Congratulations on embarking on an exciting new chapter in your career as a professional athlete. It requires exceptional athletic skills to be invited to compete and train in international jurisdictions. Now that you have been offered this new opportunity, you may be overwhelmed with the preparation process.
One aspect of preparing to relocate abroad is to provide specific documents to facilitate your Visa. In most cases, your documents will require what is called an “apostille” before they will be accepted abroad. These required documents may include documents such as an RCMP certified criminal record check or your original long-form birth certificate. That is where we can help, with expert document apostille services.
What is a Canadian document apostille?
To understand the process, let’s start with the terminology.
- Definition – apostille:
An apostille is a type of document certification that validates the signature on a document, so that the document can be accepted in a foreign country. The term “apostille” originates from the Hague Apostille Convention, an international treaty signed by 126 countries and counting.
- Definition – Canadian document apostille:
The Canadian document apostille confirms the authenticity of a Canadian document, so that this document will be officially recognized in other countries. Canada joined the Hague Apostille Convention in early 2024. Any country that has signed the Hague Apostille Convention will issue apostille certificates on their documents and in return, recognize apostille certificates issued by other countries.
What is the Canadian document apostille process?
Before you can use your Canadian documents to obtain your Visa to compete as a professional athlete abroad, your documents will need to go through the document apostille process. There are a few steps to consider when getting an apostille on your Canadian documents:
- Identify the documents required: Once you have been invited to join an international sport organization, you will be given a list of documents you will need to provide to support the Visa application. Some, or all your documents will also require apostilles. Some examples of common documents that typically require apostille include birth certificates, marriage certificates, academic degrees, and criminal record checks.
- Determine the appropriate apostille office: Apostilles are issued by an office in Canada based on the origin of the documents. The apostille will be issued by either by Global Affairs Canada, or by a provincial office 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, as unfortunately each apostille office has their own unique procedures, requirements, fees, and timelines.
- Submit your documents for apostille: Send your documents to the designated apostille authority (based on the origin of your documents) along with any required forms and fees. Once completed, your documents are ready to use in another apostille country.
Researching the Canadian document apostille process in advance will help to ensure that your Visa application will not be held up by your paperwork. It is crucial to research and follow the specific requirements of the apostille offices in Canada, as well as the guidelines provided by the foreign government.
When is an apostille not sufficient?
If you are going to compete as a professional athlete in a country that is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, your documents may require an additional step. This additional step is called document legalization, or sometimes superlegalization.
This step is completed with the embassy or consulate of the destination country. The embassy or consulate will need to apply their own stamp or certificate of legalization. Each diplomatic mission has specific requirements, unique to their country’s rules. Be sure to research these requirements in advance.
How can we help with document apostille services?
We provide expert Canadian document apostille services for Canadian athletes. As Canada’s leading experts in the Canadian document apostille process, we will:
- explain the apostille process
- determine the specific requirements for your documents
- answer all your questions
- provide you with a detailed quote and timeline
- manage all aspects of the apostille process on your behalf
We encourage you to reach out and let the experts manage the process, so you can focus on the more exciting aspects of your relocation. Contact us today by phone at 1-888-433-1011, or fill out our brief contact form and we will get right back to you.
