Authentication of documents: 2. Requirements for your document
The Apostille Convention took effect in Canada on January 11, 2024
Visit Changes to authentications services in Canada for information on changes to authentication services in Canada.
Search for the document you need to have authenticated to find out what you need to provide. If the type of document you need to have authenticated is not on the list, as a general rule, it will have to be notarized to qualify for authentication by our office. Please note that due to the high volume of inquiries we receive, we are unable to pre-assess your specific document to ascertain whether it qualifies for authentication. If we are unable to authenticate your document, we will include an explanation with your documents.
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Adoption papers | Adoption papersDocuments related to the adoption of a child must be notarized. We authenticate documents such as:
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Apprenticeship and trade certificates | Apprenticeship and trade certificatesApprenticeship and trade certificates must be notarized. |
Bank documents | Bank documentsBank documents must be notarized. We authenticate documents such as:
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Birth certificate | Birth certificateBirth certificates must be issued by a provincial or territorial vital statistics office. They do not need to be notarized. We cannot authenticate birth certificates that are:
Please note that we do not authenticate proofs of birth issued by hospitals containing the name of a newborn, even if they are notarized. |
Burial or cremation documents | Burial or cremation documentsBurial or cremation documents must be notarized. You must send a death certificate issued by a provincial or territorial vital statistics office with these documents. We authenticate:
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Business or corporate records | Business or corporate recordsBusiness or corporate records must be notarized. We authenticate documents such as:
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Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) attestations or certificates | Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) attestations or certificatesCanadian Food Inspection Agency attestation or certificates do not need to be notarized. We authenticate:
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Canadian Intellectual Property Office certificates | Canadian Intellectual Property Office certificatesWe authenticate certificates issued by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO). Certificates bearing the original signature or seal of a CIPO official do not need to be notarized. All others must be notarized. We authenticate documents such as:
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Certificate of free sale | Certificate of free saleA certificate of free sale issued by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency can be authenticated as is. All others must be notarized. |
Certificates of Origin | Certificates of OriginA Certificate of Origin issued electronically by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce using the essCert system can be authenticated as is. These certificates contain a link to an online verification portal. Certificates of Origin that are not issued with the essCert system must be notarized. |
College/cégep or university diplomas | College/cégep or university diplomasWe authenticate college/cégep and university diplomas issued in Canada by recognized post-secondary educational institutions. Original college and university diplomas do not need to be notarized. We use an ink stamp, which is applied directly to documents when they are authenticated. Should you not want us to stamp the original, we suggest you provide us with a certified copy. Before doing so, you should check if a certified copy will be accepted in the country where your documents will be used. If you decide to get your document notarized, you do not need to submit the original to our office. Diplomas in Latin or Greek do not require a certified translation. |
College/cégep or university transcript | College/cégep or university transcriptWe authenticate academic transcripts issued by recognized Canadian post-secondary educational institutions. Original academic transcripts that are signed by the registrar do not need to be notarized. |
College/cégep or university letters (e.g. enrollment, registration, graduation) | College/cégep or university letters (e.g. enrollment, registration, graduation)College/cégep or university letters, such as letters of enrollment, registration or graduation, must be notarized. |
Commemorative certificates | Commemorative certificatesWe do not authenticate commemorative certificates (e.g. Canadian citizenship, secondary school graduation, birthday or marriage commemorative certificates). This is not to be confused with regular Canadian citizenship certificates, school or vital statistics documents, which we do authenticate. |
Coroner’s certificate | Coroner’s certificateCoroners’ certificates must be notarized. You must send a death certificate issued by a provincial or territorial vital statistics office with these documents. |
Corporations Canada documents | Corporations Canada documentsDocuments issued by Corporations Canada bearing an original signature or seal do not need to be notarized. If your Corporations Canada certificate does not have an original signature or seal, it must be notarized. We authenticate:
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Course certificate | Course certificateWe only authenticate course certificates issued by recognized educational institutions in Canada. These institutions must be recognized by a provincial or territorial ministry of education. Course certificates must be notarized. |
Court documents | Court documentsCourt orders or judgments that bear the original seal, signature and printed name of a judge, registrar, or clerk of the court in Canada do not need to be notarized. Other court documents must be notarized. |
Criminal record check | Criminal record checkDocuments issued by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) headquarters in Ottawa do not need to be notarized as long as:
Documents issued by a provincial or a municipal police agency need to be notarized before being sent for authentication to our office. |
Death certificate | Death certificateDeath certificates must be issued by a provincial or territorial vital statistics office. They do not need to be notarized. We cannot authenticate death certificates that are:
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Delivery verification certificate | Delivery verification certificateWe authenticate delivery verification certificates issued by the Government of Canada. Delivery verification certificates do not need to be notarized. A delivery verification certificate confirms that imported goods or technology have been delivered to the consignee. |
Divorce certificate | Divorce certificateCanadian divorce certificates that are signed by a clerk of the court do not need to be notarized. A divorce certificate proves that the people named are legally divorced and are free to remarry. There is normally a waiting period between the time a divorce order is granted and the issuance of a divorce certificate. |
Domestic partnership certificate | Domestic partnership certificateDomestic partnership certificates must be issued by a provincial or territorial vital statistics office. They do not need to be notarized We are unable to authenticate notarized copies of domestic partnership certificates. If you need a copy, it must be issued by the appropriate vital statistics office. |
Elementary or high school diplomas | Elementary or high school diplomasWe only authenticate diplomas issued by recognized elementary or high schools in Canada. These schools must be recognized by a provincial or territorial ministry of education. Elementary and high school diplomas must be notarized. |
Elementary or high school report card or transcript | Elementary or high school report card or transcriptEducational 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. |
Export permit | Export permitExport permits issued by the Government of Canada do not need to be notarized. |
Fingerprint forms | Fingerprint formsFingerprints forms (example, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Form C-216C), also known as fingerprint identification, need to be notarized. This is not to be confused with criminal records checks issued by Canadian municipal, provincial or federal authorities (please look up “Criminal record check” on this page for information about those). |
Federal legislation | Federal legislationCertified copies of federal laws and regulations that have been signed by the clerk of the parliaments do not need to be notarized. They can be requested from the Senate of Canada. All other copies of laws and regulations must be notarized. |
Foreign documents (non-Canadian documents) | Foreign documents (Non-Canadian documents)In most cases, you do not need to have your foreign public documents authenticated to use them in Canada. However, if the authority or organization in Canada to which you are intending to submit your document requires that it be authenticated by Global Affairs Canada, please email us the proof along with an explanation. We will assess your request and strive to provide you with a response within five business days. Please note that our office does not authenticate foreign documents for use abroad. For additional information, please consult our FAQ - Do you authenticate foreign documents for use in Canada? and Do you authenticate foreign documents for use abroad? |
Health Canada licences | Health Canada licencesWe authenticate licences issued by Health Canada (for example, product licences or establishment licences). Health Canada certificates with an original signature or seal do not need to be notarized. If your Health Canada license does not have an original signature or seal, it must be notarized. We authenticate licences such as:
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Identity documents | Identity documentsIf you need to have a Canadian identity document (for example, a driver’s licence or a passport) authenticated, you must submit a notarized copy of it. You do not need to enclose the original document with your authentication request. |
Immigration, permanent resident or citizenship certificates or documents | Immigration, permanent resident or citizenship certificates or documentsWe authenticate letter-sized citizenship certificates issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Citizenship certificates do not need to be notarized. If you need to have your Canadian citizenship or Permanent Resident card authenticated, you must submit a notarized copy of it. You do not need to enclose the original document with your authentication request. Records of Landing, Verifications of Status, search of citizenship letters or other historical immigration records need to get notarized. Please note that we do not authenticate commemorative citizenship certificates. |
International import certificate | International import certificateInternational import certificates issued by the Government of Canada do not need to be notarized. An international import certificate recognizes that the Government of Canada is aware of the proposed import of specific goods to Canada. |
Language school certificate | Language school certificateWe only authenticate language school certificates issued by recognized institutions in Canada. A recognized institution is accredited by: Language school certificates from recognized institutions must be notarized. |
Letters provided by an educational institution | Letters provided by an educational institutionWe only authenticate letters from schools recognized by a provincial or territorial ministry of education. Letters issued by an educational institution must be notarized. We authenticate:
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Marriage certificate | Marriage certificateMarriage certificates must be issued by a provincial or territorial vital statistics office. They do not need to be notarized. We cannot authenticate marriage certificates that are:
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Marriage licences | Marriage licencesMarriage licences must be issued and signed by a provincial or territorial vital statistics office. They do not need to be notarized. We cannot authenticate marriage licences that are not issued by provincial or territorial vital statistics office, even if they are notarized. |
Marriage search letter | Marriage search letterWe only authenticate marriage search letters issued by a provincial or territorial vital statistics office. Marriage search letters bearing the original signature or seal of the appropriate vital statistics registrar do not need to be notarized. Otherwise, they need to be notarized. Make sure you have everything you need if you are getting married outside Canada. |
Medical documents | Medical documentsMedical documents must be notarized. We authenticate medical documents such as:
Please note that proof of births issued by hospitals are excluded from this category of documents. For more details, please see Birth certificate. |
Name change certificate | Name change certificateWe authenticate name change certificates issued by a provincial or territorial vital statistics office. They do not need to be notarized. We are unable to authenticate notarized copies. If you need a copy, it must be issued by the appropriate vital statistics office. |
Other government documents | Other government documentsDocuments issued by the Government of Canada, or by the government of any Canadian province or territory, that are not listed on this page must be notarized. If you have questions about documents not listed, please contact us. Examples of Government of Canada documents that must be notarized include:
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Private legal documents | Private legal documentsPrivate legal documents must be notarized. We authenticate private legal documents such as:
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Professional certificate | Professional certificateCertificates of standing (or certificates of good standing) do not need to be notarized if they are issued by the:
All other professional certificates must be notarized. |
Proof of life | Proof of lifeProof of life documents (also known as life certificates) must be notarized. Please note that if the document is written in a language other than English or French, you must send a certified, notarized translation with it. Note that proof of life documents drafted in a foreign language related to a foreign pension benefit do not need to be translated into English or French to be authenticated as long as the text is no longer than half a page. On the request form, you must indicate that the document is a proof of life. If the text is longer than half a page, it must be translated according to these instructions. |
Record of employment | Record of employmentWe authenticate records of employment issued in accordance with Service Canada guidelines. Records of employment must be notarized. |
Request for international judicial assistance | Request for international judicial assistanceWe authenticate letters of request for international judicial assistance. Requests signed by a judge or clerk of the court do not need to be notarized. An international judicial assistance request (or a mutual legal assistance request or letters rogatory) is a letter from a Canadian court seeking help from foreign judicial authorities in connection with a legal proceeding. |
Shipment document | Shipment documentShipment documents (or letter of contents) must be notarized. If your documents are for the transport of human remains, you must send a death certificate with them. The death certificate must be issued by a provincial or territorial vital statistics office. |
Vaccination attestations | Vaccination attestationsImmunization (vaccination) attestations, such as COVID ones, need to be notarized. Before submitting these documents to our office, we suggest you to ensure with your country of destination that authentication and legalization is indeed a requirement. Please note that we may refuse to authenticate these documents if we have confirmation that authentication is not required. |
Related services and information
- Changes to authentication services in Canada
- Updates – Authentication services section
- Alternatives to authentication by the Authentication Services Section at Global Affairs Canada
- Getting married outside Canada
- Statement in lieu of certificate of non-impediment to marriage abroad
- Check the status of your request
- Reasons we cannot authenticate your document
- If you are outside Canada
- Frequently asked questions