If you need to present a Canadian document in a foreign country, you may need to have the authenticity of this document officially verified. There are two types of verification that certify the authenticity of a Canadian document for use in a foreign country:
- The apostille process is available for Canadian documents destined for other apostille signatory countries.
- Documents destined for non-apostille countries will need to go through the document authentication and legalization process.
This article focuses on the differences between the document apostille process and the document legalization process, helps you determine which process applies to your documents, and outlines some of the most common challenges of document legalization in Canada.
What is the document apostille process?
The Hague Apostille Convention was established in 1961 and is intended to simplify the procedures of document certification. The convention affirms that documents properly certified from one member country of the Hague Apostille Convention will be accepted in any other country that is also a member of the Hague Apostille Convention.
Canada joined the Hague Apostille Convention in 2024, making it much easier for Canadian documents to be used internationally. There are currently 126 member countries of this Hague Convention. Any country that has joined the Hague Apostille Convention can certify the authenticity of documents through the apostille process.
An apostille is a type of document certification that confirms the authenticity of a
document, so that the document will be officially recognized in other apostille signatory countries. The apostille certification must be completed by the appropriate Canadian government authority.
What is the document legalization process?
If the country where you are headed is not a signatory to the Hague Apostille Convention, your documents will instead need to go through the authentication and legalization process.
Your documents will first need to be authenticated by the appropriate government office in Canada. The authentication office will apply a certificate of authentication to the documents, verifying the official signatures on your documents. Some provinces only apply apostille certificates and no longer offer certificates of authentication. Rest assured the apostille certification can function as an authentication for the purpose of document legalization.
The final step of the process is called document legalization and is completed by the embassy or consulate of the destination country. Be sure to check the embassy or consulates requirements in advance, as they can have very strict requirements.
What are some common challenges of document legalization in Canada?
There are many challenges of the document legalization process in Canada. This is due to a lack of public information about the process itself, as well as conflicting rules of government agencies and foreign ministries alike.
We recommend you speak to an authority in the destination country (such as a prospective employer, the school you wish to attend, an immigration specialist, or the office where your documents will be filed) to determine what documents are required.
Next, you will need to determine if the destination country is a signatory to the Hague Apostille Convention. If yes, you follow the apostille process. If no, you must authenticate and legalize the documents.
If the documents are destined for a non-apostille country, you will need to research the requirements of the Canadian authentication authority and the requirements of the embassy or consulate of the destination country. Both offices will have specific requirements.
Common challenges – here are a few examples of challenges that may affect your documents: Your documents are not in a correct format, your documents are too old for the process, you do not have the original documents, you are unable to verify the requirements of the embassy or consulate, or you are out of the country and require assistance with the process.
We can help you to legalize documents in Canada
If you would like assistance with the document legalization process, we can help. Supporting our clients in navigating 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 us form. Our friendly staff will get back to you right away!
