| Apostille - Legalization - Authentication |
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Occasionally, you may be asked to obtain a certificate of apostille when a document is notarized. Usually, this type of request will come from a lawyer or notary in another country who requires a document that will be used in the foreign country. An apostille certificate is a certificate which verifies that he person who notarized the document is in fact a qualified notary within the jurisdiction in question. Unfortunately, the apostille system only applies in countries which signed the The Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents. Canada did not sign this international convention. As a result, there is no apostille system in Canada. The equivalent process is "legalization and authentication" which normally means that the notarized document must be sent to the relevant Law Society or Society of Notaries where the governing body then verifies the signature of the lawyer or notary (as the case may be). An additional step is usually necessary where the consulate of the foreign country then also verifies the approval of the law society or notaries society, sometimes in conjunction with a Canadian government office. It is very important to check with the embassy or consulate of the foreign country in order to determine the rules that are required for the document to be used in the foreign country. The rules vary from country to country. Please contact us if you need assistance with this issue. |
