If your birth certificate is destined for a country that has not signed the Hague Apostille Convention, it will need to go through the steps to authenticate and legalize a Canadian birth certificate. These steps are document preparation,  document authentication, and document legalization. Click on each of these steps to get more detailed information.

Step 1) Document preparation is the initial step of determining whether you have the correct format certificate and if it meets the criteria of the subsequent steps.

Step 2) Document authentication is done through Global Affairs Canada of the appropriate provincial office. They authenticate the original signature on the certificate.

Step 3) Document legalization is the final step and is done at the embassy or consulate of the destination country.

If your birth certificate is destined for a country that has signed the Hague Apostille Convention, then you will need to have the birth certificate apostilled instead.

How you decide to perform these three steps may depend on your deadline and budget. You can manage it yourself by mail, or hire a service like ours to handle on your behalf. Feel free to contact our friendly specialists for a free consultation to discuss your specific document needs.