Canada
North America
The Hague Convention entered into force for Canada on January 11, 2024. Canadian documents are apostilled by Global Affairs Canada (federal) or the relevant provincial authority depending on the document type.
Why people process documents for Canada
IRCC document requirements vary by process: police-certificate instructions are country-specific, and authentication (apostille or consular legalization) depends on the issuing country and the document.
Canadian businesses operating internationally need apostilled corporate documents for foreign jurisdictions.
Most commonly processed documents
These are the document types most often processed for use in Canada — documents issued abroad that need an apostille or legalization. Documents issued in Canada are apostilled in Canada itself, by the authorities described above. Each guide link goes to a full guide; document types without a guide yet are listed for reference.
Official certificate proving a person has no (or has) criminal convictions. Required for immigration, employment, and residency applications.
Academic credential awarded by a university upon completion of a degree program. Required for employment abroad, degree homologation, and graduate admissions.
Requirements at a glance
Common mistakes to avoid
- Sending provincial documents to Global Affairs Canada — each province has its own apostille authority.
Example scenarios involving Canada
Illustrative examples based on common situations; names and details are changed. Typical situations where the country appears as the document's issuing country or as the destination. See all cases →
The problem: A Canadian digital nomad applying from Spain was told that getting a Certificate of Good Standing apostille through Global Affairs Canada would take up to 3 months.
Result: In this example, the Digital Nomad Visa documents were obtained in under 2 weeks; timing varies by case.
Relevant services
Frequently asked questions
Who apostilles Canadian documents?
Federal documents are apostilled by Global Affairs Canada. Provincial documents (birth certificates, marriage records, notarial acts) are apostilled by the relevant provincial authority — each province has its own process.
Reviewed by
Laura ChenLegal Document Expert
Specialist in documents for the English-speaking market with a focus on fast and secure processing.
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