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.

In Canada, the terms apostille and attestation both refer to the process of having your document submitted and approved by the competent government authority in Canada.

Around the world, different terms are used to describe the process of certifying a document for use in another country. If you have been told you need to have a birth certificate with an apostille, or authentication and legalization, or attestation, they refer to the country of origin's process of document verification.

Once you have confirmed that you have the correct format birth certificate and you know the requirements of the destination country, you can start the process.

The process itself will be determined by where the birth certificate was issued.

Feel free to contact our friendly specialists for more information on the apostille and attestation of Canadian documents. We can expedite the process and make sure your documents have been prepared correctly. Call us toll-free at 1-888-433-1011 or send us an online enquiry.

In many cases, the answer is no. Global Affairs Canada and most provincial authorities no longer accept notarized copies of birth certificates or vital statistics documents in general.

In some circumstances, you can obtain an apostille from the provincial authority on a certified true copy if you have determined that the province and destination country will accept a notarized copy.

If you need to use your birth certificate outside of Canada, it will need to go through the apostille process.

Our specialists can help you determine if in your situation, you must follow the requirements to provide an original birth certificate. Contact a friendly IDC specialist for a free consultation.

Birth certificates issued by Canadian provinces can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks to arrive, depending on the issuing province and the type of certificate ordered (i.e. standard certificates or copies of the birth registration). In some circumstances, the delivery of a newly ordered birth certificate can be expedited for an additional fee.

For information on whether your province offers expedited birth certificate delivery check their website, or contact your friendly IDC specialist.

To determine the pricing for the apostille of a Canadian birth certificate, we would need to know where it was issued and where it will be used abroad. We would also need to know if there are additional documents and how you would like the certificate shipped once completed.

When you contact us for your free consultation, one of the first things we'll do is provide you with a detailed quote, so you understand exactly what is involved and how much it costs. Contact a friendly IDC expert for your free consultation.  Or visit our website to see general information about our pricing.

Many of our clients choose to have their newly ordered birth certificates delivered directly to our office in Ottawa, saving valuable time. When having it sent directly to us, we will confirm when it arrives and can begin the apostille process as soon as it arrives. To do this, have the birth certificate delivered to our address as follows:

[Your Name]
310 Beechgrove Ave, Suite B
Ottawa, ON  K1Z 6R3

Make sure to let us know that your birth certificate will be sent directly without a workform number on the package. If you have any questions about how to have your birth certificate delivered directly to our Ottawa office, contact one of our friendly specialists.