Is the apostille the same as legalization?

Legalization is the same as an apostille in Canada. The term “apostille” refers to the legal certification process used to allow a document issued in one nation to be used in another. Canada does not apostille documents because it is not a signatory to the agreement that governs this process. Canada instead employs legalization and authentication.

 

Which types of records can be legalized?

A few examples of documents that need to be legalized are:

 

the birth certificates

Declarations of marital status required by law

certificates of marriage

Marriage licenses

Birth and death records

Birth certificates

authority documents

diplomas and academic records

 

How can I determine whether my documents require legalization?

Each nation has certain rules governing which kinds of documents must be legalized before they may be used there. If you’re unsure whether your documents require legalization, get advice from the consulate or embassy of the nation where they will be used.

 

Can documents that have been digitally notarized be legalized?

In general, legalization is possible for papers that have been notarized using online notary services. However, to authenticate documents, Global Affairs Canada and Official Document Services required the notary’s ink signature and embossing seal. The good news is that we can easily mail you a tangible copy of your electronically notarized document with your notary’s signature and seal if you need to get it legalized.