Document Authentication Services in Canada

Since Canada joined the Hague Apostille Convention in January 2024, there are now two distinct legalization pathways for Canadian documents going abroad. Which one applies depends entirely on the destination country.

For countries that are members of the Apostille Convention, a single apostille certificate issued by Global Affairs Canada is sufficient. For countries that have not joined the Convention — which still includes a significant number of destinations across the Middle East, parts of Africa, and elsewhere — the traditional two-step process remains mandatory: first, authentication by Global Affairs Canada; second, consular legalization by the destination country's embassy or consulate in Canada.

Authentication is the first of those two steps. It is the process by which Global Affairs Canada certifies the signature, seal, or stamp of a Canadian public official on a document, confirming that the official who signed it held the capacity they claimed at the time of signing. This authentication certificate is then presented to the foreign embassy or consulate, which adds its own consular legalization stamp to complete the chain.

Individuals and businesses sending documents to non-Apostille Convention countries make up the primary audience for authentication services. This includes Canadians working with authorities in certain countries in the Middle East, Africa, and parts of Asia where apostilles are not recognized.

Typical situations include: employment abroad in countries requiring authenticated Canadian credentials, business transactions requiring authenticated corporate documents, immigration and family reunion proceedings in non-member countries, and academic credential recognition in institutions located in those countries. Even where a country has not joined the Convention, its authorities will generally insist on a complete, unbroken authentication-plus-legalization chain — and any gap in that chain can result in document rejection.

The following are among the most commonly authenticated documents for non-member-country destinations:

Visa Jet is a private Canadian agency that assists clients in preparing their documents and supporting their submissions through both stages of the authentication-and-legalization chain. We are not affiliated with Global Affairs Canada, any embassy, or any government body, and we do not make authentication or legalization decisions — those rest entirely with the relevant authorities.

Our role is to ensure your documents arrive at each stage in the correct condition. We review documents for notarization and certification requirements, confirm whether federal or provincial officials' signatures are involved, assist with organizing submission packages for Global Affairs Canada authentication, and then support the subsequent embassy or consulate submission for consular legalization. We also provide certified translation services where the destination requires translated documents. Visa Jet keeps you informed at every stage so you understand where your file is in the process.

If your destination country is a member of the Apostille Convention, we can redirect you to our apostille services — the process is simpler and does not require a separate consular legalization step.