Have you been asked to get a Canadian document apostille? If so, you’ll need to send your original documents or certified true copies to the apostille authority in Canada. However, the process can seem a little confusing, which is why many hire International Documents Canada to help move things along as efficiently as possible.
But if you’re wondering more about what Global Affairs Canada does, and why it’s necessary to have your documents apostilled, we’ve got you covered.
What is Global Affairs Canada?
With the previous change in government, the “Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Development Canada” was renamed “Global Affairs Canada”. However, this department still provides the same services, it just has a new name. The section within Global Affairs Canada responsible for the apostille of documents is known as the “Authentication Services Section (JLAC)”.
What is document apostille?
The document apostille process is used to certify the authenticity of Canadian documents, so that these documents will be officially recognized in a foreign country. The term apostille comes from the Hague Apostille Convention. There are 126 countries currently who have joined this convention. If your documents are destined for one of these countries, you need document apostille.
Document legalization is an extra step of the apostille process required when the destination country has not signed the Hague Apostille Convention.
How much does apostille cost, and how long does it take?
Document apostille fees and time lines vary by apostille authority. Each office has it’s own fees, time lines, and requirements. Our staff are experts in finding the quickest path to apostille your documents, and can even handle the process on your behalf.
Global Affairs Canada apostille office does not charge a fee and is currently takes 3 weeks to process requests (the time line has fluctuated greatly over the years). However, they only accept documents from the Government of Canada and the provinces of Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, and Yukon.
Can I Send Documents Directly to Global Affairs Canada?
You may be wondering if you can send the documents you need to be apostilled to Global Affairs Canada on your own, and the answer is “yes”. However, there are specific requirements you’ll need to follow to ensure that your documents are received and processed properly. Note that if you want to send your documents directly to Global Affairs Canada, you must include a Request for Authentication Service form along with your documents. Once they’ve been sent, you can check online to receive a status update on your documents.
Are There Benefits to Hiring a Third-Party Service to Help with Apostille?
There are a number of benefits to hiring a third-party apostille service like International Documents Canada to work on your behalf. An important benefit is that we have deep expertise on what can and cannot be apostilled by each apostille office. Additionally, we’ll help ensure your documents are prepared correctly for the process, avoiding costly mistakes.
We deliver your documents directly to the JLAC section of Global Affairs Canada as soon as we receive them, meaning there’s no chance of them being lost or misplaced along the way. If there are any issues with the apostille process, we will do everything in our power to rapidly address them, preventing lost time and money.
How Can a Third-Party Service Assist with the Legalization Process?
After having your documents apostilled, you may need to then have them legalized by the relevant embassy or consulate. International Documents Canada manages all aspects of the legalization process for our clients. Often, diplomatic missions can have requirements and associated fees that change frequently and without notice. Our team actively monitors the changing requirements of over 200 diplomatic missions, to ensure we have the most up-to-date information. We also have long-term working relationships with many of the diplomatic missions located in Canada, helping ensure that your documents are legalized in the quickest and most cost-effective manner possible.
Contact us today for Global Affairs Canada apostille and more!
If you need to have a document apostilled in a timely fashion, we can help make the process easy. We handle all of the complicated ins and outs so you don’t have to.
Some of the more common documents that we help apostille include:
- Power of Attorneys
- Health Canada Certificates
- Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Certificates
- Criminal Record Checks or Fingerprint Certificates
- Documents Originating in a Foreign Country
- Documents Originating in Canada in a Foreign Language
- Medical Reports
- Education Documents
- Court Documents
- Police Clearance Letters
- Affidavits
For more about having your documents apostilled efficiently and effectively, contact our team online today or call 1 (888) 433-1011 or 00+1+613-701-0533 for those outside of Canada.
