Apostille Processing Time in Canada: What to Expect
Apostille Processing Time in Canada: What to Expect ! Document courier pouch on a postal scale Apostille processing time in Canada ranges from about 30 minutes to more than six weeks.
Apostille Processing Time in Canada: What to Expect
Apostille processing time in Canada ranges from about 30 minutes to more than six weeks. The length depends on which office issues the apostille, how the document is submitted and whether the document needs notarization first. Ontario in-person filing is the fastest route. Federal and Atlantic or northern documents handled by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) are the slowest. This article lists the current official timelines and the extra steps that add time.
TL;DR
- GAC states an estimate of 25 business days, plus normally 5 to 10 business days for mailing from Canada.
- Ontario processes mail-in applications within 15 business days of receipt. In-person filing at Official Documents Services (ODS) has a standard wait of about 30 minutes when the documents are complete.
- British Columbia states 2 to 4 weeks, excluding mail time. Saskatchewan states 3 to 5 business days from receipt, excluding mail time.
- GAC, British Columbia and Saskatchewan do not offer routine rush service. Ontario in-person filing is the main fast option.
- Notarization, translation, courier delivery and incomplete paperwork add time before and after the apostille is issued.
Table of Contents
- Why the answer depends on the province
- Processing times at a glance
- Global Affairs Canada
- Ontario
- British Columbia
- Saskatchewan
- Quebec
- What adds time before and after the apostille
- Can the process be sped up?
- A worked timeline
- Our view on processing time
- Our Ontario apostille service
- FAQ
- Sources
Why the answer depends on the province
Canada has no single apostille office. Five provinces have their own competent authorities: Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan. GAC handles federal documents. It also handles documents issued by or notarized in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island and Yukon. GAC states that these provincial services operate independently and have their own rules and timelines.
An apostille is the single certificate that authenticates a Canadian public document for use in another Hague Convention country. Since January 11, 2024, one apostille is enough for use in over 120 member countries. The old chain of authentication and embassy legalization no longer applies for those countries. Legalization is still needed for countries outside the Convention.
The first step is to find the office that handles your document. That depends on where the document was issued, or where it was notarized if it needed notarization. Our guide on which five provinces issue apostilles explains the routing in more detail.
Processing times at a glance
The table shows the official figures. These are estimates. Each office says they can change with volume.
| Office | Stated processing time | Mail time | Rush or in-person option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Affairs Canada | 25 business days estimate | Normally 5 to 10 business days from Canada | No routine expedited service |
| Ontario (ODS), mail-in | Within 15 business days of receipt | Regular mail unless you supply a prepaid return | In-person filing, about 30 minutes standard wait |
| British Columbia | 2 to 4 weeks | Excluded from the estimate | No rush, walk-in or drop-off service |
| Saskatchewan | 3 to 5 business days from receipt | Excluded from the estimate | No expedited or same-day service |
| Quebec | Varies with request volume | Mail only, regular return unless you supply a prepaid envelope | Mail submission to the Montreal office |
Alberta is not in the table. Its authority sets its own timelines, so check its official page before you plan.
Global Affairs Canada
GAC states a current estimate of 25 business days, plus normally 5 to 10 business days for mailing from Canada. The estimate is based on the time needed to process 90% of recent applications. It can rise or fall with volume and operating conditions.
The total is therefore roughly 30 to 35 business days when you count both the processing estimate and the mailing allowance. That is about six to seven weeks on a calendar. Mailing the document to GAC and the apostille back to you are included in that mailing allowance only in the sense that GAC advises you to add it. Your own courier choice may shorten it.
GAC accepts documents by mail, courier or drop-off at its distribution centre. The drop-off location has no in-person service and gives no status updates. Using a third-party service provider does not change the timeline. GAC says processing time is the same whether you submit directly or through a provider.
GAC offers no expedited service. People with exceptional, urgent circumstances outside their control may contact GAC to ask for priority processing. That is a request, not a right, and GAC decides each case.
GAC also requires paper documents with an original recognized signature and seal where applicable. If a document does not meet the requirements, GAC can return it unauthenticated by regular mail. A return means starting the full timeline again.
Ontario
Ontario has the widest range of speeds. The province states that mail-in applications are processed by Official Documents Services within 15 business days after receipt. In-person submissions at ODS or selected ServiceOntario locations have a standard wait of about 30 minutes when the documentation is complete. Multiple items may take longer.
Court documents are a special case. Ontario says court-issued documents may take up to 10 business days to process for in-person authentication. It suggests notarizing urgent court documents when they are eligible, to avoid that extra wait.
Ontario authenticates some documents directly without prior notarization. These are newer public post-secondary diplomas, degrees and transcripts. They also include court documents issued by the Superior Court of Justice or the Ontario Court of Justice from July 10, 2023. Older documents and other court documents may need notarization or reissuance. Check the document against the official page before you file.
Mail-in authentications come back by regular mail. If you supply a prepaid return envelope or a computer-generated return waybill, the return is tracked. A prepaid courier return is the simplest way to shorten the delivery leg.
If the document is in a language other than English or French, Ontario requires translation handling. This is either a translation by a certified Canadian translator or an Ontario-notarized translation that meets the stated declaration requirements. Translation happens before filing, so it adds to the timeline.
British Columbia
British Columbia states a current processing time of 2 to 4 weeks, excluding mail time. When the office operates at full capacity, it strives for 14 business days, also excluding mail.
The province does not offer rush, walk-in, drop-off or while-you-wait service. All filing is by mail or courier.
British Columbia warns that Canada Post delivery may be delayed and suggests considering courier service. It also lists causes of slower processing: incomplete information, disorganized documents, signatures that are not on file, and cases where the office must contact the applicant.
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan states that document processing typically takes 3 to 5 business days from receipt at its office, excluding mailing time. It does not offer expedited or same-day service. It processes requests in the order received.
Saskatchewan requires notarization for most documents. The exceptions are specified original vital-statistics certificates, diplomas from the University of Saskatchewan or the University of Regina, and court documents signed and stamped by a court official.
Quebec
Quebec asks applicants to send the form, payment and documents together by mail to its apostille office in Montreal. The government's apostille application page shows which date of received applications it is currently processing. It warns that timing varies with request volume.
Apostilled documents are returned by regular mail. You can supply a prepaid courier or Canada Post expedited-shipping envelope and pay the related costs. Because the office only accepts mail, the round trip is the main variable. Read the page on the day you plan to send.
What adds time before and after the apostille
The stated processing time covers only the time inside the issuing office. Several steps fall outside it.
Notarization
Many documents need a notary before they can be apostilled. Copies of originals, affidavits, powers of attorney and many corporate records fall in this group. Notarization can take less than an hour if the notary has the document and your identification. It takes longer if you must find a notary, book an appointment or fix a missing signature. Our guide on original, notarized or apostille explains which documents need which step.
Translation
A translation can add days. It must be done before filing and it must meet the declaration rules of the issuing province. Ontario sets its rules as described above. Some destination countries also ask for a translation after the apostille. Check the receiving authority before you order.
Mail and courier delivery
Mailing is the largest uncontrolled delay. GAC tells applicants to add 5 to 10 business days. British Columbia warns of Canada Post delays. Using a tracked courier in both directions is a common way to reduce this. Our checklist on apostille by mail in Canada lists the mail rules for each province.
Errors and rejections
The most common cause of long delays is a returned file. A missing notary signature, a signature not on file, a photocopy where an original is required, or the wrong authority will all send the package back. The timeline then restarts. Our article on apostille rejection reasons covers the common ones.
Digital documents
The apostille is issued on paper documents. GAC requires paper documents with an original recognized signature and seal where applicable. Our note on digital documents and apostilles explains how this affects printed or emailed documents.
Can the process be sped up?
It depends on the issuing office.
- Ontario: In-person filing is the fast route. A complete package may be done in about 30 minutes at the counter. Court documents may take up to 10 business days.
- GAC: There is no routine expedited service. You may request priority only for exceptional, urgent circumstances.
- British Columbia: There is no rush option.
- Saskatchewan: There is no expedited or same-day service.
- Quebec: The application is by mail, so shipping choices are the main lever.
For offices without rush service, the only time you control is your own preparation and shipping. Send a complete, correctly ordered package. Include a prepaid courier return where the office allows it. Confirm the notarization requirement before you send anything.
A worked timeline
Two examples show how the stages add up. Both use the official figures above and assume no errors.
A federal document, for example one that GAC handles. Allow 25 business days for processing and 5 to 10 business days for mailing. The total is 30 to 35 business days. If a notary must first certify a copy, add that step before you send it.
An Ontario diploma filed in person. A newer public post-secondary diploma can be authenticated directly. At the counter, the standard wait is about 30 minutes when the documents are complete. The total is the same day, plus travel and courier delivery abroad.
A mailed Ontario birth certificate. Allow 15 business days after ODS receives it, plus the time to mail it there and back. Supplying a tracked return waybill shortens the return.
The difference between the first and second case is the reason the filing route matters more than the document type.
Our view on processing time
We file Ontario documents in person at the ODS counter. That is why we can offer same-day or next-day turnaround for Ontario documents. Our typical turnaround is 2 to 3 days, and our range is 1 to 7 days depending on the service chosen and the document.
Most delays we see are not caused by the issuing office. They come from a missing notarization, a wrong document type or a package sent to the wrong authority. A review of the document before filing removes most of these. A commissioned Ontario Notary handles every document. It is not passed to an intermediary.
We also state the limits. We cannot change what GAC, British Columbia or Saskatchewan do. GAC says provider use does not change its processing time. For documents that go to those offices, we can check the package and arrange the shipping, but the office timeline stays the same.
— Ken
Our Ontario apostille service
For Ontario documents, we offer standard Ontario apostille, Next-Day Priority and Same-Day Rush. Government fees are included in the upfront quote, so the total is known before you order. Additional documents cost $50 CAD for the second document, $45 CAD each for documents 3 to 5, and $40 CAD each from the sixth document. Notarization and certified true copies cost $35 CAD per document. See the services page for the full list, or submit your documents to start. You can follow a file on the submission tracker. If we make a filing error, we correct it at no extra cost.
FAQ
How long does an apostille take in Canada?
It depends on the office. GAC states 25 business days plus normally 5 to 10 business days for mailing. Ontario in-person filing has a standard wait of about 30 minutes, and mail-in applications take up to 15 business days after receipt. British Columbia states 2 to 4 weeks, excluding mail.
Can I get an apostille the same day in Canada?
Only in Ontario, through in-person filing at ODS or selected ServiceOntario locations. The standard wait is about 30 minutes when the documentation is complete. British Columbia and Saskatchewan do not offer same-day service. GAC has no routine expedited service.
Does using a service provider make it faster?
Not for GAC. It states that the processing time is the same whether you apply directly or through a provider. For Ontario, a provider that files in person can reduce the wait, because the in-person route is faster than mail. The main saving is in filing and shipping, not in the office's queue.
Does notarization add time?
Yes, when the document needs it. The notary step happens before the apostille. Some documents are authenticated without notarization. Examples are newer Ontario public post-secondary diplomas and transcripts, and certain Ontario court documents issued from July 10, 2023. Check the issuing office's list.
What happens if my documents are rejected?
The office returns them unauthenticated, and the timeline starts again. GAC returns non-compliant documents by regular mail. Check signatures, seals, originals and the right authority before you send them.
Sources
- Authentication of documents, Global Affairs Canada
- Authentication of documents: Requirements, Global Affairs Canada
- Improving authentication services in Canada, Canada.ca
- Authenticate a document for use outside Canada, ontario.ca
- Processing Times for Authenticating Documents, Province of British Columbia
- Authentication Services Frequently Asked Questions, Saskatchewan
- Applying for an apostille, Gouvernement du Québec