Turnkey Apostille Solutions for Canadian Documents
I provide turnkey apostille services for Canadian documents for their use in 126 countries globally
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I am a certified member of Canadian translator associations and have already helped over 11,000 clients across Canada
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What is an apostille in Canada and what is it for?
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An apostille is a confirmation of the legality of a document for its use in another country.
In order for a document issued in one country to be used in another country, this document needs to be legalized. There are 2 types of legalization: full legalization (two-step procedure) and simplified legalization (single-step procedure or apostille).
As of January 11, 2024, a simplified document legalization procedure — the apostille — has been introduced in Canada.
Previously, to be able to use Canadian documents in another country, you had to undergo a two-step legalization process (first, authentication at the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and then, legalization at the consulate), which required a significant amount of time and money. As of January 11, 2024, Canada has adopted a one-step procedure called the apostille.
After receiving an apostille, your document is completely ready for use in another country, if that country, like Canada, is a party to the Hague Convention. That means that you no longer need to go to the consulate. This certainly reduces your time and costs for legalization.
If the country for which your document is intended is not yet a party to the Hague Convention (for example, the UAE, Cuba, Jordan, etc.), then, after receiving an apostille, you will have to go through the consular legalization procedure as earlier.
The full list of 126 countries that are parties to the Hague Convention, which means that they accept apostilles, can be found on the official website here.
As of January 11, 2024, a simplified document legalization procedure — the apostille — has been introduced in Canada.
Previously, to be able to use Canadian documents in another country, you had to undergo a two-step legalization process (first, authentication at the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and then, legalization at the consulate), which required a significant amount of time and money. As of January 11, 2024, Canada has adopted a one-step procedure called the apostille.
After receiving an apostille, your document is completely ready for use in another country, if that country, like Canada, is a party to the Hague Convention. That means that you no longer need to go to the consulate. This certainly reduces your time and costs for legalization.
If the country for which your document is intended is not yet a party to the Hague Convention (for example, the UAE, Cuba, Jordan, etc.), then, after receiving an apostille, you will have to go through the consular legalization procedure as earlier.
The full list of 126 countries that are parties to the Hague Convention, which means that they accept apostilles, can be found on the official website here.
To use Canadian documents in most countries, it is now sufficient to obtain an apostille.
The procedure for obtaining an apostille is very similar to the old authentication procedure. Apostilles for many documents are issued by Global Affairs Canada, but some documents can only be apostilled at a provincial Foreign Affairs office. It all depends on the province where your document was issued or notarized.
What documents need to be apostilled?
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1) Certificates issued by civil registry offices, for example, certificates of birth, death, marriage, change of first name or last name, etc.
2) Powers of attorney and notarial statements, including statements of being alive, renunciation of inheritance, absence of past and current marriages (certificates of single status, single status declarations), which are drawn up or signed by a notary
3) Diplomas, supplements/addendums/transcripts to diplomas, certificates and other documents related to education
4) Bank statements, court documents, divorce decrees
5) Cremation or burial certificates
6) Corporation registration certificates, bank statements, letters of guarantee from directors of a company, extracts from registers of corporations, certificates for products for export from Canada to other countries
2) Powers of attorney and notarial statements, including statements of being alive, renunciation of inheritance, absence of past and current marriages (certificates of single status, single status declarations), which are drawn up or signed by a notary
3) Diplomas, supplements/addendums/transcripts to diplomas, certificates and other documents related to education
4) Bank statements, court documents, divorce decrees
5) Cremation or burial certificates
6) Corporation registration certificates, bank statements, letters of guarantee from directors of a company, extracts from registers of corporations, certificates for products for export from Canada to other countries
All of these types of documents go through different authentication procedures.
The apostille procedure also includes all cases when a child born in Canada needs to obtain citizenship of another country (Cuba, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, etc.), because in order to obtain citizenship of another country, you'll need to provide a Canadian birth certificate, and it, in turn, will have to be apostilled.
The apostille procedure also includes all cases when a child born in Canada needs to obtain citizenship of another country (Cuba, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, etc.), because in order to obtain citizenship of another country, you'll need to provide a Canadian birth certificate, and it, in turn, will have to be apostilled.
All documents issued by a Canadian authority or by a provincial or territorial authority, or executed by a Canadian notary that you need to use in another country.
The most common documents subject to this procedure are:
How much does it cost to get an apostille and how long does it take?
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Global Affairs apostilles documents only from the following provinces:
Documents from the provinces listed below can only be submitted for apostille in the same province:
- Manitoba
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Northwest Territories
- Nova Scotia
- Nunavut
- Prince Edward Island
- Yukon
Documents from the provinces listed below can only be submitted for apostille in the same province:
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Ontario
- Quebec
- Saskatchewan
Global Affairs only accepts documents by mail, and processing takes 3 months, it is free of charge. It is not possible to visit them in person or expedite the process.
Alberta accepts documents only by mail, and processing takes 5–7 business days. The cost of an apostille for one document is $10.
British Columbia accepts documents only by mail, and processing takes 14 business days. The cost of an apostille for one document is $20.
Ontario accepts documents both by mail and in person, with processing taking 15 business days by mail and approximately one hour in person. The cost of an apostille for one notarized document is $16, and for a government-issued document (a birth or a marriage certificate, etc.) is $32.
Quebec accepts documents only by mail, and processing takes 10 business days. The cost of an apostille for one document is $65.
Saskatchewan accepts documents only by mail, and processing takes 3–5 business days. The cost of an apostille for one document is $50.
Alberta accepts documents only by mail, and processing takes 5–7 business days. The cost of an apostille for one document is $10.
British Columbia accepts documents only by mail, and processing takes 14 business days. The cost of an apostille for one document is $20.
Ontario accepts documents both by mail and in person, with processing taking 15 business days by mail and approximately one hour in person. The cost of an apostille for one notarized document is $16, and for a government-issued document (a birth or a marriage certificate, etc.) is $32.
Quebec accepts documents only by mail, and processing takes 10 business days. The cost of an apostille for one document is $65.
Saskatchewan accepts documents only by mail, and processing takes 3–5 business days. The cost of an apostille for one document is $50.
Each provincial authority has its own forms that need to be filled out to obtain an apostille, as well as its own requirements for document formatting and translations.
The quickest way to get an apostille is in the province of Ontario, as one can personally visit the ODS office and complete everything on the same day. This requires the document to be issued or signed in the province of Ontario.
This means that not everyone is as fortunate in terms of apostille processing times as those with Ontario documents. However, in some cases, even for documents issued in other provinces, I can obtain an apostille in Ontario through a notarized copy, saving you valuable time.
The quickest way to get an apostille is in the province of Ontario, as one can personally visit the ODS office and complete everything on the same day. This requires the document to be issued or signed in the province of Ontario.
This means that not everyone is as fortunate in terms of apostille processing times as those with Ontario documents. However, in some cases, even for documents issued in other provinces, I can obtain an apostille in Ontario through a notarized copy, saving you valuable time.
What does an apostille look like in different provinces?
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Here is an example of an apostille issued by Global Affairs:
Here are some examples of apostilles issued by the Province of Ontario:
And this is what an apostille issued by the province of Alberta looks like:
This is what an apostille looks like issued by an office in Victoria in British Columbia:
This is what an apostille issued in Quebec looks like:
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DISCLAIMER
Information and services outlined on this page do not constitute legal services, legal advice, or legal representation under the Law Society Act in Ontario. The service provider is not a registered paralegal or a lawyer or a notary, does not pretend to be them, and is not licensed by the Law Society of Ontario.
The information compiled on this page is coming from official sources as is.
Services provided on this page are merely assisting clients with obtaining translations, collecting necessary documents, filling out necessary forms, and shipping documents.
The clients are advised to obtain legal advice from registered legal professionals (paralegals, notaries, etc.) in their province or territory.
Clients reading the contents of this page and submitting requests for further consultations and agreeing to use these services are agreeing to these terms and are discharging the service provider, his representatives, agents, heirs, and successors from any legal claims related to these services or this information.
Information and services outlined on this page do not constitute legal services, legal advice, or legal representation under the Law Society Act in Ontario. The service provider is not a registered paralegal or a lawyer or a notary, does not pretend to be them, and is not licensed by the Law Society of Ontario.
The information compiled on this page is coming from official sources as is.
Services provided on this page are merely assisting clients with obtaining translations, collecting necessary documents, filling out necessary forms, and shipping documents.
The clients are advised to obtain legal advice from registered legal professionals (paralegals, notaries, etc.) in their province or territory.
Clients reading the contents of this page and submitting requests for further consultations and agreeing to use these services are agreeing to these terms and are discharging the service provider, his representatives, agents, heirs, and successors from any legal claims related to these services or this information.
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I will answer all your questions about the apostille