If we are going to apostille your divorce certificate on your behalf, our experts will work closely with you to avoid any preparation mistakes that delay document processing, so your documents are processed right the first time.

If you are apostilling your divorce certificate yourself by mail, you should expect the process to take from 1 to 12 weeks depending on which apostille office you are working with.

Note that, if there are any mistakes in how your documents are prepared and submitted, you will typically need to start the process over from the beginning.

To find out how long it will take us to process your divorce certificate, contact our friendly staff. We'll discuss your options with you and give you an estimate of how long processing will take.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 6R3

Make 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.