Apostille, Authentication & Legalization of Documents

What we do

Foreign authorities commonly require Canadian documents to be authenticated and legalized, or issued with an Apostille, before they'll be accepted abroad — birth, marriage and divorce certificates, a Statement In-Lieu of Certificate of Non-Impediment to Marriage Abroad, educational documents such as diplomas, degrees and transcripts, criminal clearance and fingerprint certificates, adoption papers, Powers of Attorney, other legal documents, and medical reports. With agents in Ottawa, we manage the process through the appropriate Canadian authorities and the relevant consulates and embassies.

What can delay a submission

The rules for authentication and legalization vary considerably by country and by document type, and a few things commonly slow a submission down:

• Some embassies will only accept certified cheques or money orders, not regular payment methods.
• Some documents need to be translated, and the translated copy itself needs to be certified.
• Some embassies only process authentication tasks at certain times on certain days, so a "rush" request may take longer than expected.

With more than 30 years in this work, we're well versed in the particulars of authentication and legalization, the relevant regulations, and individual embassy and consulate requirements — which lets us handle your documents efficiently and with the fewest surprises.

What you get back

• A document accepted where it needs to be accepted — the whole point of the exercise.
• One point of contact managing the authorities, consulate and embassy steps on your behalf.