If you need a Canadian document accepted by an authority in another country, it usually needs more than a notary’s stamp. Canada now issues apostilles, which replaced a longer two-step process for many destinations. Which route applies depends entirely on the destination country, and the steps must happen in order — a document sent for the wrong one comes back, and you start again.
Notarization is the first step, not the whole thing
A notary public verifies identity, witnesses signatures, and certifies copies. That is a Canadian act with effect in Canada.
A foreign authority generally has no way to know whether a Canadian notary’s seal is genuine. That is the problem the rest of the process exists to solve: an official chain confirming the signature and seal are real.
So notarization comes first, and then something is added on top of it.
The apostille
Canada joined the international convention that created the apostille, and now issues them. For a destination country that is also a member, this is a single certificate attached to the document, and it replaces the old two-step route.
That is a meaningful simplification. It removed an entire step and, in most cases, a trip to a consulate.
Authentication and legalization — still needed for some countries
Not every country belongs to the convention. For those destinations the older process still applies: the document is authenticated by the Canadian government, and then legalized by the destination country’s embassy or consulate.
Two steps, two organisations, two sets of timelines. This is the slower route, and the one where planning ahead matters.
The order matters and cannot be shortcut
- The document is notarized or commissioned
- It receives an apostille — or is authenticated and then legalized
- It is submitted abroad
Skipping ahead does not work. A document sent for an apostille that was never properly notarized comes back. So does one sent for the wrong process because nobody checked whether the destination country was a convention member.
Ask the destination first
The most useful thing you can do before starting is ask the organisation that will receive the document exactly what they require. A university, a court, an employer and a government office in the same country can each want something slightly different.
Getting that in writing before you begin saves weeks.
How long to allow
Longer than you think. Each step is a separate organisation with its own processing time, and if a document is rejected you restart that step.
If there is a deadline — a court date abroad, a job start, a school registration — work backwards from it and begin early. Rushing the last step is not usually possible.
Where we come in
We handle the notarization and commissioning at our Brampton office, and can advise on which route your document needs and what order to do it in. The apostille or authentication itself is issued by government offices, not by us — but knowing which one you need, and having the underlying document prepared correctly, is where most of the delays get avoided.
If you have a document that needs to be used outside Canada, our notary public services can get the first step right. You’ll receive a response the same business day.