The Canadian Apostille Process
The term “Apostille” refers to The Hague Apostille Convention. An apostille is a type of document certification that allows a document from one apostille signatory country to be used in another apostille country. Canada has now signed the Hague Apostille Convention and it took effect in January 2024.
Previously, the process in Canada was called “Authentication and Legalization”, a similar process that allowed Canadian documents to be used in another country.
For more information about the Canadian apostille process, contact our friendly staff. We can answer your questions and ensure your documents meet the criteria of the process. Call us toll-free at 1-888-433-1011 or send us an online enquiry.
Yes and no. A document with an apostille can be used in almost any other apostille signatory country without additional requirements. Whereas, a document that has gone through the authentication and legalization process is only ready to use in the country for which it was legalized.
Both the apostille and the document authentication and legalization process have the same purpose; to certify a document created in one country so that it can be officially recognized in another country. Apostille certificates are issued by countries that are signatory to the Hague Apostille Convention.
We are available to answer your questions and to discuss your documents. Contact us toll-free at 1-888-433-1011 or send us an online enquiry.
Yes, we can! We specialize in helping people just like you prepare your documents to be used in foreign countries.
As Canada has only recently signed the Hague Apostille Convention, and it took effect in January 2024, the process in Canada has changed. Previously, the only Canadian equivalent to the apostille process was authentication and legalization.
We can certainly handle the Canadian apostille process on your behalf. You send your documents to us and we will handle the rest. This process consists of multiple steps:
- Document preparation – we make sure your documents will meet the criteria of each step of the process.
- Document authentication – we will have your documents authenticated or apostilled at Global Affairs Canada or relevant provincial authority. This step is the apostille step for documents destined for apostille signatory countries.
- Document legalization – we will have your documents legalized at the embassy or consulate of the destination country. This step is only required for documents destined for non-apostille countries.
Contact our friendly specialists to discuss your options and answer your questions. We would be happy to hear from you!
An apostille is issued by countries that have signed The Hague Apostille Convention. This convention allows documents with an apostille from one country to be recognized in another apostille country.
Until recently, Canada was not a signatory to this convention. Instead of issuing apostille certificates, Canada used a process called document authentication and legalization.
However, Canada has now signed the Hague Apostille Convention and it took effect in January 2024.
If you have Canadian documents for use in another country, they will need to go through the apostille process. We can certainly handle the process on your behalf.
Feel free to contact our expert staff for a free no obligation quote. Call us toll-free at 1-888-433-1011 or send us an online enquiry.
Document “apostille” certificates are issued by countries that are signatories to the Hague Apostille Convention. Because Canada had not signed the Hague Apostille Convention, we use a different but equivalent process called “document authentication and legalization“. However, in January 2024 Canada will finally be able to issue an Apostille on a Canadian document.
The primary difference between these two processes is that an apostille certificate will be recognized by any country that has signed the Hague Apostille Convention, whereas a document that has been authenticated and legalized will only be recognized by one specific country – the country that has legalized the document.
Our friendly staff would be happy to answer your questions about document apostille process. Phone us toll-free at 1-888-433-1011, or send us this online form and we’ll get right back to you.
The Hague Apostille Convention, formally known as the “Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents”, is an international agreement governing how a document issued in one country can be certified for legal purposes in another. This certification is called the apostille process. Any country that is a signatory to the Hague Apostille Convention will legally recognize documents from other signatory countries, as long as these documents have first been “apostilled”.
Canada was not a signatory to The Hague Apostille Convention until recently. Therefore, you could not obtain an apostille on a Canadian document until January 2024. Previously, the Canadian process to certify the signatures on documents was called authentication and legalization.
For more information on the Hague Apostille Convention and Canada, feel free to contact us. We would happily discuss your documents and how to best have them processed for use abroad. Call us toll-free at 1-888-433-1011 or send us an online enquiry.
Document Authentication & Legalization
To find out whether you need to authenticate and legalize your documents, you should ask the recipient abroad. However, if you have Canadian documents that will be used in another country, they will likely need to be apostilled, or authenticated and legalized, also known as attestation.
The reason for the process is to verify the signatures on your documents. By having the documents apostilled, or authenticated and legalized, the recipient abroad can rest assured that your documents have been properly processed.
You can also contact our friendly staff to discuss your situation. We would love to hear from you!
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.
The processing times for document authentication and legalization can vary depending on the authentication office and the diplomatic mission involved.
Each office in Canada that provides authentication (or apostille) has it’s own procedure and turn-around time.
Each embassy or consulate also has its own processing time, subject to consular availability. Some will also offer rush services for an additional fee.
Authentications can range from 1 business day to 65 business days. If you decide to handle the process yourself by mail, the process may take longer. The mail-in processing times can vary and depend on current volumes.
Following the authentication, typical processing times at most embassies and consulates range from 2-15 business days. Note that some embassies or consulates can take several weeks.
We can help you prepare the documents and ensure they meet the criteria of the process. IDC experts are standing by if you have any questions or concerns you need to discuss. Contact IDC for your free consultation. You can also call us toll-free at 1-888-433-1011.
We have helpful videos that can be found on YouTube or on the home page of the IDC website. We are happy to provide these videos which will give you a clear explanation of the process and helpful hints on how to ensure your documents are processed quickly and hassle free. They are:
- Document Authentication and Legalization in Canada
- Authenticating and Legalizing a Document: 3 Essential Tips
If you still have questions, you can speak directly with our staff. Call toll-free at 1-888-433-1011 or send us an online enquiry.
We process all types of Canadian documents. Once we confirm that your documents have been prepared correctly, we can handle the document apostille, or authentication and legalization, process on your behalf. Examples of the most commonly processed documents are:
- Birth Certificate
- Marriage Certificate
- Death Certificate
- University or College Degree
- Criminal Record Check
- High School Diploma
- Single Status Declaration
- Marriage Search Certificate
- Power of Attorney
- Commercial Invoice
- Certificate of Origin
- Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product
- Good Manufacturing Practices Certificate
- Medical Device Licence
For more information on each type of document, you can review our detailed document pages. If you want to speak to an IDC specialist about your documents, feel free to contact us. We are available to answer your questions and make sure your documents meet the criteria of the process. Call us toll-free at 1-888-433-1011 or send us an online enquiry.
There are a few different aspects to consider when preparing your documents for authentication and legalization.
- The recipient abroad should advise you what documents they need, whether they must be originals, and how they want them processed.
- You must meet the criteria of the authentication process. Whether you will authenticate with Global Affairs Canada, or the appropriate provincial office, they each have specific criteria for authentication.
- Each embassy or consulate also has their own specific requirements and rules for submission of documents for legalization. You must ensure you also meet their criteria for legalization.
We will happily discuss and review your documents for authentication and legalization. We will make sure your documents have been correctly prepared for each step of the process. Contact an IDC expert for more information and to answer your questions.
Questions about using our services
There are a few different aspects to consider when preparing your documents for authentication and legalization.
- The recipient abroad should advise you what documents they need, whether they must be originals, and how they want them processed.
- You must meet the criteria of the authentication process. Whether you will authenticate with Global Affairs Canada, or the appropriate provincial office, they each have specific criteria for authentication.
- Each embassy or consulate also has their own specific requirements and rules for submission of documents for legalization. You must ensure you also meet their criteria for legalization.
We will happily discuss and review your documents for authentication and legalization. We will make sure your documents have been correctly prepared for each step of the process. Contact an IDC expert for more information and to answer your questions.
It is always recommended to submit an original document for apostille, or authentication and legalization. In many cases, a Certified True Copy of a document can go through the process.
However, there are some exceptions. For example, Global Affairs Canada does not accept copies of vital statistics documents, and there are some diplomatic missions that will only accept original documents.
We continually track these requirements of the Canadian government offices and the diplomatic missions. We also recommend that you verify with the recipient of your document whether a Certified True Copy is acceptable for use in the destination country. Together we can ensure your document will be accepted.
Feel free to contact our friendly staff for more information. Call us toll-free at 1-888-433-1011 or send us an online enquiry.
Yes, in most cases we can make a certified true copy on your behalf. We would require the original document, which we will take to a Canadian Notary Public, who will make the certified true copy. The Notary Public will add their signature and seal, as well as a statement that it is a certified true copy of the original document.
However, there are some cases where a certified true copy may not be acceptable. For example, Global Affairs Canada and most provincial offices do not accept copies of Vital Statistics documents. In addition, there are some diplomatic missions that only accept original documents.
We also recommend that before you have a certified true copy made, you first verify with the recipient abroad that a copy will be acceptable.
Feel free to contact our friendly staff for assistance and to answer your questions. We will make sure your documents meet the criteria of the apostille, or authentication and legalization, process.
Creating a workform is essential to the process. Your workform will provide us with all the details we need to ensure that we perform all the steps you require and in the time frame that suits your needs. It also provides us with your contact information and final shipping address. You can find the Workforms page here: IDC Workforms
Your workform also provides you with valuable information, such as your final costs and the progress tab where you can track exactly where we are in the process.
Once we have confirmed that your documents meet the criteria of the process, you may ship your documents to us at International Documents Canada. You may send your documents using the method of your choice. We always recommend using a traceable method, such as a courier or Canada Post Xpress Post. Your documents should be shipped to our Ottawa office at 310 Beechgrove Avenue, Suite B, Ottawa ON K1Z 6R3. It is helpful if you include your workform number on the package.
If you have questions about what to send us, please feel free to contact our friendly staff or call us toll-free at 1-888-433-1011.
That is up to you! You can choose your preferred method of final shipping. We recommend using a traceable method of shipping, such as FedEx (or another courier service) or Canada Post Xpress Post. We will ship how you like, anywhere you like. You can even provide your final shipping envelope so we don’t have to include it in the quote.
Contact our friendly staff to discuss your shipping options.
The processing time with our services varies depending on many factors. The origins of the documents, the language of the documents, the destination country, and the processing times at the applicable offices all effect the total processing time.
Global Affairs apostille: the processing time has ranged from 15 business days to 65+ business days over the last few years. You may check their posted time here: Global Affairs Canada.
Provincial apostille/authentication: the Provincial services vary in speed from 1 business day to 20 business days. Each provincial office’s processing time may fluctuate with volume.
Legalization: If diplomatic legalization is required, the process ranges from 1 day to 4 weeks depending on the embassy or consulate involved. Some diplomatic missions do offer a rush service option and others do not. In order to give you a specific processing timeline, we would need to know more about what type of documents you have and where they will be used.
To find out how long it will take to authenticate and legalize your documents, contact our friendly experts.
Once we have discussed your situation, and in some cases reviewed your documents, we will prepare a detailed quote for you that itemizes the specific costs associated with the authentication and legalization of your documents. These costs may include consular fees, our fees for authentication and legalization services, and shipping costs. Other potential fees may be applied for translation or notarization services.
For general information on our service fees, you may visit our pricing page. Contact IDC for your free consultation and personalized no-obligation quote.
If your documents are declined while your are handling the process yourself, you can either start over and hope your documents are not rejected again, or you may hire an apostille service like ours to handle the process on your behalf. We will help you to prepare the documents so they will not be rejected.
If your documents are declined while we are handling the process on your behalf, we will work quickly to rectify the situation. This is a rare scenario. However, the requirements of the process can change without notice.
Global Affairs Canada, the provinces, and diplomatic missions can and do change their rules and requirements at any time, without prior notice. We will work with you to quickly meet these requirements and get your documents successfully processed.
Whether you are just starting the process, or you have documents that have been declined, we can help! Contact our expert staff to discuss your documents. Call us toll-free at 1-888-433-1011, or send us a quick online enquiry.
Yes, if you are using the services of IDC to manage the apostille process, you can check the progress of your documents. Within our proprietary system, we have built in a progress tracker that allows you to monitor the progress of your documents through every stage of the process. By logging in to your workform, you will be able to see which steps have been completed and what will be completed next.
In addition to the progress module that allows you to check the status of your document request, you will also be personally notified by our expert staff when your documents arrive at our office, whether we require any additional documents or information, when your documents have been completed, and finally when they have been shipped to the final destination. It is important to us that you know exactly what is happening with your important documents and when to expect them to be safely returned.
Whether you still have questions, or you want to get started with our services, we encourage you to contact our office. Call us toll-free at 1-888-433-1011, or send us an online enquiry.
We understand it can be confusing and complicated to handle the document apostille (or authentication and legalization) process on your own. It can be difficult to find up to date information, and it is also difficult to know who to trust. Using a Service Provider can alleviate the stress. So, how do you choose a service provider you can trust?
We have been in the field for over a 10 years and have seen some service providers come and go. Unfortunately, we have also seen some companies imitate or even impersonate other reputable companies.
We suggest you do your due diligence to ensure you are communicating with an established and professional service provider. The Better Business Bureau is a good place to confirm if they are a business in good standing. We also recommend that you take a look at client reviews. Finally, we work with all the embassies and consulates across Canada. They will also be aware of the reliable and established companies you can trust.
Feel free to contact us to speak to a document processing expert. We are available Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm, and would be happy to hear from you.
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