Global Affairs Canada officially announced that Canada is to become a member of the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents, also known as the Hague Apostille Convention.

With this new certification, Canadian “public documents,” such as RCMP background checks, can be apostilled. This certification is used in any of the 124 countries that are part of the convention. The shift allows an easier and faster global legalization process. The Apostille Convention will come into effect in Canada on January 11, 2024.

List of examples of public documents, please not that this list is not exhaustive:

  • Documents issued by the government, courts, or tribunals (e.g., birth and marriage certificates, RCMP certificate of no criminal records, etc.)
  • Administrative documents (e.g., corporate records, civil status documents, extracts from official registers, grants of license and patent, and certificates from administrative authorities)
  • Notarial acts
  • Official certificates which are placed on documents signed by persons in their private capacity, such as official certificates recording the registration of a document or the fact that it was in existence on a certain date, and notarial authentications of signatures.

For now, if a Canadian document is to be used outside of Canada, it still needs to be authenticated or legalized by the destination country’s embassy/consulate/representative in Canada.

The Fingerprint Room Inc. offers professional and reliable service that can help you obtain the authentication and legalization efficiently. You can find more information on our services here:
Authentication Apostille and Legalization

For domestic clients, contact us at: +1-604-447-2485

For international clients, contact us at: +1-844-447-2485

For questions or concerns, email your enquiries to: contact@thefingerprintroom.com

To book an appointment at a location near you: https://thefingerprintroom.com/book-now/

To book an appointment at Richmond, BC: https://thefingerprintroom.com/richmond-b-c/

To book an appointment at Calgary, BC: https://thefingerprintroom.com/calgary-ab-canada/