Speedy Apostille Services
All articles
12 min read

Israel Apostille in Canada: How to Get One

Israel Apostille in Canada: How to Get One ! Apostille certificate attached to Canadian document Canadian public documents used in Israel need an apostille.

Israel Apostille in Canada: How to Get One

Israel Apostille in Canada: How to Get One

Apostille certificate attached to Canadian document

Canadian public documents used in Israel need an apostille. Israel is part of the Apostille Convention, and the Israeli Consulate in Canada stopped authenticating Canadian documents on February 1, 2024. The apostille is issued by a Canadian authority. Which one depends on the province where the document was issued or notarized. This guide explains the steps, the fees, the processing times and the common reasons for a rejected file.

TL;DR

  • Israel accepts Canadian public documents with an apostille. The Israeli Consulate no longer authenticates them.
  • The issuing office depends on the province. Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec and Saskatchewan issue their own. Global Affairs Canada handles federal documents and the other provinces and territories.
  • Ontario charges $16 for a notarized legal document and $32 for an Ontario government or court-issued document. Global Affairs Canada charges nothing, but it has no expedited service.
  • Most documents are rejected for missing notarization, wrong document type or missing translation. Check these before you submit.

Table of Contents

Is Israel part of the Apostille Convention?

Yes. Israel is a party to the Apostille Convention. Nefesh B'Nefesh, the organization that supports people moving to Israel, states that Israel requires apostilled documents as part of the Aliyah process. Canada is also a party. For a Canadian document going to Israel, one apostille is enough. No second step at an Israeli consulate is needed.

This changed recently. Before Canada joined the convention, documents went through several steps and ended at the Israeli Consulate. The consulate announced that from February 1, 2024, it can no longer authenticate Canadian public documents. Those documents must now be apostilled by the competent Canadian authority. Older guides that mention consulate legalization for Israel are out of date.

One point stays the same. Global Affairs Canada says that whether a document needs authentication is decided by the destination country, not by Canadian law. The Israeli body that asks for your document makes the final decision. Ask that body what it needs before you file.

Is Israel part of the Apostille Convention? — overview diagram

What an apostille does

An apostille confirms that the signature, seal or stamp on a public document is genuine. It does not confirm that the content of the document is true. Israel's State Comptroller describes the procedure as a way to verify signatures, seals and authorized signatories on public documents in a uniform process.

In practice, the apostille is a certificate attached to your document. It carries a number and the name of the issuing authority. The Israeli office that receives the document can check it against that authority.

Which Canadian office issues the apostille

There is no single national office for every document. The Government of Canada lists the split on its authentication requirements page.

Where the document was issued or notarizedWho issues the apostille
Federal documentsGlobal Affairs Canada
Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, YukonGlobal Affairs Canada
AlbertaGovernment of Alberta
British ColumbiaGovernment of British Columbia
OntarioGovernment of Ontario
QuebecGovernment of Quebec
SaskatchewanGovernment of Saskatchewan

The rule follows the place where the document was issued or notarized. A birth certificate from Ontario goes to Ontario. A university diploma from Ontario, once notarized in Ontario, also goes to Ontario. If you were born in Nova Scotia and live in Toronto, your birth certificate goes to Global Affairs Canada, because Nova Scotia does not issue its own apostilles.

For a longer explanation of the split, see our guide on Global Affairs Canada versus provincial offices. Another view of how provincial systems differ is in this overview of how Canadian apostilles work by province.

Documents Israel commonly asks for

Israel asks for different documents depending on the purpose. The most frequent cases are:

  • Aliyah: birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce documents and police certificates.
  • Citizenship and family status: birth, marriage and death certificates.
  • Study: diplomas, transcripts and degree certificates.
  • Work: professional credentials, employment letters and background checks.
  • Business: corporate records, powers of attorney and company resolutions.

Alberta's government gives a useful list of public documents that can receive an apostille: birth, marriage and death certificates, education records, notarized documents, export records and corporate records. Other provinces accept similar categories.

Two kinds of documents need extra attention.

Documents issued by private bodies. A diploma, a transcript, a letter from an employer or a power of attorney is not a public document by itself. It must first be notarized or certified by a notary. The notary's signature is then what the province apostilles. Notarization is why many first filings fail.

Documents that are only digital. Some Canadian offices only accept paper originals or paper copies with a wet-ink notary stamp. Read our note on why digital documents cannot be apostilled before you pay for an online notarization. Our page on online notarization and apostilles covers what works.

Step by step: apostille for Israel

  1. Confirm what Israel needs. Ask the Israeli office, employer, university or lawyer which documents and which versions it wants. Ask whether originals, certified copies or recent issue dates are required.
  2. Get the right document. For vital records, order a long-form or certified copy from the province's registry. For school records, request an official transcript or diploma copy from the institution.
  3. Notarize where needed. A diploma, transcript or affidavit needs a notary or a certified true copy. The notary must be commissioned in the province that will issue the apostille.
  4. Identify the issuing office. Use the table above. The place of issue or notarization decides it.
  5. Submit the document. Global Affairs Canada takes an online request, followed by documents sent by mail or courier, or dropped off in person. Provincial offices have their own methods.
  6. Wait for the apostille. Processing time varies by office, as described below.
  7. Translate if needed. See the translation section.
  8. Send the document to Israel. Check the apostille details before sending.

Fees and processing times

Fees differ by office. Here are the current figures from official pages.

OfficeFeeProcessing
Global Affairs CanadaFree25 business days at the time of checking, plus mailing. No expedited service.
Ontario$16 per notarized legal document; $32 per Ontario government or court-issued documentMail-in requests within 15 business days of receipt
Quebec$66.50 per documentPosted on the Quebec page, which shows the date of applications now being processed

Global Affairs Canada also says that it processes requests in the same time whether you apply yourself or use a third-party provider. A service provider cannot speed up that office. A provider can only save time on the steps before it: notarization, checking the document and filing correctly. In Ontario, in-person filing at the counter is the route that can be faster than the mail-in time above.

These figures change. Check the official pages before you budget.

Translation requirements

Israel accepts documents in several languages, but the receiving office may ask for a Hebrew or English version. English documents are often accepted without translation. French documents from Quebec and other French-language documents may need translating.

On the Canadian side, Ontario requires that documents in languages other than English or French come with a certified translation. Translate before you request the apostille if the Canadian office needs it. If Israel needs the translation, ask the receiving office whether it wants the translation apostilled or notarized in Israel.

How to check an apostille

The receiving office in Israel can check your apostille. You can check it first. Global Affairs Canada says an online tool is available for apostilles issued by Global Affairs Canada and the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. Ontario offers its own online verification of Ontario apostilles. A quick check confirms the number and issuing authority before you ship the document abroad.

Common reasons a file is returned

  • The document was not notarized before it was submitted.
  • The notary's commission is from a different province than the issuing office.
  • The document is a photocopy where the office needs an original or a certified copy.
  • The wrong office was chosen, for example a Nova Scotia document sent to Ontario.
  • The signature of an official on a vital record is not one the office has on file.
  • A translation is missing.

Our article on questions that prevent a returned apostille covers the checks in detail. Our sample-based guide shows what finished documents look like.

When time is short

Global Affairs Canada does not offer expedited processing. If you have a deadline, such as an Aliyah appointment or a job start, there are three options.

  1. Use a province that processes faster, if the document was issued or notarized there. Ontario documents can be filed in person.
  2. Ask the Israeli receiving office whether it can wait or accept the document later. Global Affairs Canada advises that for urgent cases you contact the receiving authority or foreign mission to ask whether it may waive authentication.
  3. If the document is from a province that Global Affairs Canada handles, plan for its full processing time and mailing.

For general background on all documents, see our Apostille Canada guide and our summary of apostille rules in Canada.

Our view

Most delays on Israel files come from preparation, not from the apostille office. People order the wrong version of a birth certificate. They skip the notary. They send an Ontario file to the wrong office. These are errors on the front end, and they cost more time than a long queue.

We file Ontario documents in person at the Official Documents Services counter. This is how we reach same-day or next-day turnaround on Ontario documents. All documents are handled by a commissioned Ontario Notary. We do not pass files to intermediaries. Government fees are included in the quote, so the client sees the total before ordering. If we make a filing error, we correct it at no extra cost.

Our advice for Israel files is simple. Decide what the Israeli office needs first. Then match each document to its issuing province. Then notarize. Do these in order and the apostille step is routine.

— Ken

Ontario documents for Israel with Speedy Apostille Services

We handle Ontario apostilles for documents going to Israel, including birth certificates, marriage certificates, diplomas, transcripts, court documents, corporate records and RCMP background checks. We review the document, arrange the required notarization, file it and return it.

Speedyapostilleservices

Notarization and certified true copies cost $35 CAD per document. For more than one document in an order, the price is $50 CAD for the second document, $45 CAD each for documents three to five, and $40 CAD each for the sixth and later. Our quote includes government fees. See our services and pricing for Next-Day Priority and Same-Day Rush. For urgent Ontario files, see our same-day apostille in Toronto and the GTA. Contact us through the Speedy Apostille Services site.

FAQ

Does Israel accept a Canadian apostille?

Yes. Israel and Canada are both parties to the Apostille Convention. Since February 1, 2024, the Israeli Consulate in Canada no longer authenticates Canadian public documents. An apostille from the competent Canadian authority is the required step.

Does Canada issue the apostille?

Yes, through several offices. Global Affairs Canada issues them for federal documents and for documents from eight provinces and territories. Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan issue them for documents from their own provinces.

How much does an apostille for Israel cost in Canada?

It depends on the issuing office. Global Affairs Canada charges no fee. Ontario charges $16 for a notarized legal document and $32 for an Ontario government or court-issued document. Quebec charges $66.50 per document. Notary, courier and service fees are extra.

How long does it take?

Global Affairs Canada reports a queue measured in weeks and offers no expedited service. Ontario's mail-in service takes up to 15 business days from receipt. In-person filing in Ontario can be completed much faster. Check the official pages for current times.

Do I need a translation for Israel?

It depends on the Israeli office. Ask it which languages it accepts. Ontario requires a certified translation for documents that are not in English or French.

Sources

Recommended

Call NowGet Quote