FAQs Archive

Our head office in Ottawa works with an excellent local notary - talk to Brandon at Valu Notary. For our clients from all across Canada we can recommend NotaryPro, with offices in communities from coast to coast. If you still need assistance to find a Notary Public near you, feel free to reach out to our friendly staff. We have made Notary connections all across Canada.

It is not always necessary for you to be present when your document is being notarized. This may depend on the type of notarization, the purpose of the notarization, or where the document will be used.

To make a certified true copy of a document, only the original document is required by the Notary Public. You do not need to be present to have a certified true copy made.

If you need to sign a document, such as a declaration or Power of Attorney, you may need to be present at the time of signing. The Notary Pubic will witness your signature, verify your identity, and then add their statement of execution (such as "sworn before me") to your document.

There are exceptions to these rules based on the regulations as outlined by the Canadian Law Society. In some cases, a remote notarization or electronic signature verification may be accepted. This usually applies to documents that will be used within their jurisdiction and not internationally.

Contact our friendly staff to discuss your situation and find out more about document notarization. We would be happy to answer your questions. Call us toll-free at 1-888-433-1011 or send us a quick online enquiry.

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.

In many cases, the answer is yes. However, that depends on the type of document in question, whether a copy is acceptable to the recipient abroad, and (if applicable) the embassy or consulate requirements.

If you have a Canadian document that is destined for a country that is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, you will need to review the document apostille process.

We can provide you with a free consultation and a detailed quote. Contact an IDC expert to find out more about your document requirements.