How to Get an Apostille in Ontario

Apostilles for documents issued or notarized in Ontario are issued by Official Documents Services (ODS), the province's designated competent authority located in Toronto. ODS verifies the signature and seal on your document and attaches the apostille certificate, which is then recognized in all Apostille Convention member countries without any further embassy step.

Federal documents — such as RCMP certified criminal record checks or federal corporate records — do not go to ODS. They are apostilled by Global Affairs Canada instead. Knowing which authority handles your specific document is the first step in avoiding a returned submission.

ODS does not apostille just any paper placed in front of it. Documents generally fall into two categories. Official government-issued originals — such as birth, marriage, and death certificates from ServiceOntario — can typically be submitted as issued, provided they carry the appropriate registrar signature.

Most other documents must first be notarized by an Ontario notary public. This includes powers of attorney, statutory declarations, consent letters, copies of diplomas and transcripts, and corporate documents. The notary's signature and seal are what ODS actually verifies, so the notarization must be done correctly and by a notary whose credentials are on record in Ontario.

An apostille from ODS is only the right pathway if the destination country is a member of the Apostille Convention. If your document is going to a non-member country — such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, or Vietnam — it must instead be authenticated and then legalized at that country's embassy or consulate in Canada.

Some member countries also apply local rules on top of the apostille, such as requiring a certified translation. It is worth confirming the receiving authority's exact requirements before you begin, so the document arrives in a form they will actually work with.

The most frequently apostilled Ontario documents include birth certificates and marriage certificates from ServiceOntario, notarized powers of attorney for property matters abroad, university degrees and transcripts, police record checks issued by Ontario police services, and corporate records for international business dealings.

Each document type has its own preparation quirks. A local police check, for example, may need to be notarized before ODS will process it, whereas a fresh ServiceOntario birth certificate usually does not. Reviewing the requirements for your exact document before submitting saves a round trip.

Visa Jet is a private Canadian document support agency — we are not a government office and not affiliated with ODS. What we do is review your documents, confirm the correct pathway for your destination, arrange notarization where needed, and manage the submission from start to finish. Everything is handled remotely by email and secure courier, so you do not need to travel to Toronto.

Government processing times and fees are set by the issuing authority and vary. To discuss your Ontario documents, reach us at info@visajet.ca or +1 819-635-8787.