FAQs Archive

To find out whether you need to authenticate and legalize your documents, you should ask the recipient abroad. However, if you have Canadian documents that will be used in another country, they will likely need to be apostilled, or authenticated and legalized, also known as attestation.

The reason for the process is to verify the signatures on your documents. By having the documents apostilled, or authenticated and legalized, the recipient abroad can rest assured that your documents have been properly processed.

You can also contact our friendly staff to discuss your situation. We would love to hear from you!

There are a few different aspects to consider when preparing your documents for authentication and legalization.

1. The recipient abroad should advise you what documents they need, whether they must be originals, and how they want them processed.
2. You must meet the criteria of the authentication process. Whether you will authenticate with Global Affairs Canada, or the appropriate provincial office, they each have specific criteria for authentication.
3. Each embassy or consulate also has their own specific requirements and rules for submission of documents for legalization. You must ensure you also meet their criteria for legalization.

We will happily discuss and review your documents for authentication and legalization. We will make sure your documents have been correctly prepared for each step of the process. Contact an IDC expert for more information and to answer your questions.

The document authentication and legalization process is a multi-step process of signature verification. The steps involved will depend on where your documents originated from and in what country they will be used.

If your document is destined for a country that is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, your document will require an apostille. However, if the destination country is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, your documents will need both authentication and legalization.

However, most of the authentication offices in Canada are now apostille offices and apply apostilles instead of an authentication. You submit your document to the appropriate apostille office and they will apply an apostille certificate directly on to your original document.

During the document legalization portion of the process, the embassy or consulate will add an additional stamp, sticker, or certificate to your document. Each embassy or consulate differs in the format, style, colour and language of legalization. The legalization stamp/sticker/certificate verifies that the signatures on your documents are authentic and valid.

We can handle the process on your behalf and ensure your documents are processed accurately. Contact us for a free no obligation quote. We would be happy to provide you with the information you need and expedite this often long and confusing process.

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, the apostille office, and the embassy or consulate of the destination country, as to how they would like your documents prepared. Not all documents require notarization and not all offices accept notarized documents.

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 apostille 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 (depends on date of issue).
• Original College diploma from an accredited Canadian College (depends on date of issue).
• Original High School diploma from the Ministry of Education (depends on date of issue).
• 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 apostille process. Contact our expert staff for more information. Call us toll-free at 1-888-433-1011 or send us an online enquiry.