How to Apostille a Canadian Degree or Diploma

Since Canada joined the Apostille Convention on 11 January 2024, Canadian documents destined for member countries can be certified with an apostille. But an apostille authority does not certify a degree parchment in its raw state — it certifies a recognized signature or seal. That means your degree usually needs a preparation step before it can be apostilled.

There are two common routes: having a notarized true copy of the degree prepared by a Canadian notary public, or having the document signed or verified directly by an authorized official at the issuing institution, such as the registrar. Which route is appropriate depends on what the receiving country or employer will accept, and on what the competent authority in your province recognizes.

A notarized copy is often the faster and more flexible option: a notary examines the original degree, certifies a copy as true, and the apostille is then applied to the notarization. Many destinations accept this, but some — particularly for professional licensing — insist on verification traceable to the institution itself.

Institutional verification means the university or college registrar signs or seals the document (or a confirming letter), and the apostille then certifies that institutional signature. Some receiving bodies also want official transcripts prepared and sealed by the registrar's office. Before choosing a route, confirm with the receiving party exactly what form they require.

The competent authority depends on where the document was notarized or issued. Documents prepared in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, British Columbia, or Saskatchewan are apostilled by those provinces' designated authorities — such as Official Documents Services in Ontario or the Order in Council Administration Office in BC. Documents from all other provinces and territories are apostilled by Global Affairs Canada.

Fees and processing times are set by each authority and vary, so build in lead time, especially if a job start date or enrolment deadline is approaching.

Whether your apostilled degree also needs translation depends entirely on the destination. Spanish-speaking countries typically require a certified Spanish translation; Gulf states often require Arabic; some European employers accept English documents as-is. Confirm the language requirement — and whether the translation itself must be certified, sworn, or notarized — with the receiving institution before commissioning anything.

Note that if your degree is going to a country that is not a Hague member, the route is authentication and consular legalization rather than an apostille.

Visa Jet is a private Canadian agency that prepares academic documents end to end: notarization or coordination of institutional verification, routing to the correct competent authority for apostille, and certified translation where required. Everything is handled remotely by email and secure courier, wherever you are in Canada or abroad.

We never certify documents ourselves and cannot guarantee acceptance by any foreign authority — but we can make sure your paperwork is prepared the way the process requires. Contact info@visajet.ca or call +1 819-635-8787 to get started.