A Certificate of Residency is a document that is issued by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to a Canadian resident or Canadian company operating in Canada. Certificates of Canadian Residency provide confirmation that the individual or entity is a resident of Canada and indicates that there is a tax treaty in place between Canada and the foreign country. These certificates are required when a Canadian is receiving income in multiple jurisdictions, or a company is doing business with a foreign company, to allow both parties to take advantage of the tax treaties that are in place to avoid paying tax on the same income in multiple countries.
Where do you get a Certificate of Residency?
The only way to obtain a Certificate of Residency is to request it from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). Typically, it must be requested in writing. However, in some cases it can be ordered by calling the CRA. You should be aware that it can take up to ten weeks for the request for your Certificate of Residency to be processed, and the document issued. We recommend you plan accordingly.
What is involved with the apostille or authentication of a Certificate of Residency?
In many cases, before your Canadian Certificate of Residency will be accepted in another country, it will need to go through the document apostille, or document authentication and legalization process. This process is used to confirm the authenticity of a Canadian document in a way that makes it official in other countries. You may hear other terms for the process, such as attestation. They all refer to the same process of making a document from one country eligible for use in another country.
The Certificate of Residency apostille process, or authentication and legalization, may consist of two or three steps.
Step 1: Document Preparation
The first step is to ensure your Certificate of Residency is ready for processing. To begin you will need to have it notarized. The Canadian Notary Public must add both their signature and embossed seal to the certificate. This can be done on the original, or by making a certified true copy. Be sure to check with the recipient abroad to see if a certified true copy will be acceptable.
If you will need document legalization (Step 3), you also may be required to prepare and submit a cover letter or other supporting documents for a diplomatic mission. This only applies for non-apostille signatory countries. We recommend you contact the diplomatic mission of the destination country in advance to determine their requirements.
Step 2: Apostille or Authenticate Your Documents
After you prepare your document it needs to be submitted to to the appropriate authority for apostille (or authentication). The apostille office will add a certificate of apostille directly on your document, confirming it has been apostilled. Your document is now ready to use in any other apostille signatory country.
Before you chose which apostille office to use to apostille your Certificate of Residency, your will need to determine what the recipient abroad and the embassy or consulate of the destination country will accept. If you are unsure how to proceed, feel free to contact our document processing specialists for advice.
Step 3: Legalizing Your Documents
If your Certificate of Residency is destined for a non-apostille country, the final step of the authentication and legalization process is to submit your Certificate of Residency to the embassy or consulate of the destination country. Once again, this only applies to non-apostille signatory countries. Once the consular staff confirms that your Canadian Residency Certificate meets all their requirements, they will place a stamp, sticker, or certificate directly on your document, confirming it has been legalized. Your document is now ready to be submitted in a foreign country.
Where can I find more info on the apostille of a Canadian Certificate of Residency?
The best place to get more answers is the International Documents Canada website. You will find information on many different aspects of apostille and authenticating and legalizing your documents. We also have a page aimed specifically at Certificates of Residency. If you don’t find the information you are looking for on our website, we invite you to contact our friendly staff. We would be happy to answer your questions.
Can you help me with Canadian Residency Certificate apostille and legalization?
Yes! For over a decade, we have specialized in managing the Canadian document apostille process for our clients. We offer free consultations to determine what documents you have and the requirements of where you need to use them. We will clearly explain your options and provide you with a detailed quote, so that you have the information you need. Contact us or call us toll-free at 1-888-433-1011 – we look forward to hearing from you!
