For many reasons, millions of Canadians have made the choice to live and work abroad. If you are preparing to embark on a new adventure by relocating to another country for school or work, you will likely be asked to provide certain documents, such as your educational documents, to support your work visa or study permit. In most cases, your documents will also require an apostille before they will be accepted in the destination country.
What is Canadian document apostille?
The apostille process is a way to confirm the authenticity of a Canadian document so that this document will be officially recognized in other apostille signatory countries. Any country that has signed the Hague Apostille Convention, including Canada, will issue apostille certificates and recognize apostille certificates issued by other countries.
If the country where you are headed is not a signatory to the Hague Apostille Convention, your documents will require an additional step of document legalization. This last step of document legalization is completed at the embassy or consulate of the destination country. You may find more about document legalization from our website and helpful resources here: Canadian document legalization.
What is the process for Canadian Educational Document Apostille?
Now that Canada has joined the Hague Apostille Convention (January 2024), the process to have your Canadian documents recognized abroad is much more efficient compared to the old authentication and legalization process. There are three steps to getting an apostille certificate on your Canadian educational documents:
- Identify the documents required: Determine the type of documents you need to apostille. This should be confirmed with the recipient where you are submitting your documents. Commonly requested educational documents that typically require apostille include University degrees, College degrees, transcripts, letters of enrollment, experience certificates, high school diplomas, and report cards.
You may be asked to provide your non-educational documents as well. Documents such as your birth certificate or a criminal record check. These documents can also go through the apostille process.
- Determine the appropriate apostille office: Canadian apostilles are issued by either Global Affairs Canada, or by one of the provincial offices if your documents originate from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, or Ontario. Once you know where to have your documents apostilled, you will need to research how to prepare and submit your documents. Each apostille office has its own unique procedures, requirements, fees, and timelines.
For example, at the Ontario Apostille offices, they can only apostille an original Canadian degree (without notarization) if it was issued after January 2019. Otherwise, notarization by an Ontario Notary Public is required for a degree that was issued prior to January 2019.
- Submit your documents for apostille: Send your prepared documents to the designated apostille authority along with any required forms and fees. Once completed, your documents are ready to use in the destination country.
However, don’t forget that if your documents are destined for a country that is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, your documents may still need to go through another step, document legalization. If this is the case for your documents, we recommend that you research the requirements of the embassy or consulate of the destination country before you begin the process.
Researching the Canadian document apostille process in advance will help to ensure that your work visa or study permit will not be held back by missing or incorrect documentation.
How can we help with Canadian educational document apostille?
We provide friendly expert assistance with the Canadian document apostille process. As Canada’s leading experts in the Canadian document apostille process, we will manage all aspects of the process for you. Contact our office for a no-obligation consultation. We’ll explain the process, determine the specifics of your situation, and answer your questions. We build your custom detailed quote based on your needs and deadlines, so you can make an informed decision about the best way to proceed. Contact us today by phone toll-free at 1-888-433-1011, or fill out our brief contact form and we will get right back to you.
