The Standard for Legalization of Canadian Documents

Legalization of a document is something that is required from time to time when documents are signed in a country different then where it will be used. Different countries have different methods for legalizing documents or showing proof that a document is legal.

Many countries rely on something called “Apostille”. Apostille is used by countries that signed the Hague Convention, and other countries that signed this convention accept Apostille documents. Canada, however, did not sign this convention, so, Canada has a different process to achieve the same result.

What is the Canadian process?

In Canada, in order to get documents legalized for use in other countries, a two-step, chain-authentication process is required. First, a notary like us—Zancope Notary—authenticates the document. Then the document is sent to the local authority like Attorney General or to the Ministry of Global affairs for authentication and then, finally to the appropriate consulate for legalization. The consulate returns the documents with paperwork attesting to your document’s legality. This is the equivalent of Apostille in other countries.

Why would I need documents legalized?

This may come up if you live or work for some period of time in one or more foreign countries. Examples of documents that might need to be legalized are birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce documents and power of attorneys.

The most important message in today’s blog is that Zancope Notary can help you get your international documents legalized here in Canada for use in other countries. We have lots of experience with this and established relationships with many consulates. If you need documents legalized, give us a call in Vancouver at (604) 260-6783, and let us help you get the paperwork done quickly and efficiently.

At Zancope Notary Public, our specialties are Wills and Estate Planning documents (Representation Agreement and Power of Attorney) and real estate. We are a full-service firm. We also offer real estate services for clients in Langley and throughout Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. We can help you with buying, selling, and refinancing real estate, and provide family property transfers and independent legal advice.

If you have any questions about this article or estate planning, in general, or if you want to make an appointment with Zancope Notary Public, please contact us at (604) 260-6783.