FAQs Archive
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Original Canadian divorce certificates do not typically need to be notarized before they are submitted for an apostille. The divorce certificate should have the original signature and seal of the court official. However, if you do not have an original, or the signature is illegible, or it is too old, you may need to have the divorce certificate notarized.
However, be sure that a notarized version of the divorce certificate is acceptable to the recipient and (if applicable) the embassy or consulate of the destination country.
Contact our friendly experts to find out if your divorce certificate needs notarization.
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In many cases it is acceptable to apostille a copy of your divorce certificate, rather than the original. To find out whether this is allowable in your situation, you will need to consult the person or organization to whom you are submitting your divorce certificate. They will be able to tell you if they will accept a copy instead of the original.
Additionally, if the certificate is destined for a non-apostille country, you should check with the diplomatic mission of the destination country. Not all embassies or consulates accept copies of documents (even if notarized).
If a copy is allowable, you will need to get a certified true copy of your certificate made by a Notary Public. Contact our friendly specialists for more information on the apostille of a certified true copy of a divorce certificate.
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You may have been told you need to "apostille" or "attest" your Canadian divorce certificate. Around the world, different terms are used to describe a similar process of validating documents from one country to use in another. In Canada, both of these terms apostille and attestation, as well as authentication and legalization, refer to the same process.
So, if you have been told you need to apostille, or attest, or legalize, your divorce certificate, you have come to the right place.
If your divorce certificate is destined for another signatory country of the Hague Apostille Convention, you will need an apostille. If it is destined for a non-signatory country, you will need authentication and legalization.
Contact our friendly staff to discuss exactly what processing you require for your documents.
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Once the request for the new divorce certificate has been received by the court, it can take from one week to a month to be issued. The timing typically depends on the age of divorce, but also the size of the courthouse. If the divorce has been filed over 15 years ago, it may be sent to records storage and will take longer to obtain. If the divorce took place prior to 1979, it will have been archived and a special request to the Archives will be required.
IDC can order the divorce certificate on your behalf. Contact us for assistance with ordering your divorce certificate.
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Yes! Our clients frequently have newly-ordered divorce certificates sent directly to our Ottawa office in order to speed up the apostille, or authentication and legalization, process. Simply have your divorce certificate sent to:
International Documents Canada
310 Beechgrove Ave. Suite B
Ottawa, ON K1Z 6R3Make sure to let us know your certificate is on the way, so we can look out for it. If you have any questions about having your divorce certificate sent directly to us, please contact our friendly staff.
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We are commonly asked how long it takes to apostille a Canadian birth certificate. To use your birth certificate abroad, it may need to go through the apostille process. This can be handled yourself by mail (in most cases), or you may hire an apostille service like ours.
The timeline will depend on the destination country and their requirements. You should note that if you make a mistake in how you prepare and submit your birth certificate, it is possible that your document will be returned unprocessed.
If you use IDC to apostille your birth certificate, we will save additional mailing time and our experts will work with you to ensure that everything is in order before your certificate is processed. Contact one of our friendly specialists to get more information on how long the apostille of your birth certificate is likely to take.
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