If you need to empower someone to represent you in an official capacity in a foreign country for commercial or personal reasons, you will likely need to present a valid power of attorney (POA) document. However, for a Canadian power of attorney document to be officially accepted outside of the country, it may first have to undergo the apostille process.
In this article, International Documents Canada has collected some information about why you might need to apostille your power of attorney document and how this process works.
When and How Do You Need to Apostille a POA?
An apostille of your power of attorney document can be required for a number of different reasons, including managing foreign investments, or settling an estate in a foreign country. It’s important to note that the apostille process applies when using documents in countries that have signed the Hague Apostille Convention. However, if you are dealing with a country that hasn’t signed this convention, you will need to go through an additional step of document legalization.
What To Bring to the Notary Public
The first step in the Canadian apostille process is to prepare your document for processing. For power of attorney documents, this will require notarization. When preparing your power of attorney to be notarized, it’s important that you bring along a government-issued ID like a passport so they can confirm your identity. You’ll then swear to your identity and sign your power of attorney in front of the notary public. The notary public will witness your signature, and then notarize your document.
Apostille in Canada
The notarized POA can be taken to the apostille office that holds jurisdiction over the location of where the document was notarized. It’s also important to note at this stage that if the power of attorney will be used in a country that doesn’t speak one of Canada’s native languages (English or French) it may also need to be translated into a foreign language. If the POA is already written in a foreign language (not English or French), you may need to obtain a certified translation (English or French) before the apostille office will accept it for the apostille.
Legalization for Non-Apostille Countries
After the first two steps above have been completed, your power of attorney may need to be delivered to the consulate or embassy of the destination country for legalization. The staff there will double-check to ensure everything is in order, then seal it with a stamp or sticker that confirms the document has been legalized, and will be officially recognized in their country.
Contact us for power of attorney apostille services in Canada today!
For more about the apostille of your power of attorney, contact us online, visit our FAQs page, or call our friendly staff at 1 (888) 433-1011 for more information.
