Authentication of documents: Requirements
You may need to authenticate a Canadian document or get an apostille to use it abroad.
On this page
- About the process
- General requirements
- Translation requirements
- Notarization requirements
- Reasons for non-authentication
- Submitting your documents
- Document return options
- Authentication request status updates
- Fees
- Processing time
- Contact details
About the process
When you may need your Canadian documents authenticated
Some countries require that you get your Canadian documents authenticated before you can use them in that country. The destination country’s law will determine whether you need to authenticate it—not Canadian law.
The Apostille Convention makes the authentication process simpler. It removes the need for legalization for documents you plan to use in other countries that are party to the convention (Hague Conference on Private International Law).
To be authenticated, your document will get an apostille certificate (called an “allonge”). This is a separate document that we securely attach to your authenticated document.
If you plan to use your document in a country not in the Apostille Convention, you may need to get it legalized after authentication by Global Affairs Canada at that country’s embassy, high commission or consulate in or accredited to Canada.
Check the requirements with either:
- the authority asking for your document
- the nearest representative office of the country where you plan to use it
- Not all countries have the same requirements
Alternatives to authentication
In some cases, there are other ways to have Canadian documents recognized abroad without authentication by our office.
Learn more about alternative methods to authenticate your document.
Validity of authentication certificates
The apostilles and authentication certificates we issue do not expire.
However, countries that are part of the Apostille Convention will only accept authenticated documents in the form of an apostille.
Before Canada joined the Apostille Convention, we authenticated documents by issuing a red stamp. If you have a document with the red authentication stamp and you need to use it in a country that is a member of the Apostille Convention, you must submit a new authentication request with a clean version of your documents.
Countries that are not members of the Apostille Convention may still accept documents with the red authentication stamp.
Authentication of foreign documents
Under Canadian law, you do not have to get foreign public documents authenticated before using them in Canada. However, some individuals or institutions in Canada may still only accept foreign documents that have been authenticated.
How you apply to authenticate foreign documents will depend on where they were issued:
- If your document was issued in a country that is part of the Apostille Convention, apply for an apostille from the competent authority in that country
- If your document was issued in a country that has not signed the Apostille Convention, contact that country’s ministry of foreign affairs or its consular office in Canada and ask about getting your document authenticated
If the receiving Canadian authority or organization is also requesting authentication from Global Affairs Canada, please email us the proof and include an explanation. We will review your request and respond as soon as possible.
Contact us: docs@international.gc.ca
General requirements
You must follow the procedure for authentication requests. If you don’t meet all the requirements, we’ll return your unauthenticated documents by regular mail.
To be authenticated, your document must:
- have an original, recognized signature (and seal, if applicable)
- be in paper format
- be sent to the correct competent authority for authentication
- Some provinces are responsible for issuing apostilles for documents issued in their jurisdiction
- Find out where to send your document and submit your request
Send us documents that are either:
- issued by the Government of Canada or
- issued or notarized in one of the following provinces or territories, regardless of where they were originally issued:
- Manitoba
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Northwest Territories
- Nova Scotia
- Nunavut
- Prince Edward Island
- Yukon
Competent authorities in the following provinces are responsible for issuing apostilles for documents issued in their respective provinces:
If your document was notarized in Alberta, Ontario, or Saskatchewan, send it to that province’s competent authority, regardless of where it was issued.
In British Columbia and Quebec, the competent authority can authenticate a notarized document only if the original document was issued in the province.
Provincial and territorial services work independently of the Government of Canada and may have different processing times and fees.
Translation requirements
You must get a certified translation if your document includes content in a language other than English or French. Send the certified translation along with the original document.
Some documents are exempt from translation requirements.
Find out if your document is exempt from translation.
The translation must be either:
- certified by a member of a recognized provincial translation association
- Some countries may ask for the certified translator to give an affidavit along with the translation
- A Canadian notary public must sign and seal this affidavit
- accompanied by an attestation of a translation by a Canadian notary public who speaks English or French and the language of the original document
- In this case, the notary public must declare that they speak English or French and the language of the original document and that they certify the accuracy of the translation
Notarization requirements
Some documents need to be notarized before authentication.
Find out if your document needs to be notarized.
If it needs to be notarized, you can do so with any Canadian notary public whose signature we recognize.
When signing your document, the notary must:
- have a valid certificate of appointment
- handwrite their signature in ink
- apply a stamp or seal showing their full name as it appears on their certificate of appointment and the Canadian province or territory in which they have been appointed
- indicate the type of notarial act
- indicate the date of notarization
- include the date on which their appointment as a notary expires (if applicable)
The rules governing Canadian notaries vary between provinces and territories.
Reasons for non-authentication
We cannot authenticate:
- documents without an original signature or seal, like photocopies
- documents with unknown seals or with signatures we are unable to verify
- religious documents, such as baptismal certificates, religious marriage certificates or other documents issued by a religious institution
- foreign documents (we can only authenticate Canadian documents)
- documents issued by unrecognized educational institutions
- glued documents
- laminated documents
We can decline authentication and refer your case to the proper law enforcement if:
- we believe your document contains misleading content
- we believe the document or the authentication process may be used for fraudulent, illegal or misleading purposes
- we have doubts about the authenticity of the document or the notarization
- we believe it to infringe upon our policies
We will inform you in writing if we cannot authenticate your document.
Submitting your documents
Once you’ve confirmed that you need to send your document to Global Affairs Canada for authentication:
Once you have submitted your request online, follow the instructions to submit your documents to us:
- by mail
- by courier
- by dropping them off in person at Global Affairs Canada’s distribution centre
- The distribution centre is for document drop-off only. No in-person service is available, and the distribution centre cannot answer questions about the service or provide status updates.
Include:
- your service request number on the outside of your envelope
- a copy of the summary page from your online request
- all documents to authenticate
- a self-addressed stamped envelope or prepaid courier shipping label for the return of your documents
- We only accept prepaid shipping labels
- We do not accept courier waybills with account numbers
- If you don’t include a prepaid return envelope, we will return or forward your documents by regular mail, and you won’t be able to track them
- We only accept prepaid shipping labels
If they can’t, you can mail the documents to our office in Ottawa. Documents sent by regular mail from outside Canada may take significantly longer to arrive.
Document return options
Once authenticated, your documents can be either:
- returned to you by mail
- Include a self-addressed stamped envelope
- returned to you by courier
- Include a prepaid label or prepaid envelope
- We do not accept courier waybills with account numbers
- sent to a foreign embassy, high commission or consulate in Canada
- If the office is outside Ottawa, include a prepaid label or prepaid envelope
- Otherwise, we will send it by regular mail
- If the office is in Ottawa, you can choose between regular mail, expedited mail or courier, or our internal system
- Our internal mail system is a free service that usually takes two to four business days
- If you select this option, you will not be able to track the delivery of your document to the foreign office
- Our internal mail system is a free service that usually takes two to four business days
Notes
- If you want us to send your authenticated documents to another office, choose that option in your authentication request and confirm with that office how they will return your documents to you
- Do not include cash payments in your package
- If the foreign mission requires a cash payment, send it separately
- We are not responsible for the loss of documents sent to us or foreign offices
Authentication request status updates
We can only provide status updates for requests submitted to us, and not for requests sent to a provincial competent authority.
If you asked us to forward your document to an embassy, high commission or consulate, check the status of your document with them first.
Check the status of your authentication request.
Fees
Our authentication service is free.
Processing time
See our current processing time.
Contact details
If you can’t find an answer to your questions, contact us:
Email: docs@international.gc.ca
Voicemail: 1-833-928-1551
Mailing and document drop-off address:
Global Affairs Canada
Authentication Services Section
2421 Lancaster Road
Ottawa, ON K1B 4L5
Canada
Hours of operation for in-person document drop-off: Monday to Friday (except statutory holidays) 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Notes:
- Our office may refuse to provide service to anyone showing behaviour deemed disrespectful, violent or abusive
- If you email us, you will receive an automated response
- Please read this message carefully, as it may answer your question
- Our office receives a high volume of emails and voicemails and, therefore, we will not respond to inquiries when the information is already available on this website or in the automated reply
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