Embassy Consulate Legalization Services
Document legalization at a foreign embassy or consulate is the second step in making Canadian documents valid for use in non-Hague Apostille countries. This process takes place at the consular section of the foreign embassy and must only be completed after the first step of authentication has been carried out. Authentication is done on the provincial or federal level by Global Affairs Canada depending on the requirements. To be accepted for legalization, most embassies have strict requirements that change frequently and must be followed correctly to avoid delays or rejection of your document. These requirements may include fees, forms, supporting documents, translations, and specific document bindings. Don't stress, our embassy legalization services provide all the information you need to complete the process.
Legalization: The Final Validation After Authentication
Legalization validates the signatures of the authentication office which is done by the consular section of the foreign embassy in the country where the document is to be used. The process is similar to authentication, which involves verifying the signature of a certified individual on a legal document. The main difference is that Global Affairs Canada authenticates the signatures of lawyers or notary publics, while embassies authenticate the signatures of Global Affairs Canada.
If you're using Canadian documents outside of Canada, legalization by an embassy or consulate is often required. Some countries, such as Qatar or the United Arab Emirates, refer to legalization as attestation. Countries that have signed the Hague Convention may refer to it as Apostille or simply Authentication, such as China.
At Global Document Solutions, we offer assistance with document apostille, attestation, authentication, and legalization at all foreign embassies and consulates in Canada. With 30 years of experience working with the diplomatic community, we have a distinct advantage in ensuring efficient processing of your sensitive documents. We are a recognized leader in our field and the recommended document legalization service provider at embassies or consulates in Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver.
Processing time for legalization is dependent on the embassy or consulate and cannot be guaranteed. For current processing time, embassy fee, and specific requirements for legalizing your document, request a personal quote.
Embassy Legalization FAQ's
The simple answer is Yes as of January 11, 2024. To make sure the process is done correctly depends on where it was issued.
The countries that will request that you get an Apostille include:
A
- Albania
- Andorra
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
B
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei Darussalam
- Bulgaria
- Burundi
C
- Cabo Verde
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Cook Islands
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
D
- Denmark
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
E
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- Eswatini
F
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
G
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guyana
H
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
I
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
J
- Jamaica
- Japan
K
- Kazakhstan
- Kosovo
- Kyrgyzstan
L
- Latvia
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
M
- Macau
- Malawi
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
N
- Namibia
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Niue
- North Macedonia
- Norway
O
- Oman
P
- Pakistan
- Palau
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
R
- Romania
- Russian Federation
S
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- São Tomé and Principe
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- South Korea (Republic of Korea)
- Spain
- Suriname
- Sweden
- Switzerland
T
- Tajikistan
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkey
U
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- United States of America
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
V
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela
List of Countries you will need to use the Authentication and Legalization Process for a Canadian Document
For your reference, we have provided a list of countries that have not ratified the Apostille Convention. It is your responsibility to verify the accuracy of this information.
- Afghanistan
- Algeria
- Angola
- Bangladesh
- Benin
- Bhutan
- Burkina Faso
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Comoros
- Congo
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Cuba
- Democratic People's Republic of Korea
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Haiti
- Iran
- Iraq
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Kiribati
- Kuwait
- Lao
- Lebanon
- Libya
- Madagascar
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Micronesia
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Papua New Guinea
- Qatar
- Rwanda*
- Sierra Leone
- Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Syria
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Turkmenistan
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- United Arab Emirates
- Tanzania
- Viet Nam
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
* The Apostille Convention will come into effect in Rwanda on June 5, 2024.
As Canada's leading authorities, Global Document Solutions is equipped to expedite the preparation of a Canadian Death Certificate for global use, leveraging our 30 years of experience and current knowledge of Global Affairs Canada and Embassy regulations. Global Document Solutions service extends beyond swift document processing; we strive to simplify the procedure by guiding you through each stage, providing real-time updates on your document's status through our Online Status Tracker. Consult with one of our experts on international acceptance of the Death Certificate and leverage our expertise for your benefit.
No, as per the rules and regulations, only an original Death Certificate issued by a Canadian Provincial Vital Statistics Department can be authenticated. A notarized or certified copy made by a Canadian Notary Public cannot be apostilled or authenticated.
There are two different styles of Canadian Death Certificates such as the certificate size or the long form certified copy of the registration of death. Both come as certified true originals from the provincial Vital Statistics department. It's important to remember that the one you got from the Funeral Director or Funeral Home is not an official death certificate. The provincial statistics department of the province where the death took place issues the official death certificate. If you need to order a Death Certificate you can find links on our resources page on how to do it.
A Canadian Death Certificate is initially only valid for use in Canada therefore a foreign country will not accept a Canadian Death Certificate. To make the Death Certificate valid for use in a foreign country, it will first need to go through either the process of Apostille or Authentication and then if authenticated it needs Legalization at the Embassy Consulate of the country in which the document will be used. In both cases the authenticity of the foregoing signature is verified, effectively making the document valid for use in that foreign country. Some countries might ask you to get the Death Certificate Apostilled since that is the process most used in that foreign country. Since Canada has signed the Hague Apostille Convention, we now issue Apostille Certificates for use in member countries.
Most Vital Statistics Departments have an option to have the Death Certificate sent directly to a third party such as Global Document Solutions. Once you have been in contact with one of our agents regarding your request and confirmed how you want to proceed, we will provide you with our mailing address where the Death Certificate can be sent. A few Vital Statistics Departments, such as the Quebec État Civil, do not allow the Death Certificate to be sent directly to a third party. In this case the Death Certificate will need to be delivered to you first, then you can send it to us for Apostille or Authentication and Legalization.
If you have never ordered a Canadian Death Certificate, you have misplaced or lost the Death Certificate, the original you have is damaged, you can order a new or a replacement Death Certificate from the Provincial Vital Statistics Department in the province where the death took place. You can find links to the various vital statistics departments on our document resources page.
