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The Hague Apostille Convention

What is the Hague Apostille Convention, and how does it apply to Canada? We’ve got the answers. Read on to learn what an apostille is, how the process works, and what it means now that Canada issues apostilles. Still have questions? Contact our friendly staff—we’d be happy to help.

What is the Hague Apostille Convention?

The Hague Apostille Convention is an international treaty drafted by the Hague Conference on Private International Law which came into effect in 1965. It governs the process through which a document issued in one country is legally certified for use in other countries. This treaty specifies that any signatory country can issue a certification called an “apostille”. Each signatory country will accept a document that has been apostilled in one of the other countries that has also signed the Hague Apostille Convention.

What is an Apostille?

An apostille is a type of certification that is applied to a document by the apostille authority in the country where the document originated. The apostille authority will apply an apostille certificate to the document verifying that the signature on the document is authentic. 

Does Canada issue apostilles?

Yes, Canada issues apostilles. 127 countries (and counting) have signed the Hague Apostille Convention. For a list of countries who are signatories to the Hague Apostille convention, visit the official Hague Apostille Convention website. For more information about our document apostille services, take a look at our services for Document Apostille.

Global Recognition, Local Expertise: Your Documents, Validated Everywhere

From apostilles to attestations, our specialized services ensure global recognition for your documents. We are your trusted partner in Canadian document apostille, handling everything from authentication to legalization, translation, and notarization. Whatever term you have heard – legalization, ratification, and more – we bring clarity and expertise to each step, so your documents make the impact they deserve anywhere in the world.

We are here to help you. Contact us for your free consultation – we will explain your options and answer your questions.

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We are your trusted service for document apostille, or authentication and legalization. We offer services for a wide range of personal and commercial documents. Our team helps to ensure your documents meet global standards securely and efficiently. For a detailed list of the most common documents, visit our Documents Page.

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Our prices for document services, such as apostille, authentication, legalization, and more, can vary depending on many factors. These factors may include the origins of your documents, the destination country where they will be used, or the desired speed of service. For a list of our service fees, visit our Pricing page.

What Our Clients Are Saying

I had a fairly complicated matter dealing with an embassy that is not very friendly; IDC dealt with it in the most professional and speedy manner. It was great to be able to pick up the phone and easily talk with a knowledgeable person; it was also wonderful to see you go the extra mile to double check with the embassy what they wanted. Attempting to do all this by mail would have been much longer and much more stressful; I am very glad I decided to use your services.

Sonja L.

My experience with IDOCS Canada has been 100% positive! The people with whom I dealt were both very informative and extremely patient. They helped me through the entire process and provided guidance in the areas in which I was unfamiliar. They stayed in close contact with me, and provided daily updates on the progress of my time sensitive paperwork. I was pleasantly surprised when once all my papers had arrived for attestation, they were processed the very same day! I would not hesitate to use IDOCS Canada again, and I recommend it without hesitation.

Melanie S. Melanie S.

Service was responsive, fast and affordable. I live in Vancouver and some places charge 4x more than idocs did. My biggest reservation was sending original documents across the country but I got them back safe and in good condition.

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I am lucky I found International Documents Canada to process my documents for attestation. I am thankful to your quick and timely service. You properly responded my queries with no delay. I am in Saudi Arabia and i didn’t know what to do, but you solved my problem in a very little span of time. Thank you so much for your services.

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Thanks IDC! You have saved me and untold amount of time and I thank you for your service. When reading of requirements foreign government document requirements on the internet, it can be confusing and time consuming. I would recommend IDC to anyone who requires document authentication.

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