Where your documents originate from in Canada will determine the steps of the Canadian document apostille process.
Understanding the role of the Canadian apostille authorities is essential to the success of obtaining the apostilles on your documents. Throughout this article, we will explain the role and responsibilities of the British Columbia apostille office, as well as the importance of apostilles on Canadian documents.
What does “document apostille” mean?
Document apostille is a type of certification that confirms the authenticity of the signatures on a
document, so that the 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 in turn, recognize apostille certificates issued by other countries.
If the country where you are headed is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, your documents will require an additional step of document legalization. You may find more about document legalization from our website here: Canadian document legalization.
Who can apostille a document in British Columbia?
Only documents that originate from the province of British Columbia (BC) can be apostilled by the BC apostille office. Some examples of these documents include original BC vital statistics documents (such as birth, marriage, and death certificates), BC degrees, BC Corporate Registry documents, and notarized documents executed by a British Columbia Notary Public.
The BC document apostille process is done through the OIC Administration Office of the BC Ministry of the Attorney General, located in Victoria, British Columbia. The processing time is typically 3-4 weeks, and their fee is twenty dollars per document.
Your request for BC document apostilles cannot be done in person, as only mail-in applications are accepted. The BC apostille office requires that you complete an Apostille Request Form and make the payment for the fees on their website. You will be required to print a copy of the online form and payment receipt to include with your documents for apostille.
Care should be taken to ensure that your documents meet the criteria for apostille. Any errors or omissions will result in a rejected application. Therefore, we suggest a thorough review of their website prior to submitting your documents.
What other offices can apostille a document in Canada?
There are several offices in Canada who can apostille a document in Canada. Each office is responsible for documents from a certain jurisdiction.
Global Affairs Canada is responsible for issuing apostilles for Canadian documents originating 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.
The government offices in the provinces of Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Quebec, are responsible for issuing apostilles for documents that originate from (or are notarized in) their jurisdiction.
Each of the government authorities described above who are responsible for issuing apostilles, can issue apostilles on Canadian documents that fall under their jurisdiction. Be sure to research the requirements in advance, so that your documents are not rejected or delayed.
How can we help with British Columbia document apostilles?
We can certainly help you with the British Columbia document apostille process. We continuously monitor the BC apostille office’s requirements and can support your through this process.
We would welcome the opportunity to speak with you about your documents from British Columbia and answer any questions. Call us toll free at 1-888-433-1011 or send us your questions through our quick Contact form.
