Global Document Solutions is open Monday through Friday and serves customers from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST. For phone support, call 1-800-336-1132 to speak to one of our friendly experts. If you need to reach us outside opening hours, it is best to send us an e-mail. Below are the holidays for 2024 that Global Document Solutions will be closed.

• February 19 – Family Day
• March 29 – Good Friday
• April 1 – Easter Monday
• May 20 – Victoria Day
• July 1 – Canada Day 
• August 5 – Civic holiday
• September 2 – Labor Day
• October 14 – Thanksgiving
• November 11 - Remembrance Day
• December 25 – Christmas Day
• December 26 – Boxing Day
• December 27 – Global Document Solutions Team Family Vacation
• December 30 – Global Document Solutions Team Family Vacation
• December 31 – Global Document Solutions Team Family Vacation
• January 1 - New Years Day

Our services can be paid securely online using MasterCard & Visa Credit Card, ApplePay, Discovery, PayPal, or Interac e-Transfer once your document has been received by us or include a Corporate Cheque or Money Order when sending to us. For payment of the embassy fees most accept payment by money order/bank draft please speak to your Global Document Solutions agent they will be able to provide you the payee details. As an alternative, we can obtain the embassy fee money order/bank draft on your behalf please note that there will be a transaction fee for us to do so. Once all services are paid we will provide you a detailed receipt for services.

No this is not possible due to the various rules that Global Affairs Canada, provincial departments and the Embassy have, you must first speak with an Global Document Solutions agent at 1-800-336-1132 (Monday-Friday 9 am-5 pm ET) before attending any of our Global Document Solutions service centers. This will ensure that your document is ready for processing and that you have any additional requirements to save you time. Speaking with an Global Document Solutions agent allows us to help you complete our Order Form, explain the fees that are required to perform our services, and confirm your payment options prior to you attending. It is important to note that if you do attend an Global Document Solutions service center prior to speaking with an Global Document Solutions agent it may result in more fees for you in order for us to perform our specialized services.

Yes, all you would need to do to arrange for someone else to drop your documents off at one of our Global Document Solutions Service Centers is to speak to one of our helpful agents and set up an appointment under the name of the person who will be dropping off your documents. To better serve you, we have locations in Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, North York, Mississauga, Winnipeg, Regina, Edmonton, Calgary, Surrey, Vancouver, Victoria, and our Ottawa Headquarters.

To initiate the process for your documents, we will provide you with a comprehensive Order Form that must be completed and included when submitting your documents to us. Additionally, certain embassies may have their own application forms that you will need to fill out. However, there's no need to be concerned as we will provide clear instructions and guidance to make the process as simple as possible.

You can reach us by email or call us at 1-800-336-1132 toll free from North America or at 011-613-226-1001 from outside North America from Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm ET.

Once your documents have been fully processed, you will receive an email update using our Order Status Tracker. The email will contain an estimated delivery date along with the courier details and tracking information. Using the tracking number with the courier/mail service that you had selected earlier in the process will give you the most up to date information about your documents location.

Yes, Global Document Solutions is proud to be the first service provider in Canada to allow clients to track their documents every step of the way. Once your documents arrive at our Ottawa Headquarters you will be given a unique order number which you can use along with your email address to view the status of your order throughout the process. Our Order Status Tracker is convenient, easy to use and one of the many perks of choosing Global Document Solutions.

Once you have sent your documents to Global Document Solutions and your package is received in our Ottawa Headquarters, you will receive an email with your unique Global Document Solutions Order Number and details of your file with our Online Order Status Tracker, which you can use to check the most current status of your order. We will then start processing your file, where in some cases first a notarized copy of a document needs to be made, or a translation to or from a foreign language needs to be done before we can start with the authentication and legalization. Once all your documents are ready, we will attend at Global Affairs Canada in person on your behalf to get your documents authenticated on your chosen Authentication Service Speed. Once your documents have been authenticated, they will be submitted for legalization on the following business day that the Embassy or Consulate is open. Once the documents have been legalized and we have received them back from the Embassy or Consulate, we verify the legalizations and then ship out the documents to your destination of choice. Once shipped out, we will provide you with the tracking details and estimated delivery date. At each step of the process, you will receive an email update via our Online Order Status Tracker, so you know exactly where you are in the process from start to end.

Click here for recommendations on shipping to us on our shipping made easy page.

Yes. Some clients find it convenient to use our address for the forwarding of their requested document as it saves them valuable time with the apostille or authentication and legalization process. We only ask that before your document is received at our office you complete our Order Form with your particular request details and forward it to us via email or any other convenient way listed on our Contact Us page so that we can open a request file under your name to ensure the proper identification and processing of the document when received by our office.

Once your documents are complete, we will return or forward them by Canada Post free of charge or based on your instructions. If you would like them returned or forwarded using a courier, you have several options. If you have a courier account, you can include a prepared waybill on your account. If you do not have a courier account, we can assist please ask for assistance to confirm fees. For convenient and traceable service, you can arrange a Canada Post Xpresspost. We always recommend a traceable service to ensure the safe return of your sensitive documents.

Fees for Apostille services vary depending on the type of document and where it was issued. It is recommended to consult with one of our experts for the most current fee structure.

The processing time can vary depending on the issuing authority and the type of document. It's advisable to consult with one of our experts for specific timelines.

We will need to submit your document to a designated competent authority in Canada, which will issue the Apostille. This process usually involves verifying the document's authenticity and attaching the Apostille certificate.

Documents such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, educational documents, court orders, and commercial documents can be Apostilled for international recognition in member countries of the Convention.

Documents in languages other than English or French may require a certified translation for the Apostille process in Canada. It's best to check with one of our experts for specific requirements for your document.

Only countries that are members of the Hague Apostille Convention recognize Apostilled documents. For countries not part of the Convention, a different legalization process is required.

With Canada joining the Convention, the process of legalizing Canadian documents for use in other member countries is significantly streamlined. This means faster, more efficient, and often less expensive document legalization for international purposes.

The Hague Apostille Convention is an international treaty simplifying the process of legalizing documents for international use. It allows a document issued in one signatory country to be legally recognized in another, through a certification known as an 'Apostille.' Canada joined this convention in 2023 and which came into effect on January 11, 2024.

No, an Apostille is different from notarization. Notarization certifies the authenticity of signatures on a document, while an Apostille certifies the origin of the document itself for international use.

You should verify the document requirements of the country where you intend to use your document or speak with one of our experts. An Apostille is necessary if that country is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention and requires such certification for your specific document type.

There are multiple reasons that Global Affairs Canada may decline to authenticate documents. In most cases, it may be due to the document missing an original signature or stamp, or the signature cannot be verified. Global Affairs Canada will not Authenticate documents issued by religious institutions such as baptismal certificates or religious marriage certificates. Global Affairs Canada will also deny the Authentication of documents that are issued by educational institutions that are unrecognized by the federal government. In some exceedingly rare cases, Global Affairs may decline to Authenticate your document if they believe that the content is misleading, or that it may be used for illegal or fraudulent purposes. If your documents are written in or contain a language other than English or French, Global Affairs will decline the authentication unless the document meets one of their foreign language requirements. For more information check our translation services or contact one of our experts.

No, an Authentication from Global Affairs Canada does not expire. Although the Authentication remains valid the contents of your document may expire and/or the Embassy of the country where you wish to use the document may require that the document has been issued within a certain timeframe in order to process.

Global Document Solutions has Service Centers across Canada in most major cities, where you can drop off documents in person on appointment and pick them up upon completion. All documents received at our Service Centers will be forwarded to our Ottawa Headquarters, as Global Affairs Canada only has an authentication office in Ottawa. Contact us for more information.

Global Document Solutions assists clients daily from around the world to authenticate their documents at Global Affairs Canada. If you are outside of Canada, it can be difficult to navigate the Authentication process for your documents. Contact Global Document Solutions to help you get your documents authenticated while being outside of Canada.

Depending on what document you have to process, Global Affairs Canada will have different requirements as to whether the document must be an original or a certified true copy made by a Canadian Notary Public. Vital Statistics documents must be original documents that have been issued by the provincial or territorial Vital Statistics office. Either original College or University Degrees or Diplomas from a public accredited institution, or a certified true copy of the original made by a Canadian Notary Public, can be authenticated by Global Affairs Canada. Any documents not issued by a federal authority or issued by an institution not recognized by Global Affairs must be a certified true copy made by a Canadian Notary Public. If you need information about your document, one of our agents would be happy to assist you.

A Commissioner for Oaths in Canada is generally not authorized to certify a true copy of a document, where their authority is governed by the province or territory of appointment. A Commissioner for Oaths is generally only authorized to witness signatures for certain documents such as a Statutory Declaration or an Affidavit. When you require a certified true copy of a document to be authenticated and further legalized for use in another country, you will need to use the services of a Canadian Notary Public as Canadian Notaries are authorized to make a certified true copy of a document which can be authenticated by Global Affairs Canada. Global Document Solutions can also make a certified true copy of your originals.

Yes, in most cases the requesting party in the country you will be using the document will provide you with it in the native language. This happens because documents containing a foreign language are usually governed by the laws of the country in which they will be used. Before explaining, it is important to know that if your document contains a language other than our two official languages, English and French, Global Affairs Canada Authentication Services Section has an extra requirement. Global Affairs Canada requires that you provide a notarized translation in either English or French that has been certified by a Canadian translator and notarized by a Canadian Notary. Now that they have authenticated your document it is ready for legalization at the embassy. Depending on the country the embassy may have extra requirements that have to be provided before your document can be legalized. As Embassy requirements change ofter for various documents, it is best to speak with one of our experts to ensure that your document is prepared for legalization.

Yes, there is no Global Affairs Canada Authentication Services Section office in Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Fredericton, Charlottetown, Halifax, or St. John’s. Canadian documents can only be federally authenticated at Global Affairs Canada Authentication Services Section located in Ottawa close to our office. As the first provider of authentication of documents services in Canada, our 30 years of expertise is here to help you wherever you are.