We will return the documents by Canada Post within 15 business days of receipt. You can use a courier service of your choice if you attach a stamped envelope to your application. Since Canada has not signed the Convention of October 5, 1961 “Abolition of the Obligation to Legalize Foreign Public Documents” (hereinafter referred to as the “Hague Apostille Convention”), the term “apostille” is not really correct here. Instead, we will use the term “legalization.” If you submitted your documents more than 45 business days ago (approximately 9 weeks) and would like to receive a status update, please complete the form available under Check the status of your application. If you have asked us to forward your documents to a foreign embassy, high commission or consulate, please check the status with them first. Due to the scope of requests, we regret that we cannot provide status updates for applications submitted before the 45 business day deadline. In this chapter, we`ll go over a few examples to help you determine which of these processes you need to follow for 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. Technically, an apostille never expires once it has been issued. However, some factors can make an apostilled document unusable in certain situations.
If you intend to use a document or certificate on which you purchased an apostille outside the agreement, you may need to process the document again. For example, if you are applying for a work permit in China, the apostille on file must have been issued within the last six months to be valid for your application.[15] But legalization is much heavier than a simple apostille. A Hague apostille issued by the State of Alabama The apostille itself is a stamp or printed form consisting of ten standard numbered fields. At the top is the text Apostille, under which is written the text Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 (French for “Hague Convention of 5 October 1961”). This title must be written in French for the apostille to be valid (Article 4 of the Convention). In the numbered fields, the following information is added, which can be in the official language of the issuing authority or in a second language: Please note: We can only help you with documents from the United States. If your documents come from Canada, you must contact the appropriate authority to help you in that country. No.
Apostille certificates may only be issued in countries which have signed and ratified the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961. Canada was not a signatory to this convention and, therefore, certification of the apostille for Canadian public documents is not possible. The apostille in Canada is a confirmation that the documents have been obtained legally and can therefore be recognized by countries that have signed the Hague Apostille Convention. Since Canada is not a member of this convention, all Canadian documents must be subject to the authentication and legalization services that replace the apostille process in Canada. So, simply put, an apostille stamp is an easier way to have your documents authenticated for use abroad, but you cannot have your Canadian documents apostilled because it is not a signatory to this convention. An apostille is the certification of official documents of foreign origin for countries that are signatories to the Hague Convention. Now that we have established that a Canadian apostille does not exist, it is time to look at the Canadian equivalents. Let`s develop this to help you follow the right process of preparing your documents. Third, once the documents have been authenticated by the competent authority in the list above, mail them to the Embassy of the Philippines for certification, as well as the following: The apostille process in Canada would require the documents to be stamped by the Canadian federal government, which is an authentication arm of Global Affairs Canada. The facility in question is located in Ottawa, and it may take up to 20 business days for them to process your application. The exceptions are when you show up in person at your office. To be eligible for an apostille, a document must first be issued or certified by an official recognized by the authority that will issue the apostille.
For example, the Vermont Secretary of State lists examples of signatures of all notaries, so notarized documents are eligible for apostilles. [5] Similarly, Dutch courts have the right to affix an apostille directly to all municipal civil status documents. In some cases, in the country of origin of the document, intermediate certificates may be required before it is eligible for an apostille. For example, in New York, the Office of Vital Records (which issues birth certificates, among others) is not directly recognized by the Secretary of State of New York. [6] Therefore, the City Clerk`s signature must be certified by the New York County Clerk for the birth certificate to qualify for an apostille. [7] [8] In Japan, all official documents are issued in Japanese; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA, JAPAN) can then provide an apostille for these documents. [9] In India, apostille certification can be obtained from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs[10] in New Delhi after certification by the administration of the Indian state where the document was issued (for educational documents). Consulates and embassies require these certificates to ensure that various documents are valid. In this guide, we`ll learn everything you need to know about an apostille in Canada: how to prepare documents, the steps in the process, and when you need an apostille. 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, 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.
Legalizing your documents in Canada – or more precisely – is a three-step process. 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 authentication they need. However, many individuals and organizations in Canada and the United States are often confused about the requirements (e.g., they at least use the word “apostille”), and some may even mistakenly assume that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) allows for the free flow of documents that allow documents notarized by U.S. notaries to be accepted in Canada without additional certifications. This is not the case! Just as in Canada, document fraud occurs in the United States and, from time to time, U.S. notaries are excluded from their assignments by states and punished for errors or documentary misconduct. Unfortunately, many Canadian individuals and entities still accept either simple photocopies of U.S. documents or documents notarized by the U.S.
notary at their own risk. The risks may be low if the problem solved by the submission of such a document is not really significant. However, imagine the effects of an international agreement or cross-border transaction that can be challenged and annulled in court due to inadmissible documents! If you are currently in Canada or any other country and need help getting your documents, please contact us and let us know how we can help you. Some documents must be notarized before being certified by the state. Domestic overnight shipping is included in our fee, but we can ship your documents anywhere in the world. International shipping charges apply. 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. If country A refuses to recognize country B`s participation in the convention, it will also not recognize the apostille. You should preferably contact us by e-mail explaining your document 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 intend to use them in Canada, 3) how many you have, 4) they are originals or notarized copies, 5) how quickly you need them and 6) the purpose, to which they must be sent. If your shipping destination (after processing) is neither in the United States nor Canada, we will need the exact address, including zip code, so that we can provide you with an accurate courier quote. Canada is not a signatory to the Hague Convention and therefore does not meet its requirements. If you wish to have your documents certified by mail, please send your paper documents to: Four types of documents are mentioned in the Convention:[1] In February 2009, the Hague Conference recommended that the wording of the apostille be changed to clarify that only the seal and signature were certified.