Notarizing or certifying Canadian citizenship documents is a crucial step in the process of validating the authenticity of your official documents. However, it’s essential to know who can perform these services in Canada and what additional steps you may need to take.
Who Can Notarize Canadian Citizenship Documents?
In Canada, a Notary Public is authorized to certify or notarize documents that will be destined for use abroad. A Notary Public is a legal professional who has been appointed by a provincial or territorial government. They can witness and authenticate signatures, administer oaths, and notarize various documents. Individuals seeking notarization of their Canadian citizenship documents should approach a licensed Notary Public in their province or territory.
Lawyers and legal professionals, such as paralegals, may also be authorized to notarize or certify documents. Individuals seeking these services can consult with legal professionals to determine their eligibility and availability for such tasks.
Notarization vs. Certification:
Knowing who can notarize or certify Canadian citizenship documents is key, but it’s also important to understand the distinctions between the terminology.
- Notarization – Notarization involves the verification of a signature on a document by a Notary Public. A Notary Public is a licensed professional who has the authority to witness signatures on documents and administer affidavits. This type of notarization is often required for legal documents, affidavits, and powers of attorney. The Notary Public verifies the identity of the signatory, witnesses their signature, then applies their stamp, signature, and embossed seal.
- Certification – Certification, on the other hand, is the process of confirming the authenticity of a copy of an original document. This certification is also done by a Notary Public who will compare the copy of the document to the original and verify that it is a true and accurate copy. Certified copies are often requested for documents such as identification or other difficult to replace documents, such as a citizenship certificate.
Certifying Your Citizenship Documents
Certifying Canadian citizenship documents is necessary any time you want to have a copy of an important document accepted as a true (accurate) copy. Individuals in need of these services should reach out to a local Notary Public to obtain a certified copy of their document for use abroad. The original document must be presented to the Notary Public. The Notary Public will make the copy, compare it with the original, then mark the copy as a certified true copy of the original.
Caution should be taken when making certified true copies of Canadian documents for use abroad. Not all authorities (from Canadian authentication offices to foreign ministries) accept copies of all documents. These requirements should be researched well in advance.
The Next Steps for Your Citizenship Documents
After you have researched the requirements and visited a Notary Public to obtain a certified true copy of your citizenship certificate, there may still be steps to take before you can confidently use the document abroad. Many foreign countries will also require that you obtain an apostille on your documents. As of January 2024, Canada can issue apostille certificates for Canadian documents destined for other apostille signatory countries. For more information about the apostille process itself, or the Hague Apostille Convention, you may want to review the following article – Canada Signed the Hague Apostille Convention.
Documents destined for non-apostille countries will continue to go through the previous process called “document authentication and legalization”.
How to obtain an apostille on your Canadian Citizenship Certificate
To obtain an apostille on a certified copy of your citizenship certificate, you will submit your certified copy to the appropriate federal or provincial government office responsible for document apostille. These apostille offices function on a jurisdictional basis, depending on either the province of origin of the document or the province where notarization occurred. More information about these apostille offices and their jurisdictions can be found here: Canada Joined the Hague Apostille Convention.
If your document is destined for a non-apostille country, after your documents are authenticated by the appropriate office, you will need to submit your documents to the relevant diplomatic mission of the destination country for the final step of legalization.
How can we help with your Canadian Citizenship Certificate?
Whether you are looking for more information, or you would like assistance with the document notarization or certification process, we can help. Supporting our clients to navigate the ins and outs of the process has been our business for over a decade. We would welcome the opportunity to speak with you about your documents and answer your questions. Call us toll free at 1-888-433-1011 or send us your questions through our quick Contact form. Our friendly staff will get back to you right away!
