Obtaining a Canadian Marriage Certificate Apostille
When it comes to understanding the process of obtaining an apostille on a Canadian marriage certificate, you might not know where to start. Here’s an overview of how to obtain a Canadian marriage certificate apostille.
Reasons You Might Need Marriage Certificate Apostille
Before diving into the details, you might be wondering why one would need to obtain an a marriage certificate apostille. Some of the primary reasons include visa applications for a foreign country, registering the birth of your child in your homeland, accepting a job abroad, getting married in another country, or when your spouse is moving with you to a new country.
Definition – Apostille
An apostille is a special certificate that verifies the authenticity of a public document for use in another country. It is recognized under the Hague Apostille Convention and replaces the older, multi-step legalization process.
Marriage Certificate Requirements
For the apostille process, you will need the correct format of marriage certificate. You will need an original long-form marriage certificate issued by the vital statistics department of a provincial government. Marriage documents issued at the time of marriage are not accepted, and marriage certificates issued by a church will not be accepted. And although they are rare, wallet-sized marriage certificates cannot be apostilled. If you do not have the correct format of marriage certificate, you may order a new marriage certificate from the province.
Apostille at a Canadian Apostille Office
After you’ve obtained the proper marriage certificate, it will then need to be submitted to the applicable apostille office for an apostille. The apostille offices each govern a specific jurisdiction. Documents originating from, or notarized in, Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Quebec, and Ontario are submitted to the appropriate provincial office. All other provinces fall under Global Affairs Canada.
If everything is in order, the apostille office will put a certificate of apostille on the marriage certificate and it can now be used in any apostille country.
Marriage Certificate Embassy Legalization
If the marriage certificate will be used in a non-apostille country, it will need to be sent to the appropriate consulate or embassy for legalization. Each embassy and consulate sets its own requirements and timelines for legalization. These requirements can change frequently and without notice, which is why you should do your research in advance.
We provide marriage certificate apostille services and more!
Whether you are looking for guidance, need to order a new marriage certificate, or have questions about our services, we would be happy to hear from you. For more information about marriage certificate apostille services, call us today at 1 (888) 433-1011 or contact us online.