Turnkey Legalization of Documents for Cuba
For personal and business documents: for marriage in Cuba, for powers of attorney for Cuba, for business affairs, opening up a branch, and export to Cuba, and other legal purposes
1100+
helped
clients
since 2012
since 2012
- Statutory Declarations of Single Status
- Certified Translations
- Notarized Translations
- Apostilled Translations
- Authentication
- Legalization
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Document Legalization for Cuba in Canada: What It Is and When You Need It
1
For a document issued in Canada to be used in Cuba, it needs to go through a process called legalization. There are two types of legalization: full legalization (a two-step procedure) and simplified legalization (a one-step process, often referred to as an apostille). Cuba is not a signatory to the Hague Apostille Convention, so you'll have to go through the full legalization process.
Documents prepared by or with the involvement of Canadian authorities and intended for use in Cuba require the two-step procedure. These steps are:
1) Authentication
2) Legalization
Sometimes, both steps are collectively referred to as "legalization," though this is technically incorrect. If you encounter the term "legalization in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs", it specifically refers to authentication. It's important not to confuse these terms.
Some consulates of other countries call the last step of the process, which is done by the consulate, "authentication", which is again, technically incorrect. This last step is called legalization.
Authentication is done by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Canada or by a provincial or territorial authority (more on this below).
Legalization is done by the Consulate of Cuba.
While these are two separate processes, both are necessary parts of the overall legalization procedure.
📌 Let’s Lock It In!
You have a Canadian birth certificate and need to use it in Cuba.
Since Cuba is not a member of the Apostille Convention,
you’ll need:
1️⃣ Authentication by Global Affairs Canada (or a provincial authority)
2️⃣ Legalization by the Consulate of Cuba in Toronto or the Consulate of Cuba in Montreal.
That’s full legalization ✅
2) Legalization
Sometimes, both steps are collectively referred to as "legalization," though this is technically incorrect. If you encounter the term "legalization in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs", it specifically refers to authentication. It's important not to confuse these terms.
Some consulates of other countries call the last step of the process, which is done by the consulate, "authentication", which is again, technically incorrect. This last step is called legalization.
Authentication is done by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Canada or by a provincial or territorial authority (more on this below).
Legalization is done by the Consulate of Cuba.
While these are two separate processes, both are necessary parts of the overall legalization procedure.
📌 Let’s Lock It In!
You have a Canadian birth certificate and need to use it in Cuba.
Since Cuba is not a member of the Apostille Convention,
you’ll need:
1️⃣ Authentication by Global Affairs Canada (or a provincial authority)
2️⃣ Legalization by the Consulate of Cuba in Toronto or the Consulate of Cuba in Montreal.
That’s full legalization ✅
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Most common documents to be legalized for marriage in Cuba
2
The most common documents that need to be legalized for marriage in Cuba are:
- Birth certificate issued in Canada
- Statutory declaration of single status, signed in front of a Canadian notary (The Affidavit of Single Status is valid for 6 months as of the date of issuance.)
- If you are divorced, a divorce certificate issued by a court, and an Affidavit of Single Status
- If you are a widower or a widow, your marriage certificate, and your ex-spouse’s death certificate
- An affidavit of identity, in case your full name is not the same across all the documents. This affidavit is valid for 6 months. The Affidavit of Single Status and the Affidavit of Identity can be done in the same document.
What Documents Can Be Legalized?
2
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 Cuba.
1) Certificates issued by civil registry offices, for example, certificates of birth, death, marriage, change of name, 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 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 the company, extracts from registers of corporations, certificates for products for export from Canada to Cuba
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 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 the company, extracts from registers of corporations, certificates for products for export from Canada to Cuba
All of these types of documents go through different authentication procedures.
The legalization procedure also includes all cases when a child born in Canada needs to obtain citizenship of Cuba, because in order to obtain citizenship of Cuba, you'll need to provide a Canadian birth certificate, and it, in turn, will have to be legalized.
The legalization procedure also includes all cases when a child born in Canada needs to obtain citizenship of Cuba, because in order to obtain citizenship of Cuba, you'll need to provide a Canadian birth certificate, and it, in turn, will have to be legalized.
The most common documents subject to this procedure are:
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How to Make Legalization?
3
In a nutshell, it goes like this:
IMPORTANT! Consulates of Cuba require legalization for BOTH the original document and its notarized translation!
Now in more detail.
Why is legalization considered a TWO-step procedure?
In order to certify the authenticity of a Canadian document,
1) First, you need to certify the signature and seal of the official Canadian authority who signed the document. Such an assurance is made by the Canadian minister, who puts his seal and signature on the document. This is the authentication.
2) Second, the Cuban consulate must certify the signature and seal of that Canadian minister who authenticated the document. This is the final legalization.
In other words, the Canadian minister verifies and confirms the signature and seal of the official Canadian authority who signed and issued the document, confirming that such an employee existed, that they were acting at the time of signing the document, and that the signature and stamp on the document are really theirs. And the consul at the consulate performs the “consular legalization” of the signature and seal of this Canadian minister, thereby confirming that such a minister really exists, that this is their true signature and seal, and that they were acting at the time of signing the document.
Let's dilute this TWO-step procedure with certified translations so that the state officials, ministers and consuls from different countries can read and understand these documents, and we get the same four stages: translation, notarization of translation, authentication, and legalization. Below are more details on all four.
- Get a certified translation of the document into Spanish for Cuba
- Get the original document and its notarized translation authenticated by the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs or a provincial Canadian authority (Which one exactly? There are nuances, read below)
- Submit the document package for legalization to the Cuban consulate in Canada
IMPORTANT! Consulates of Cuba require legalization for BOTH the original document and its notarized translation!
Now in more detail.
Why is legalization considered a TWO-step procedure?
In order to certify the authenticity of a Canadian document,
1) First, you need to certify the signature and seal of the official Canadian authority who signed the document. Such an assurance is made by the Canadian minister, who puts his seal and signature on the document. This is the authentication.
2) Second, the Cuban consulate must certify the signature and seal of that Canadian minister who authenticated the document. This is the final legalization.
In other words, the Canadian minister verifies and confirms the signature and seal of the official Canadian authority who signed and issued the document, confirming that such an employee existed, that they were acting at the time of signing the document, and that the signature and stamp on the document are really theirs. And the consul at the consulate performs the “consular legalization” of the signature and seal of this Canadian minister, thereby confirming that such a minister really exists, that this is their true signature and seal, and that they were acting at the time of signing the document.
Let's dilute this TWO-step procedure with certified translations so that the state officials, ministers and consuls from different countries can read and understand these documents, and we get the same four stages: translation, notarization of translation, authentication, and legalization. Below are more details on all four.
1
Authentication
Authentication requires the original document. In rare cases, it is not the original that is authenticated, but a certified true copy (a notarized copy), for example, for documents such as passports, driver's licenses, identity cards, etc., and all those documents that can be authenticated only through a true copy according to the authentication office’s requirements.
You can get a document authenticated:
1) By the Canadian Foreign Affairs Office (Global Affairs), which is located in Ottawa. Global Affairs of Canada authenticate documents issued by the Government of Canada, or issued or notarized in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, and Yukon.
2) In provincial or territorial ministries. For example, in Ontario, such a ministry is called ODS (Ontario Document Services) and is located in Toronto and in a few other cities in Ontario. A provincial ministry can only authenticate documents issued in that province and not in any other. That is, if your document was issued in Quebec, you will not be able to authenticate it with the ODS (Ministry of Ontario).
Such provincial ministries exist in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan.
Notarization of a document for authentication
All documents can be divided into three types. Those that need to be notarized before authentication, and those that do not. There are also documents that are prepared with the help of a notary — this is a different procedure that requires either an in-person visit to a notary, or a video call with the notary, depending on the province.
Here are the main documents divided into these three types:
1) No need to notarize: certificates issued by the registry office, for example, certificates of birth, marriage, divorce, death, name change, diplomas issued by a public institution, etc.
2) Necessary to notarize: certificates of cremation and burial, certificates of good conduct, diplomas, bank and court documents, diplomas issued by a private institution, etc.
3) Necessary to sign at a notary: powers of attorney, statements of renunciation of inheritance, applications for the appointment of pension payments, any other notarial documents and statements
Who are these Canadian state employees who sign these documents, whose signatures and seals actually get authenticated?
1) Registrar General or Deputy Registrar General: Certificates issued by the Civil Registry Offices, such as birth, marriage, divorce, death, name change, etc.
2) Public Notary: True copies of any documents, such as cremation and burial certificates, police clearance certificates, diplomas, banking and court documents, etc.
3) Public Notary: Powers of attorney, declarations of renunciation of inheritance, declarations of assignment of pension payments, any other notarial documents and statements
4) Judge or Clerk of the Court: Court decisions
5) Officer of the Department of Corporation Registration (Registraire des entreprises in Quebec): Corporation registration certificates
6) Deans of the public universities and schools: Diplomas
7) Lawyers: Any other legal documents
You can get a document authenticated:
1) By the Canadian Foreign Affairs Office (Global Affairs), which is located in Ottawa. Global Affairs of Canada authenticate documents issued by the Government of Canada, or issued or notarized in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, and Yukon.
2) In provincial or territorial ministries. For example, in Ontario, such a ministry is called ODS (Ontario Document Services) and is located in Toronto and in a few other cities in Ontario. A provincial ministry can only authenticate documents issued in that province and not in any other. That is, if your document was issued in Quebec, you will not be able to authenticate it with the ODS (Ministry of Ontario).
Such provincial ministries exist in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec, and Saskatchewan.
Notarization of a document for authentication
All documents can be divided into three types. Those that need to be notarized before authentication, and those that do not. There are also documents that are prepared with the help of a notary — this is a different procedure that requires either an in-person visit to a notary, or a video call with the notary, depending on the province.
Here are the main documents divided into these three types:
1) No need to notarize: certificates issued by the registry office, for example, certificates of birth, marriage, divorce, death, name change, diplomas issued by a public institution, etc.
2) Necessary to notarize: certificates of cremation and burial, certificates of good conduct, diplomas, bank and court documents, diplomas issued by a private institution, etc.
3) Necessary to sign at a notary: powers of attorney, statements of renunciation of inheritance, applications for the appointment of pension payments, any other notarial documents and statements
Who are these Canadian state employees who sign these documents, whose signatures and seals actually get authenticated?
1) Registrar General or Deputy Registrar General: Certificates issued by the Civil Registry Offices, such as birth, marriage, divorce, death, name change, etc.
2) Public Notary: True copies of any documents, such as cremation and burial certificates, police clearance certificates, diplomas, banking and court documents, etc.
3) Public Notary: Powers of attorney, declarations of renunciation of inheritance, declarations of assignment of pension payments, any other notarial documents and statements
4) Judge or Clerk of the Court: Court decisions
5) Officer of the Department of Corporation Registration (Registraire des entreprises in Quebec): Corporation registration certificates
6) Deans of the public universities and schools: Diplomas
7) Lawyers: Any other legal documents
2
Certified Translation
In order for the consul to confirm what they need to confirm, they need all documents in the language that is official in their country (Spanish for Cuba) in order to understand what is written in them. Obviously, these consuls already understand English, since, of course, they know English, but by law, they work according to the laws of their country, and these laws do not allow the use of English as the language of official documents, and formally, the consuls, generally speaking, sometimes do not know English absolutely fluently. Therefore, the consuls need translations. Not any random Google translations, but translations that are certified in Canada. Those are the requirements of the consulates.
For powers of attorney and statements, this is a slightly different story, because there are many ways in which such documents can be drawn and signed.
If such a notarial document is drawn and signed in Spanish in Canada, a Spanish-to-English translation will be required for Canadian authorities during the authentication.
If such a notarial document is drawn and signed in English in Canada, an English-to-Spanish translation will be required for Cuban authorities during the legalization.
For powers of attorney and statements, this is a slightly different story, because there are many ways in which such documents can be drawn and signed.
If such a notarial document is drawn and signed in Spanish in Canada, a Spanish-to-English translation will be required for Canadian authorities during the authentication.
If such a notarial document is drawn and signed in English in Canada, an English-to-Spanish translation will be required for Cuban authorities during the legalization.
3
Notarization of Translations
According to requirements from the Consulates of Cuba in Canada, translations of all documents submitted for legalization also need to be legalized.
To legalize these translations, they need to be first authenticated.
To authenticate them, they need to be first notarized, because only signatures and stamps of a public notary can be authenticated. Translators themselves are not civil servants or government employees, and the signatures of translators cannot be authenticated.
So, the translator needs to visit a public notary and sign an affidavit attesting to the correctness and completeness of their translations.
Such an affidavit will have to be bilingual in two columns (English and Spanish for all provinces except for Quebec, or French and Spanish for Quebec), because the notaries and Canadian authorities only understand English or French, while the Consulate of Cuba requires everything to be in Spanish.
To legalize these translations, they need to be first authenticated.
To authenticate them, they need to be first notarized, because only signatures and stamps of a public notary can be authenticated. Translators themselves are not civil servants or government employees, and the signatures of translators cannot be authenticated.
So, the translator needs to visit a public notary and sign an affidavit attesting to the correctness and completeness of their translations.
Such an affidavit will have to be bilingual in two columns (English and Spanish for all provinces except for Quebec, or French and Spanish for Quebec), because the notaries and Canadian authorities only understand English or French, while the Consulate of Cuba requires everything to be in Spanish.
4
Authenticity Certificates (Only for Quebec)
If the source document was issued in Quebec, and translated in Quebec by a certified translator who is a member of OTTIAQ, their notarized translations will have to first be submitted to the Notary Chamber (Chambre des notaires) of Quebec.
The Chamber will issue the authenticity certificate confirming that such a notary existed and was active and in good standing at the time of signing.
For all other provinces, this step does not apply.
The Chamber will issue the authenticity certificate confirming that such a notary existed and was active and in good standing at the time of signing.
For all other provinces, this step does not apply.
5
Authentication of Translations
Now, notarized translation (with the certificate from Quebec Chambre des notaries, if the source document is from Quebec) can be authenticated by the Global Affairs Canada or a provincial ministry.
6
Legalization
Consulates of Cuba in Toronto and Montreal have specific requirements for the document package for legalization.
You need to submit:
After consular legalization, the document is completely ready for use on the territory of the country in whose consulate it was legalized.
You need to submit:
- The original document, authenticated
- Certified translation, notarized, (certified for Quebec), and authenticated
- Money order from a bank
- Money order for mail-in application services
- Application form
- Copy of applicant’s passport
- Pre-paid return envelope for shipping the legalized documents back to you
After consular legalization, the document is completely ready for use on the territory of the country in whose consulate it was legalized.
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How Much Does Legalization Cost and How Long Does It Take?
4
The cost and terms depend on the types of documents, so it is impossible to give any exact “total price”.
For translations, I usually charge between $49 and $89 per page, depending on the source language.
Notarial certification of the accuracy of translations usually costs $75 for each notary's signature.
For turnkey legalization, which includes both steps: authentication and legalization, I usually charge $250 plus all related costs (mail/courier fees, ministry fees, consular fees, bank commissions: as much as they charge me, you will have to reimburse me for the same).
For turnkey authentication, which includes only the first step: authentication, I usually charge $150 plus all related costs (mail/courier fees, ministry fees: as much as they charge me, you will have to reimburse me for the same).
13% tax is added on top. All prices are negotiable.
For translations, I usually charge between $49 and $89 per page, depending on the source language.
Notarial certification of the accuracy of translations usually costs $75 for each notary's signature.
For turnkey legalization, which includes both steps: authentication and legalization, I usually charge $250 plus all related costs (mail/courier fees, ministry fees, consular fees, bank commissions: as much as they charge me, you will have to reimburse me for the same).
For turnkey authentication, which includes only the first step: authentication, I usually charge $150 plus all related costs (mail/courier fees, ministry fees: as much as they charge me, you will have to reimburse me for the same).
13% tax is added on top. All prices are negotiable.
Example procedure for obtaining a legalization for Cuba with prices and timelines
Below, as an example, is a detailed procedure for obtaining a turnkey legalization for Cuba with a usual package of documents, with prices and timelines.
Client — a Canadian citizen born in Quebec and currently living in Ontario.
Documents:
- Birth certificate issued in Quebec,
- Divorce certificate issued in Quebec,
- Statutory declaration of single status issued in Ontario.
I will ask my notary in Ontario to draft a Statutory Declaration of Single Status for you to review.
After you confirm the draft, you will sign this Statutory Declaration with my Ontario notary through a video call.
You will send the signed Statutory Declaration to my notary together with the originals of the Birth Certificate and Divorce Certificate in one envelope (I will prepare a shipping label for you).
Having received the Statutory Declaration, the notary will certify it with their signature and seal.
I will collect the three original documents from the notary.
I will prepare a certified translation of the Statutory Declaration from English to Spanish and have it notarized by a notary in Ontario.
I will prepare certified translations of the Birth Certificate and Divorce Certificate from French to Spanish, and have them notarized by a notary in Quebec.
I will send the notarized translations of the Birth Certificate and Divorce Certificate to the Chambre des notaires du Québec, where the notary’s signatures will be certified.
I will then send the certified translations together with the originals of the Birth Certificate and Divorce Certificate to the Quebec Ministry of Justice for authentication certificates.
I will also obtain certificates of Authentication from the Ontario Document Services (ODS) for the Statutory Declaration and its notarized translation.
Once all 6 authenticated documents (3 documents and 3 translations) return to me, I will prepare two document packages and send the following:
- Two authenticated Quebec documents and their translations for legalization to the Cuban Consulate in Montreal,
- The authenticated Ontario document and its translation for legalization at the Cuban Consulate in Toronto.
- Two authenticated Quebec documents and their translations for legalization to the Cuban Consulate in Montreal,
- The authenticated Ontario document and its translation for legalization at the Cuban Consulate in Toronto.
Once all legalized documents return to me, I will send them back to you, or you can pick up the completed package from my office.
Costs:
— For turnkey legalization services, I charge $250.
— For translations, I charge $49-89 per page.
— Notarization of the translation costs $75 per document. (Discounts are possible based on volume.)
— Authenticity Certificate from the Chambre des notaires in Quebec costs $74.73 per certificate ($40.24 from the 5th certificate in the same file) for a regular turnaround time (20 business days), and $201.21 per document for the urgent service (3 business days).
— The cost of an authentication at ODS for notarial documents is $16 per document plus a bank fee of $10.
— The cost of one shipment with a courier is from $25.
A 13% tax is added to the final amount.
Timelines:
— Translating a document takes 1-3 days.
— Notarization of the translation takes 1 day.
— Drafting of the statutory declaration of single status takes 1 day.
— Signing the statutory declaration of single status takes 1 day.
— Obtaining the Authenticity Certificate from the Chambre des notaires in Quebec takes 20 business days with a regular turnaround time, and 3 business days with an urgent service.
— Apostille in the Quebec Ministry of Justice takes 10 business days.
— Apostille at ODS is done in 1 business day. I go there every Wednesday, and I can go more frequently if required.
— Consulates of Cuba in Toronto or Montreal do not provide a definite timeline for legalization; in my practice, they usually take about 1 week to process the package
— Delivery of documents by a courier usually takes 1-3 days for each shipment.
— For turnkey legalization services, I charge $250.
— For translations, I charge $49-89 per page.
— Notarization of the translation costs $75 per document. (Discounts are possible based on volume.)
— Authenticity Certificate from the Chambre des notaires in Quebec costs $74.73 per certificate ($40.24 from the 5th certificate in the same file) for a regular turnaround time (20 business days), and $201.21 per document for the urgent service (3 business days).
— The cost of an authentication at ODS for notarial documents is $16 per document plus a bank fee of $10.
— The cost of one shipment with a courier is from $25.
A 13% tax is added to the final amount.
Timelines:
— Translating a document takes 1-3 days.
— Notarization of the translation takes 1 day.
— Drafting of the statutory declaration of single status takes 1 day.
— Signing the statutory declaration of single status takes 1 day.
— Obtaining the Authenticity Certificate from the Chambre des notaires in Quebec takes 20 business days with a regular turnaround time, and 3 business days with an urgent service.
— Apostille in the Quebec Ministry of Justice takes 10 business days.
— Apostille at ODS is done in 1 business day. I go there every Wednesday, and I can go more frequently if required.
— Consulates of Cuba in Toronto or Montreal do not provide a definite timeline for legalization; in my practice, they usually take about 1 week to process the package
— Delivery of documents by a courier usually takes 1-3 days for each shipment.
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What Does Authentication and Legalization Look Like?
6
Here is an example of a birth certificate issued in Manitoba:
Director of Manitoba Vital Statistics office, Denise Koss
Pay attention to the signatory of the document:
Manitoba * Vital Statistics (in English and in French)
Pay attention to the stamp (seal):
This is a red rectangular seal that they usually put on the back of the document, because there is simply no place on the front. If there is some free space at the front, they can put at the front.
It says here:
“The Department of Foreign Affairs of Canada has authenticated (i.e. certified / confirmed) the signature that is on the attached document, which was made by
Alexandra Schmidt
(see my screenshot above, it was Alexandra Schmidt who signed the original document)
Signed on behalf of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Relations, by an employee of this department:
Elaine Shea
It says below: The Department DOES NOT validate, i.e., DOES NOT check the content of the document!
That is, the department does not check what kind of document it is, but ONLY checks whether there is such Alexandra Schmidt and whether the sample of her signature really matches this signature.
It says here:
“The Department of Foreign Affairs of Canada has authenticated (i.e. certified / confirmed) the signature that is on the attached document, which was made by
Alexandra Schmidt
(see my screenshot above, it was Alexandra Schmidt who signed the original document)
Signed on behalf of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Relations, by an employee of this department:
Elaine Shea
It says below: The Department DOES NOT validate, i.e., DOES NOT check the content of the document!
That is, the department does not check what kind of document it is, but ONLY checks whether there is such Alexandra Schmidt and whether the sample of her signature really matches this signature.
This is how the authentication made for this document in the all-Canadian Ministry of Global Affairs looks like:
Here the Ontario Minister Kenneth Woo confirms that there is such Alexandra Schmidt, and it is her signature and seal that is on the document.
Please note that the Ontario authentication is a separate piece of paper with a signature and a red official seal, which is attached to the original document with two round staples, so that it cannot be detached from the original document.
Please note that the Ontario authentication is a separate piece of paper with a signature and a red official seal, which is attached to the original document with two round staples, so that it cannot be detached from the original document.
And this is how authentication at a provincial ministry in Ontario looks like:
Here, Manitoba Minister Jamie Kereluke confirms that there is indeed such a notary, Caroline Barrett-Cramer, who works and is registered in the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and it is true that her signature and seal are on the original document.
Please note that the Manitoba authentication is also a separate sheet with a signature and an official “depressed” seal, which is attached to the original document with two round brackets, so that it cannot be detached from the original document.
Please note that the Manitoba authentication is also a separate sheet with a signature and an official “depressed” seal, which is attached to the original document with two round brackets, so that it cannot be detached from the original document.
And this is what authentication looks like at a provincial ministry in the province of Manitoba:
You need to understand that someone can make a fake photo in Photoshop. Print out two copies. Go to a notary, say that one copy is "my original", and the second copy is "a copy". The notary will certify the second copy as “certified true copy of the original”, i.e. a notarized copy of the original document. The notary will put his seal and signature on the second copy.
This notarized copy can then be authenticated by a Canadian or provincial authority, as ministers will ONLY verify the authenticity of the notary's signature, but NOT the content of the document.
And then only on legalization at the consulate it will be revealed that the original document was not checked by anyone and was not confirmed by anyone, and in this case, the client will get the legalization refused.
This notarized copy can then be authenticated by a Canadian or provincial authority, as ministers will ONLY verify the authenticity of the notary's signature, but NOT the content of the document.
And then only on legalization at the consulate it will be revealed that the original document was not checked by anyone and was not confirmed by anyone, and in this case, the client will get the legalization refused.
Sometimes people mistakenly authenticate NOT the original document, but a notarized copy of it.
The minister who does the authentication does not care at all, because they simply verify the signature/seal of the government officer. The civil registry officer and the notary are both government officers.
This is what authentication in Toronto of the signature and seal of the notary David James Donnelly looks like:
The minister who does the authentication does not care at all, because they simply verify the signature/seal of the government officer. The civil registry officer and the notary are both government officers.
This is what authentication in Toronto of the signature and seal of the notary David James Donnelly looks like:
This is how the document authentication done in the Toronto (Ontario) office looks like:
This is how the document authentication done in the Edmonton (Alberta) office looks like:
This is how the document authentication done in the Victoria (British Columbia) office looks like:
More questions than answers? Let's take a look at your specific situation
Legalization of a Birth Certificate
7
Please note that there are three types of Canadian birth certificates:
- -1-Short form without parents' names
(a blue document of approximately half-Letter size)— this certificate is NOT suitable for any legalization, because there is no information about the parents, but is it required - -2-A short form with the names of the parents
(a blue document of about half-Letter size)— usually suitable for legalization - -3-Long form
(a legal white document in a long Legal paper size, approximately like 1.5 Letter sheets in height)— usually suitable for legalization
Such a document will NOT be accepted at the consulate, as there are no names and last names of the parents
Birth Certificate
Birth Certificate with Parental Information
Please note: there are last names and first names of parents. Such a document is usually suitable at the consulate
Certified Copy of the Birth Registration ("Long Form")
Please note: there are last names and first names of parents. Such a document is usually suitable at the consulate
Short forms of certificates (two blue in the picture) are printed on paper with lamination, i.e. the paper itself is special so that the document does not lose its qualities when getting wet; this material is similar to the Canadian money.
The provincial authentication authorities cannot authenticate such documents because during authentication, they make two holes and fasten the original document and a separate authentication paper with two metal “rings” (see the photos below). Because of this special paper material, the rings will not hold both papers together, and when this document reaches the consulate, it will loosen up and the consulate will not accept such disconnected documents.
The provincial authentication authorities cannot authenticate such documents because during authentication, they make two holes and fasten the original document and a separate authentication paper with two metal “rings” (see the photos below). Because of this special paper material, the rings will not hold both papers together, and when this document reaches the consulate, it will loosen up and the consulate will not accept such disconnected documents.
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* DISCLAIMER
I guarantee that all my work will be completed accurately and to the fullest extent possible, based solely on the official information available from government institutions and official websites. However, I do not and cannot guarantee the actions, timelines, or performance of third-party entities such as government offices (including those processing apostilles, authentication, and legalization, such as Global Affairs, Ontario Document Services, etc.), Canada Post, courier services, Chambre des notaires du Québec (CNQ), Barreau du Québec, embassies and consulates, notaries, and lawyers. I cannot be held responsible for delays, errors, or failures on their part.
The information and services described on this page do not constitute legal advice, legal services, or legal representation as defined under the Law Society Act of Ontario. I am not a licensed lawyer, paralegal, or notary, do not represent myself as such, and am not licensed by the Law Society of Ontario.
The information provided is compiled from official sources and presented strictly “as is.” The services offered here are limited to assisting clients with translation services, document collection, form preparation, and shipping coordination.
Clients are encouraged to consult a licensed legal professional (lawyer, paralegal, or notary) in their country, province or territory for any legal advice or representation.
By using the services described on this page, clients confirm their understanding and acceptance of these terms and agree to release the service provider (including any representatives, agents, heirs, or successors) from any legal liability related to the use of these services or the information presented herein.
I guarantee that all my work will be completed accurately and to the fullest extent possible, based solely on the official information available from government institutions and official websites. However, I do not and cannot guarantee the actions, timelines, or performance of third-party entities such as government offices (including those processing apostilles, authentication, and legalization, such as Global Affairs, Ontario Document Services, etc.), Canada Post, courier services, Chambre des notaires du Québec (CNQ), Barreau du Québec, embassies and consulates, notaries, and lawyers. I cannot be held responsible for delays, errors, or failures on their part.
The information and services described on this page do not constitute legal advice, legal services, or legal representation as defined under the Law Society Act of Ontario. I am not a licensed lawyer, paralegal, or notary, do not represent myself as such, and am not licensed by the Law Society of Ontario.
The information provided is compiled from official sources and presented strictly “as is.” The services offered here are limited to assisting clients with translation services, document collection, form preparation, and shipping coordination.
Clients are encouraged to consult a licensed legal professional (lawyer, paralegal, or notary) in their country, province or territory for any legal advice or representation.
By using the services described on this page, clients confirm their understanding and acceptance of these terms and agree to release the service provider (including any representatives, agents, heirs, or successors) from any legal liability related to the use of these services or the information presented herein.
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I will answer all your questions about the legalization of documents for Cuba