If you have been asked to “apostille” your Canadian Single Status Document you should know that the term “apostille” refers to an international certificate called an apostille certificate. The term apostille refers to the Hague Apostille Convention.

Canada recently signed the Hague Apostille Convention January 2024), making it possible to obtain an apostille on a Canadian document. In Canada, the process used to be called authentication and legalization.

If the destination country is an apostille signatory country, the apostille is obtained through the appropriate apostille office in Canada, based on where the document was issued. If the destination country is not an apostille signatory country, then there is an additional step of legalization after the apostille office is completed.

For more information on apostille versus authentication and legalization, contact our friendly specialists.