary will confirm that the photocopy is an exact copy of the original, and will then certify it as a “certified true copy”. You can also often obtain a certified true copy of your degree directly from your university or college.
Can you take care of the apostille or legalization process on my behalf?
Yes! We specialize in rapidly navigating the Canadian document apostille and legalization process for our clients. Contact our friendly staff for your free consultation. When you contact us we will review your situation, answer your questions, and outline your options – no obligation and no pressure. If you choose to use our services, we will work with you to ensure your degree is prepared correctly. You then send your degree to our Ottawa office, and we do the rest for you! Call us toll-free at 1-888-433-1011 or send us a quick online inquiry and we will get right back to you.
