Questions about the Authentication and Legalization Process?

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

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

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

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

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

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