The Canadian authorities are introducing an online service for verifying apostilles and streamlining the system of bodies authorized to issue apostilles. The relevant information has been published on the Government of Canada’s website and on the portal of the Hague Conference on Private International Law.
Canada and the Apostille Convention
For a long time, international recognition of documents issued in national jurisdictions (such as civil status certificates, diplomas, educational certificates, or notarial deeds) was associated with significant difficulties. This used to require a consular legalization procedure: the document first had to be certified by a competent authority of the issuing state (for example, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and then by the consulate of the country where the document was intended to be used.
Moreover, a certificate or diploma could be used only in the jurisdiction for which it was legalized through the consulate. If a person moved to a third country, the entire procedure had to be repeated from the beginning. To simplify this system of document legalization, in 1961 the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents was adopted — better known as the Apostille Convention.
An apostille is a standardized international form confirming the authenticity of a document for use in states that recognize this method of legalization. For many years, it existed solely as a special stamp placed on the document by a competent authority, or as a certificate attached to it. More recently, however, the technology of the electronic apostille (e-Apostille) has been spreading — a special digital mark confirming the authenticity of a document.
The essence of the Convention is that all states that have ratified it guarantee recognition within their territories of documents bearing an apostille from other member states. In turn, each state has the right to issue apostilles for documents originating within its own jurisdiction.
As Schmidt & Schmidt reported earlier, on May 12, 2023, the Canadian authorities officially deposited the instruments of accession to the Apostille Convention with the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH). This event was of particular importance for the Hague Conference, as it marked the 1,000th submission of documents by a member state to the HCCH and therefore was held in a festive atmosphere. The ceremony took place at the Permanent Bureau of the Conference in The Hague.
Official Ottawa was represented by Her Excellency Ms. Lisa Helfand, Ambassador of Canada to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. She was accompanied by staff members of the Embassy and the Canadian Department of Justice. During the document deposit ceremony, an excerpt from a documentary film about the work of the HCCH was shown.
As of January 11, 2024, the Convention entered into force in Canada. The authorities responsible for apostillization in Canada were designated as follows:
- Global Affairs Canada (Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development);
- Ministry of the Attorney General of British Columbia;
- Ministry of Justice of Alberta;
- Ministry of Justice and Attorney General of Saskatchewan;
- Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery of Ontario.
The designated regional authorities authenticated documents within their respective jurisdictions, while for all other cases, legalization was carried out by Global Affairs Canada.
Changes in Canada’s apostille procedure
Recently, the Canadian authorities have introduced several innovations to the apostille procedure. In August 2025 the country’s page on the official portal of the Hague Conference on Private International Law was updated.
The current list of bodies authorized to issue apostilles is as follows:
- Global Affairs Canada (including the Authentication Services Section at the Department’s headquarters, as well as diplomatic missions abroad);
- Ministry of the Attorney General of the Province of British Columbia (Legal Services Branch, Authentication Program);
- Ministry of Justice of the Province of Alberta (Office of the Deputy Provincial Secretary, Authentication Services Section);
- Ministry of Justice and Attorney General of the Province of Saskatchewan (Department of Justice and Authentication Services of the Attorney General);
- Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement of the Province of Ontario (Official Documents Services);
- Minister of Justice of the Province of Quebec.
Each province has its own particularities in providing apostille services. For example, in Quebec the service is offered in French, in Ontario and at the headquarters of Global Affairs Canada - in both English and French, while in the other provinces it is available only in English.
In some authorities, procedural restrictions apply: for example, Global Affairs Canada accepts documents only by mail, while certain offices in Ontario require in-person submission. An important recent innovation in the work of Canadian authorities responsible for apostilles has been the introduction of an online service for verifying the authenticity of an apostille..
The Authentication Services Section has launched a tool that allows online verification of the validity of apostilles issued by Global Affairs Canada and the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. This new tool significantly simplifies the real-time verification of apostilles issued by Canadian competent authorities, thereby enhancing security, reducing the risk of fraud, and facilitating the acceptance of Canadian documents abroad
— according to an official statement on the Government of Canada website.
What is an apostille?
What is an apostille? Why do I need an apostille? How do I get an apostille? - Our video will explain everything you need to know about the apostille. If you have a document that needs to be certified with an apostille for use abroad, Schmidt and Schmidt will assist you! We provide apostille services in more than 100 countries worldwide.
