What does a Canadian apostille look like?
Apostille Stamp in Canada
Requirements for document apostille in Canada
According to the official Canadian website Government of Canada:
- Documents in languages other than English and French must be:
- issued in Canada
- notarized by an Ontario notary
- accompanied by a translation issued by a certified Canadian translator
- New official documents are subject to direct authentication, which no longer requires notarization before authentication, including:
- Ontario state diplomas, degrees, and transcripts of higher education issued as of January 2019.
- Documents issued by the Supreme Court or Ontario Court as of July 10, 2023. Note:
- Processing of court-issued documents for personal authentication requests may take up to 10 working days. If your request is urgent, you may notarize your documents before authentication.
- For divorce certificates issued before July 10, 2023, you can either notarize the document or reissue it in one of two ways: online or in the court where the original was filed. Recently reissued divorce certificates will be authenticated without notarization.
- All other documents issued by the court before July 10, 2023, will still require notarization.
- Notarized documents intended for countries signatory to the Hague Declaration can no longer require legalization at consulates or embassies. Continue to clarify document requirements at your consulate, embassy, and/or final destination recipient.
- Documents issued outside of Canada are not subject to authenticity verification and must be authenticated by the jurisdiction in which the document was issued (e.g., foreign identity card). Review the list of other documents not subject to authenticity verification.
- Documents intended for countries signatory to the Hague Declaration will receive apostille certificates. See the list of countries signatory to the Hague Declaration.
Documents intended for countries not signatory to the Hague Declaration will continue to receive authentication certificates. If your documents fall into the new categories of official documents (e.g., documents issued by the Ontario court and educational documents) that are subject to direct authentication, your documents may not require notarization (see below for details).
What documents can be apostilled in Canada?
Birth certificate
Birth certificates must be issued by a provincial or territorial vital statistics registration office. They do not require notarization.
It is not possible to authenticate birth certificates that:
- are notarized copies (if you need a copy, it must be issued by the appropriate vital statistics office)
- are issued by religious institutions
College/CEGEP or university diplomas
College/CEGEP and university diplomas and academic transcripts issued in Canada by recognized higher education institutions can be authenticated. Original college and university diplomas do not require notarization.
A seal with ribbons is used for this purpose directly on the documents. If you do not want us to stamp the original, we suggest you provide us with a notarized copy. Before doing so, you should check if a notarized copy will be accepted in the country where your documents will be used. If you choose to notarize your document, you do not need to send the original to our office.
Dipl omas in Latin or Greek do not require a notarized translation.
Elementary or secondary school diplomas
Only diplomas issued by recognized elementary or secondary schools in Canada can be authenticated. These schools must be recognized by a provincial or territorial ministry of education.
Elementary and secondary school diplomas must be notarized.
Elementary or secondary school transcripts or transcripts
Education documents must be issued by educational institutions recognized by a Canadian provincial or territorial Ministry of Education.
Your report card or transcript must be notarized.
Death certificate
Death certificates must be issued by a provincial or territorial vital statistics registration office. They do not require notarization.
It is not possible to authenticate death certificates that:
- are notarized copies (if you need a copy, it must be issued by the appropriate vital statistics office)
- are issued by religious institutions
- are issued by a funeral home (even if notarized)
Language School Completion Certificate (Language Courses)
Only language school certificates issued by recognized Canadian educational institutions can be authenticated.
The recognized institution is accredited by:
Certificates of language schools from recognized educational institutions must be notarized.
Where can an apostille be placed in Canada
Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
- Documents issued by the government of Canada
- Documents issued or notarized in the following provinces and territories:
- Manitoba
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Northwest Territories
- Nova Scotia
- Nunavut
- Prince Edward Island
- Yukon
If your document was notarized in the provinces and territories listed above, you will send it to the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs regardless of where it was originally issued.
Some documents must be notarized before the competent authority can authenticate them. These may include some documents issued by the government of Canada. After the entry into force of the Apostille Convention, the competent authority to which you must send it will be determined by the province or territory where your document was notarized.
The competent authorities of the following provinces will be responsible for affixing apostilles to documents issued or notarized in their provinces:
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Ontario
- Quebec
- Saskatchewan
Is there an E-Apostille (E-app) in Canada?
As of March 2024, Canada does not have an open electronic apostille registry, and there are no electronic apostilles.
How can you verify a Canadian apostille?
To verify an apostille issued with a certificate number starting with CA-, AB-, BC-, or SK-, send an email to apostille@international.gc.ca and provide the following information:
- Certificate number
- Date of issue
To verify an apostille with a certificate number starting with ON-, contact the Ontario Official Documents Service.
To verify an apostille with a certificate number starting with QC-, visit the Quebec Apostille Registry (available only in French).
List of countries where the Apostille Convention does not apply (as of December 2023)
The following list is provided solely for your convenience, and you are responsible for verifying the accuracy of the information provided therein.
- Afghanistan
- Algeria
- Angola
- Bangladesh
- Benin
- Bhutan
- Burkina Faso
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Comoros
- Congo
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Cuba
- Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Haiti
- Iran
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Kuwait
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Libya
- Madagascar
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Micronesia
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Papua New Guinea
- Qatar
- Rwanda
- Sierra Leone
- Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Syria
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- United Arab Emirates
- Tanzania
- Vietnam
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe