Changes to authentication services in Canada

On this page you will find information about the Apostille Convention and how it will change authentication services before and after it takes effect in Canada on January 11, 2024.

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The Apostille Convention

Following the entry into force of the Apostille Convention in Canada on January 11, 2024, authenticated documents now include a standard certificate called an apostille. The apostille eliminates steps required to get documents accepted in countries where the convention is in effect, including the legalization by a consular office of the country of destination. This will simplify the acceptance of Canadian public documents in the more than 120 countries that have signed the convention.

For more information, consult the list of countries that are signatories of the Apostille Convention.

Changes to authentication services in Canada

Until January 10, 2024, Global Affairs Canada issued authentication certificates for documents issued or notarized anywhere in Canada.

Since January 11, 2024, the competent authorities of certain provinces are exclusively responsible for the authentication and issuance of apostilles for documents issued or notarized in their respective province. Global Affairs Canada will continue to authenticate and issue apostilles for documents issued by the Government of Canada and for documents issued or notarized in specific provinces and territories. Below, you will find full details of the changes.

Documents for which the Authentication Services Section at Global Affairs Canada will issue apostilles

You will send the following documents to Global Affairs Canada:

If your document was notarized (for example, a notary public made “true copy” of your document) in the provinces and territories listed above, you will send it to Global Affairs Canada no matter where it was originally issued.

Some documents need to be notarized before a competent authority can authenticate them. This may include some documents issued by the Government of Canada. Since the Apostille Convention came into effect, the province or territory where your document was notarized is what determines the competent authority where you must send it. Check the existing requirements before submitting them.

Authentication at Canadian offices abroad

Canadian embassies, high commissions and consulates may also offer authentication services on behalf of the Authentication Services Section for those located within their respective consular jurisdiction. The Canadian offices abroad may authenticate the same type of document as the Authentication Services Section, as well as documents issued by the Vital Statistics office of any Canadian province or territory. To find out if your nearest Canadian embassy, high commission, or consulate offers authentication services, please check with them directly.

Documents for which the provincial competent authority will issue apostilles

As of January 11, 2024, competent authorities in the following provinces will be responsible for issuing apostilles for documents issued or notarized (for example, a notary public made a “true copy” of your document) in their respective provinces:

You will send documents issued in the provinces listed above to that province’s competent authority.

Regardless of where your document was issued, if your document was notarized in Alberta, Ontario, or Saskatchewan, you will send it to that province’s competent authority.

In British Columbia and Quebec, the Competent Authority can authenticate a notarized document only if the original document was issued in the province.

If we receive these documents after January 11, 2024, we will return them to the applicants without being authenticated.

Information about current authentication requirements

Where to send notarized documents for authentication

The table below shows where you will need to send your document, depending on where it was notarized (for example, a notary public made a “true copy” of your document). Check the links below for information on notarization and other requirements.

Document issued byNotarized inSend to
  • The Government of Canada
  • Manitoba
  • New Brunswick
  • Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Northwest Territories
  • Nova Scotia
  • Nunavut
  • Prince Edward Island
  • Yukon
AlbertaMinistry of Justice of Alberta
OntarioMinistry of Public and Business Service Delivery of Ontario
SaskatchewanMinistry of Justice and Attorney General of Saskatchewan
  • Alberta
  • British Columbia
  • Ontario
  • Saskatchewan
  • Manitoba
  • New Brunswick
  • Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Northwest Territories
  • Nova Scotia
  • Nunavut
  • Prince Edward Island
  • Yukon
Global Affairs Canada
AlbertaMinistry of Justice of Alberta
OntarioMinistry of Public and Business Service Delivery of Ontario
SaskatchewanMinistry of Justice and Attorney General of Saskatchewan
British ColumbiaBritish ColumbiaMinistry of Attorney General of British Columbia
QuebecQuebecMinistère de la Justice du Québec
A foreign governmentAny Canadian province or territoryCanadian authorities do not authenticate foreign documents, even if they have been notarized by a Canadian notary or notary public. The country that issued the documents may authenticate them or obtain an apostille for them.

Getting an apostille if you’ve already sent us your documents for authentication

If we received your request before January 11, 2024, and it is still pending processing, we will issue an apostille instead of an authentication certificate, which were discontinued on January 10, 2024. Note that we will issue apostilles for all authenticated documents, even if you intend to use them in a country that is not a signatory of the Apostille Convention.

Withdrawing a request for authentication at Global Affairs Canada to submit it to a different authentication authority

Following the changes indicated above, documents may now qualify for authentication by a provincial competent authority. If you wish to withdraw a request that is pending processing at Global Affairs Canada to submit it to one of those offices for authentication and an apostille, email the Authentication Services Section at docs@international.gc.ca with the following details.

In the subject line of your email, write:

In the body of your email, give:

The request will be returned using the return method included in it. Note that if when your originally submitted your documents you included a prepaid envelope or shipping label to get them forwarded to an embassy or a consulate after being authenticated, this will be used to ship them back to the applicant.  If no prepaid return method was included but wish us to return your documents by courier, you may purchase a prepaid shipping label online and attach it to your email. If neither of these options are chosen, it will be returned by regular mail.

If you requested us to send your documents to the embassy, consulate, or high commission of a country that is party to the Apostille Convention for legalization

As indicated, documents that are destined for use in a country that is a party to the Apostille Convention no longer require legalization by the embassy, consulate, or high commission of the country of destination. If upon submitting your documents to Global Affairs Canada you requested that we forward them to the consular or diplomatic representative of the country in Canada after being processed but now wish to have them returned to you, email Global Affairs Canada’s Authentication Services Section at docs@international.gc.ca using the email address you listed on the service request form (EXT2165) with the following details.

In the subject line of your email, write:

In the body of your email, give:

The request will be returned to the applicant using the return method included in it. Therefore, if in your original submission you included a prepaid envelope or shipping label to get them forwarded to an embassy or a consulate after being authenticated, this will be used to ship them back to the applicant.  If no prepaid return method was included but wish us to return your document by courier, you may purchase a prepaid shipping label online and attach it to your email. If neither of these options are chosen, it will be returned by regular mail.

Using documents already authenticated in countries that are signatories of the Apostille Convention

If we have already authenticated your document, we may not issue an apostille, even if you resubmit it.

Documents authenticated before the Apostille Convention came into effect on January 11, 2024, may need to be legalized by the foreign representative office of the country of destination before they can be used in a country that is a signatory of the Apostille Convention.

To find out whether a country requires your document to be legalized, contact the country’s consular office. For contact information, consult Foreign representatives in Canada: Consular offices’ addresses.

Using Canadian documents in countries that aren’t signatories of the Apostille Convention

As of January 11, 2024, we will issue apostilles for all documents, even if you intend to use them in a country that is not a signatory of the Apostille Convention.

If you need to use a document in a country that is not a signatory of the Apostille Convention, you may need to get it authenticated by a competent authority in Canada and then have it legalized by the foreign representative office of the country of destination.

For information on a non-signatory country’s legalization requirement, contact the country’s foreign representative in Canada. For contact information, consult Foreign representatives in Canada: Consular offices’ addresses.

Using foreign documents in Canada

Canadian law does not require the authentication or legalization of foreign public documents before they can be used in Canada. This is not expected to change when the Apostille Convention comes into effect.

However, some individuals or institutions in Canada may still choose to accept only foreign documents that have been authenticated or have an apostille. How you apply to authenticate foreign documents will depend on where they were issued:

Competent authorities in Canada will not issue apostilles for foreign documents, even if they are notarized by a Canadian notary or notary public.

Verify the issuance of an apostille

To verify an apostille issued with a certificate number starting with CA-, AB-, SK, or -59- send an email to apostille@international.gc.ca and include the following information:

To verify an apostille with a certificate number starting with ON-, check the  Ontario’s Official Documents Services website.

To verify an apostille issued by Competent Authority of Quebec, check Quebec’s Registre des apostilles (in French only).

Future developments

Electronic apostilles

Canadian competent authorities will issue apostilles in print form only. Global Affairs Canada expects to offer electronic apostilles, or “e-apostilles,” in the future.

For more information or to subscribe for updates

If, after checking this page, you still have questions about the implementation of the Apostille Convention in Canada, email Global Affairs Canada’s Authentication Services at apostille@international.gc.ca. To sign up on our mailing list, send an email with the word “Subscribe” in the subject line.

We will not be able to respond to questions about provincial authentication services.

For general information about authentication services at Global Affairs Canada, please visit Authentication of documents: 1. Before you start.

List of countries where the Apostille Convention is not in effect (as of December 2023)

The following list is provided for your convenience only and it is your responsibility to verify the accuracy of the information listed there.

* The Apostille Convention will come into effect in Rwanda on June 5, 2024.

For the list of countries that have signed the Apostille Convention, visit the Apostille Section of the Hague Conference on Private International Law.

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