FAQs Archive

Document "apostille" certificates are issued by countries that are signatories to the Hague Apostille Convention. Because Canada had not signed the Hague Apostille Convention, we use a different but equivalent process called "document authentication and legalization". However, in January 2024 Canada will finally be able to issue an Apostille on a Canadian document.

The primary difference between these two processes is that an apostille certificate will be recognized by any country that has signed the Hague Apostille Convention, whereas a document that has been authenticated and legalized will only be recognized by one specific country - the country that has legalized the document.

Our friendly staff would be happy to answer your questions about document apostille process. Phone us toll-free at 1-888-433-1011, or send us this online form and we'll get right back to you.

The Hague Apostille Convention, formally known as the "Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents", is an international agreement governing how a document issued in one country can be certified for legal purposes in another.  This certification is called the apostille process. Any country that is a signatory to the Hague Apostille Convention will legally recognize documents from other signatory countries, as long as these documents have first been “apostilled”.

Canada was not a signatory to The Hague Apostille Convention until recently. Therefore, you could not obtain an apostille on a Canadian document until January 2024. Previously, the Canadian process to certify the signatures on documents was called authentication and legalization.

For more information on the Hague Apostille Convention and Canada, feel free to contact us. We would happily discuss your documents and how to best have them processed for use abroad. Call us toll-free at 1-888-433-1011 or send us an online enquiry.

Yes, we can!  We specialize in helping people just like you prepare your documents to be used in foreign countries. 

Canada has signed the Hague Apostille Convention, and it took effect in January 2024, changing the process in Canada. Previously, the Canadian equivalent to the apostille process was called authentication and legalization.

We can certainly handle the Canadian apostille process on your behalf. You send your documents to us and we will handle the rest. This process consists of multiple steps:

1. Document preparation - we make sure your documents will meet the criteria of each step of the process.
2. Document apostille - we will have your documents apostilled be Global Affairs Canada or relevant provincial authority. This step is the last step for documents destined for apostille signatory countries.
3. Document legalization - we will have your documents legalized at the embassy or consulate of the destination country. This step is only required for documents destined for non-apostille countries.

Contact our friendly specialists to discuss your options and answer your questions. We would be happy to hear from you!