Attesting Canadian Documents (FAQs)

Frequently Asked Questions about Canadian Apostille services

Can Canadian documents be legalized by Apostille?

Yes - Canada joined the Apostille Convention in January 2024.

Canadian documents can now be legalized for use abroad with an Apostille Stamp when destined for other signatory countries without additional certification by the destination country.

When Canadian documents are required for non-apostille countries, such as AE United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates - TW TaiwanTaiwan - MY MalaysiaMalaysia - TH ThailandThailand - ZM ZambiaZambia - QA QatarQatar they need additional authentication by the embassy of the destination country.

For further information see:
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What types of documents can be legalized in Canada for use abroad?

Canadian Apostille stamps can be obtained for documents issued by the Government of Canada, by Provincial Authorities and recognized education institutions, as well as documents certified by a Canadian notary, including

  • Birth, death and marriage certificates issued by a provincial or territorial vital statistics office.
  • Criminal record checks issued by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) by a provincial or municipal police agency.
  • Educational certificates and diplomas, including CEGEP diplomas and academic transcripts.
  • Company certificates issued by Corporations Canada.
  • Notarized copies of Canadian passports and identity documents.
  • Court documents, including divorce certificates.

To confirm whether your document is eligible for apostille authentication in Canada, please contact us and we’ll check your document free of charge. For further information about our Canadian apostille services and for assistance obtaining official copies of Canadian documents, see:
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How can I obtain an apostille for a Canadian birth, death or marriage certificate?

Apostilles for Canadian birth, marriage and death certificates are obtained from Provincial Authorities (certificates issued in Quebec, Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan) or from Global Affairs Canada in Ottawa (certificates issued in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, Yukon). Certificates must be issued by a provincial or territorial vital statistics office. Notarized copies cannot be authenticated.

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How can I obtain an apostille for my Canadian Police Background Check?

Criminal record checks issued by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) can be authenticated with an Apostille Stamp from Global Affairs Canada in Ottawa. Documents issued by a provincial or municipal police agency need to be notarized before being sent for authentication to Global Affairs. Certificates issued by provincial or municipal police services in Quebec, Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan can be authenticated with an Apostille from the Provincial Authority.

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How can I obtain my Canadian Criminal Record Certificate to use abroad?

Canadian Criminal record checks are available from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Ottawa (applications must be submitted though an authorized 3rd party provider). Name-based and certified fingerprint based certificates are available. Criminal record checks are also available from Provincial and Municipal police agencies (online, in person or by mail depending on the police service).

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How do I obtain an apostille for company registration documents issued in Canada?

Documents issued by Corporations Canada bearing an original signature or seal may be submitted directly to Global Affairs Canada in Ottawa. Business or corporate records, including commercial invoices, corporate by-laws, articles of incorporation, and provincial business registration documents must be notarized and can be authenticated by Global Affairs or by Provincial Authorities (documents issued in Quebec, Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario or Saskatchewan).

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How long does it take to obtain an apostille on a document in Canada?

Apostilles from Global Affairs Canada take 3 months

Apostilles that can be obtained from Provincial Authorities (Quebec, Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan) take 5 - 15 business days

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I need an apostille for my Canadian birth, death or marriage certificate - do I need to provide an original certificate?

Canadian Apostilles are only available for original certificates issued by a provincial or territorial vital statistics office. Notarized copies cannot be authenticated.

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How can I obtain an apostille for my Canadian University Degree and Transcripts?

Canada Apostilles can be obtained for College and University diplomas issued by recognized institutions. Original college and university diplomas, and original academic transcripts signed by the registrar, do not need to be notarized. Apostilles (applied to the original or a copy certified by a Canadian notary) are available from Global Affairs Canada in Ottawa or from provincial Authorities (Quebec, Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan).

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How can I obtain an apostille for my Canadian School Records?

Elementary or high school diplomas can be authenticated with an Apostille Stamp when issued by a recognized Canadian elementary or high school. Diplomas must be certified by a notary before being submitted for an Apostille to Global Affairs Canada in Ottawa or Provincial Authority (Quebec, Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan).

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How can I obtain an apostille for a Canadian Power of Attorney?

A Power of Attorney can be sworn before a Canadian notary and then authenticated with an Apostille Stamp from Global Affairs Canada or by the Provincial Authorities of Quebec, Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan when the notary is based in the province.

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How can I obtain a Canadian Apostille on a divorce decree or judgement?

Canadian divorce certificates can be authenticated by Global Affairs Canada when signed by a clerk of the court.

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How can I obtain a Canadian Apostille on a medical certificate or doctor's letter?

Canadian medical certificates must be notarized. They can then be authenticated with an Apostille stamp from Global Affairs or the Provincial Authority where the notary is based.

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Where can I see reviews of Isarey's Canadian Attestation and Apostille Services?

You can see reviews from past clients who have used our attestation and apostille services:

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How can I obtain a copy of a Canadian birth, marriage or death certificate?

How can I obtain a Canadian Apostille to certify a passport, driving licence or other ID document?

To obtain an apostille to authenticate a Canadian passport or other identity document, a copy of the original should be certified by a Canadian notary. An apostille can then be obtained from Global Affairs Canada or from the Provincial Authority where the notary is based. For assistance notarizing Canadian passports from abroad, please contact us.

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How can I legalize a Canadian degree certificate for submission to Qatar?

Canadian degree certificates required for submission to the authorities of Qatar or in support of Qatari visa and residency applications must be legalized by Canada Global Affairs and then attested by the Qatari embassy in Ottawa. For employment purposes, the embassy requires the original diploma and original transcripts, both legalized. A second copy of the transcripts must be sent to the embassy directly by the Registrar’s Office of the university, together with a completed "True Copy Certificate" form.

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How can I legalize a Canadian degree certificate for submission to Saudi Arabia?

Canadian degree certificates required for submission to the authorities of Saudi Arabia can now be authenticated with an Apostille stamp, by submitting the original diploma or a certified copy to Global Affairs Canada or a Provincial Authority.

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How can I legalize a Canadian degree certificate for submission to China?

Canadian degree certificates required for submission to the Chinese authorities can now be authenticated with an Apostille stamp, by submitting the original diploma or a certified copy to Global Affairs Canada or a Provincial Authority.

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Where can I get my fingerprints taken for a Canadian Criminal Record certificate?

To have your fingerprints taken outside Canada for submission to the RCMP's Canadian Criminal Real Time Identification Services (CCRTIS), and for more information on having your fingerprints taken in different countries, see:

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How can I verify a Canadian Apostille Stamp?

To receive a quote, you can upload your documents using our online quotation form or send us your documents by email. After reviewing your documents and requirements, we will get back to you with a quotation:

If you don’t have the documents available, just describe the documents you need to certify, and we will get back to you with an estimation of cost and delivery times.

Using our quotation form, your documents will be uploaded over a secure connection and immediately encrypted on our server. For added protection, you can upload password-protected files (PDFExternal link (opens in new tab), Microsoft Office 365: Save a password protected document to prevent unauthorized people from opening it. Office DocumentsExternal link (opens in new tab), WinRAR Encryption Frequently asked question (FAQ) RAR foldersExternal link (opens in new tab)) and provide us with the passwords separately.

PERSONAL DATA: If your documents contain personal data belonging to people outside your household, please ensure that you are authorised to share this data before uploading your documents. If your documents contain sensitive personal data, such as biometric data, medical data or data on criminal convictions, please ensure that you indicate this when prompted, upon submitting your documents. For further information on our processing of personal data contained in uploaded documents, please see:
Privacy Policy (Customer Inquiries)

For further information on confidentiality in our handling of document content please see:
Confidentiality (Client Content)

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