Notarial Services

Notarization is a general term to describe the act of a Canadian Notary Public adding their signature and seal to a document. To have a document notarized, you will be doing one of two things. 1) The Notary Public or Commissioner of Oaths will witness the signing of the document. The Notary Public or Commissioner of Oaths will place their signature and stamp on the document, certifying that they have witnessed the signature and verified the identify of the parties involved. 2) The Notary Public will make a Certified True Copy of your document. They will compare the copy of the original and mark the copy as a a Certified True Copy of the original. Only a Canadian Notary Public can make a Certified True Copy.

Contact our friendly staff to discuss your situation and find out more about document notarization. We would be happy to answer your questions. Call us toll-free at 1-888-433-1011 or send us a quick online enquiry.

If you are unsure whether your document needs to be notarized, contact us! We would be happy to help you determine how to prepare your documents. We will make sure you have prepared the documents correctly, ensuring they are accepted the first time. Whether a document needs to be notarized can depend on several factors, including the type of documents, where the documents were issued, and the destination country to which you will be sending the documents.

To have a document notarized, means to have a specially authorized person called a Notary Public, place their signature and stamp on the document certifying that they have either witnessed the execution of a signature or made a certified true copy of an original document.

Before having your documents notarized, you should confirm with the recipient abroad, Global Affairs Canada, and the embassy or consulate of the destination country as to how they would like your documents prepared.

Contact us if you have questions about the notarization of your documents.

Yes! There are many official documents that do not require notarization in order to go through the authentication and legalization process. These include, but are not limited to:

• Original Vital Statistics documents, such as birth, marriage and death certificates.
• Original University degree from an accredited Canadian University.
• Original College diploma from an accredited Canadian College.
• Original High School diploma from the Ministry of Education.
• Original RCMP Certified Criminal Record Check (with fingerprints).
• Original Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product issued by Health Canada.
• Original Certificate of Origin that has been certified by the Chamber of Commerce.

We would happily discuss your documents and determine if they meet the criteria of the authentication and legalization process. Contact our expert staff for more information. Call us toll-free at 1-888-433-1011 or send us an online enquiry.

A certified true copy is a photocopy of an original document that was made and certified by a Canadian Notary Public (simply called a Notary in Quebec). The Notary Public places their signature and seal on the document while making a statement that it is a true copy of the original document.

Looking for more information, or still have questions? Contact our friendly specialists for a free consultation.

In many cases, the answer is yes. However, that depends on the type of document in question, the embassy or consulate requirements, and whether a copy is acceptable to the recipient abroad.

Global Affairs Canada does not accept certified true copies of Vital Statistics certificates for authentication. Plus, there are embassies and consulates that only accept original documents for legalization.

We can provide you with a free consultation and a detailed quote. Contact an IDC expert to find out more about your document requirements.

A certified true copy of a document is made by a Canadian Notary Public. You will need to take your original document to a Notary Public and they will make the copy, making a statement that it is a Certified True Copy of the original, and include their signature and seal.

If you do not have access to a Canadian Notary Public, we can help! We can manage all steps of the process on your behalf. Contact us today!

Yes, in most cases we can make a certified true copy on your behalf. We would require the original document, which we will take to a Canadian Notary Public, who will make the certified true copy. The Notary Public will add their signature and seal, as well as a statement that it is a certified true copy of the original document.

However, Global Affairs Canada does not accept copies of Vital Statistics documents. In addition, there are some diplomatic missions that only accept original documents. We also recommend that before you have a certified true copy made, you first verify with the recipient abroad that a copy will be acceptable.

Feel free to contact our friendly staff for assistance and to answer your questions. We will make sure your documents meet the criteria of the authentication and legalization process.

Yes, you can check the progress of your documents, if you use the services of IDC to manage the authentication and legalization process. Within our proprietary system, we have built in a progress tracker that allows you to monitor the progress of your documents through every stage of the process. By logging in to your workform, you will be able to see which steps have been completed and what will be completed next.

In addition to the progress module that allows you to check the status of your document request, you will also be personally notified by our expert staff when your documents arrive at our office, whether we require any additional documents or information, when your documents have been completed, and finally when they have been shipped to the final destination. It is important to us that you know exactly what is happening with your important documents and when to expect them to be safely returned.

Whether you still have questions, or you want to get started with our services, we encourage you to contact our office. Call us toll-free at 1-888-433-1011, or send us an online enquiry.

Our head office in Ottawa works with an excellent local notary – talk to Brandon at Valu Notary. For our clients from all across Canada we can recommend NotaryPro, with offices in communities from coast to coast.