ODS certifies documents by verifying the seal, stamp and signature of Ontario notaries and commissioners for accepting affidavits appointed by the Ministry of the Attorney General. ODS does not check the content of documents. Apostillation – or more precisely – the legalization of your documents in Canada is a three-step process. Moving to a new country for a job or school? Do you want to do business in a foreign market? Your potential employer, educational institution or other government agency may have specifically asked you to receive an Apostille Canada. This happens when important Canadian documents are used internationally, such as a birth certificate, marriage certificate, diploma, police check, power of attorney, certificate of incorporation or certificate of origin, to name a few. At Authentication Legalization Services Canada (ALSC), we meet many people like you who are looking for an Apostille Canada for their document. If you`re looking for a Canadian apostille, you`ve come to the right place. However, it is important to note that the apostille procedure is only used by certain countries. If you are doing business or travelling abroad, you may need proof of authentication for official documents issued in Ontario.
However, before apostilles became a thing, countries used a different process. This process is called legalization, and some still use it today. Are there any differences between the apostille procedure and the Canadian legalization and legalization process? The only important difference is that an apostille stamp legally certifies a document to be used in any country that is a signatory to the Hague Apostille Convention. A document that has been certified and legalized will only be recognized in the country for which the document was legalized (i.e. if your document has been legalized at the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, it will only be officially recognized in the United Arab Emirates). Note: OdS requires a paper document to authenticate. Software copy documents are not authenticated. For documents ordered, the Commissioner`s restrictions must be indicated on the signature page as indicated on his stamp. ODS can certify notarized or ordered documents such as: But legalization is much heavier than a simple apostille. Let`s develop this to help you follow the right process of preparing your documents.
But – and before you worry too much – you can still have your Canadian documents authenticated and legalized, which prepares them for use abroad. There`s also a faster and more efficient way to do this, but we`ll get to that later. You should also check the list for updates, especially if the two countries you are dealing with have agreed to the other`s accession to the Convention. In principle, if country A refuses to recognize country B`s participation in the convention, it will also not recognize the apostille. In this guide, you`ll learn everything you need to know about getting an apostille in Canada: how to prepare documents, the steps in the process, and when you need an apostille. Canada is not a member of the 1961 Hague Convention, which abolishes the requirement to legalize foreign public documents. This Convention replaced legalisation in the Member States as a standard procedure with a system of apostilles. Its mechanisms do not apply to Canada.In addition, documents on which an apostille has been incorrectly affixed cannot be submitted for authentication for use in Canada. A new, clean version of the document must be requested before submitting it to a Canadian embassy or consulate.
How do I copy a document in Canada? As a company that specializes in preparing our customers` documents for use abroad, we are asked this question every day. To answer this question, let`s start with some bad news. But don`t worry, we also have good news for you. Signatures on documents issued or issued in Canada (including documents issued by the province such as birth, marriage, divorce or death certificates) must be certified in Canada. For information on how to authenticate Canadian documents for acceptance abroad, see Global Affairs Canada`s Document Authentication section. Documents must be certified before your departure. The process can be done entirely by mail if you have already left Canada or live abroad. In summary, if you have been told that you need to apostille a Canadian document, you will actually authenticate and legalize that document. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact our experts! We will review the apostille/authentication and legalization process, explain your options, and answer any questions you may have. Call us toll-free at 1-888-433-1011. On our website, you will also find a wealth of information on the authentication and legalization of Canadian documents.
The bad news is that you can`t get an apostille in Canada. Canada is not a signatory to the Hague Apostille Convention and therefore does not issue apostilles. The 115 signatory countries of this convention issue apostilles. A document that has been apostilled is legally certified for use in any other country that has signed the Convention. This is a list of countries that have signed the Hague Apostille Convention. The most common examples of these documents are special powers of attorney (SPAs), affidavits, general powers of attorney, birth, marriage or death certificates, deeds, contracts, assignments, patent letters, by-laws and official documents issued by Canadian authorities. For documents more than a quarter of an inch (or 7 mm) thick, 2 holes are perforated in the upper left corner where the authentication certificate can be attached. No. Apostille certificates may only be issued in countries which have signed and ratified the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961.
Canada has not signed this Convention and, therefore, certification of the apostille for Canadian public documents is not possible. You should check with the consulate or embassy of the country you are traveling to and find out what documents you need to bring with you and what kind of certification they need. An apostille is the certification of official documents of foreign origin for countries that are signatories to the Hague Convention. Step 1 – Prepare your document for processing. This may require some or all of the following: certifying your document, making a certified copy, translating your document, and providing the necessary supporting documents. You should preferably contact us by e-mail and explain your documentary situation. If it is urgent, you can call us 24/7. Please provide as much detail as possible about your documents, but the most important information we usually need is: 1) who issued them in the United States, 2) where you want to use them in Canada, 3) how much you have, 4) they are originals or notarized copies, 5) how quickly you need them and 6) the destination, to which they must be sent.. .