In some countries, the document authentication procedure can be referred to as the ‘apostille process,’ by which public documents, such as birth certificates, court orders, or another document issued by an official agency, are authenticated with official seals and signatures.
In 1961, the Hague Conference on Private International Law drafted an international treaty, simplifying the process by which documents can be certified for legal use. Any country that’s a Hague signatory provides apostilization services.
Canada finally signed The Hague Apostille Convention on May 12, 2023 and this came into effect on January 11, 2024. This allows Canadians to now Apostille their documents on a Federal or Provincial authorities. Certain documents still need to be notarized prior to the apostille process. If the destination country is not a part of The Hague Convention, then the Authentication and Legalization for the destination country’s embassy will be the path needed for your documents.
