Provincial Documents Apostille in Canada: Who Issues It
Provincial Documents Apostille in Canada: Who Issues It ! Apostille certificate attached to provincial document A Canadian provincial document gets an apostille from the province that issued it or from Global Affairs Canada.
Provincial Documents Apostille in Canada: Who Issues It
A Canadian provincial document gets an apostille from the province that issued it or from Global Affairs Canada. Which one depends on the province and the document type. Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan issue their own. Documents from all other provinces and territories go to the federal office. This article explains the rules, the fees and the filing steps.
TL;DR
- Canada has been part of the Apostille Convention since January 11, 2024. One apostille replaces the old multi-step legalization for member countries.
- Five provinces issue apostilles: Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan. Global Affairs Canada handles federal documents and all other provinces and territories.
- Government fees differ by province: $32 or $16 in Ontario, $20 in British Columbia and $66.50 in Quebec.
- The apostille confirms the signature, the official's capacity and the seal. It does not confirm the content of the document.
- Documents must be paper originals. Digital copies are not accepted.
Table of Contents
- What an apostille does for a provincial document
- Which authority issues the apostille
- Which provincial documents can be apostilled
- What each province charges
- How long it takes
- How to apply
- Common reasons for delay
- Our perspective
- Our service for Ontario documents
- FAQ
- Sources
What an apostille does for a provincial document
The Apostille Convention came into effect in Canada on January 11, 2024. Canadian public documents can now receive an apostille for use in any of the 124 member countries named by the federal government. Before that date, a document usually needed several layers of authentication and then a foreign embassy stamp.
An apostille is a certificate attached to the document. It states that the signature is genuine. It states the capacity in which the official signed. It confirms the seal or stamp. It does not validate the content of the document. A receiving country can still refuse a document for reasons of its own, such as age or format.
For more background on the treaty, see our guide to what the Hague Convention means for Canadian documents.
Which authority issues the apostille
Canada does not have one central office for every document. Global Affairs Canada issues apostilles for federal documents and for provinces that are not designated competent authorities. Those are Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island and Yukon. The same source lists Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan as the provinces that issue apostilles for their own documents.
The table shows the split.
| Where the document comes from | Who issues the apostille |
|---|---|
| Alberta | Alberta |
| British Columbia | British Columbia |
| Ontario | Official Documents Services (ODS) |
| Quebec | Gouvernement du Québec |
| Saskatchewan | Saskatchewan |
| Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island | Global Affairs Canada |
| Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon | Global Affairs Canada |
| Federal documents | Global Affairs Canada |
The place of issue matters, not where you live. A person in Toronto with a British Columbia birth certificate files with British Columbia. A person in Vancouver with an Ontario diploma files with Ontario. Our pages on which five provinces issue apostilles and on where to send documents, federal or provincial cover this in more detail.
How the document type and the notary affect the route
Some documents are public documents issued by a government office. Others are private documents, such as a letter or a school transcript copy, that a notary must first certify. The route depends on this difference. Notarization requirements vary by document type, and some public documents can be authenticated directly without notarization.
The province of the notary also counts. A notarized document is apostilled by the province where the notary holds a commission. A notary commissioned in Ontario signs a document that goes to Ontario. This is why a document signed in one place and sent to another can be rejected.
The same rule applies to estate papers. A will copy or a power of attorney for use abroad may need a notary first. A checklist of estate documents helps you decide which papers to gather before you contact a notary.
For a detailed look at who files what, read our page on original, notarized or apostille filing by province.
Which provincial documents can be apostilled
Each province keeps its own list. The common categories are listed below. Check the issuing office before you file, because the lists change.
- Vital records. Birth, marriage and death certificates issued by the provincial registry.
- Education documents. Diplomas, degrees and transcripts. These usually need a notary or school official to certify them first.
- Court documents. Orders, judgments and certified court copies. We cover these in court documents apostille in Canada.
- Notarized documents. Affidavits, declarations, consents, powers of attorney and certified true copies signed by a commissioned notary.
- Corporate records. Certificates and articles, often as certified copies.
- Background checks. RCMP criminal record checks are federal. They go to Global Affairs Canada, not to a province.
- Banking documents. Letters and statements normally need a notary. See our notary checklist for bank documents.
The requirement is stable across provinces. Documents must be on paper, with an original, recognized signature and a seal where one applies. A scan or a PDF cannot be apostilled. Our page on digital documents and apostilles explains the recent change.
What each province charges
The fees below are the government fees only. They do not include notary charges, courier costs or the fee of a service provider.
| Province | Government fee | Source year |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | $32 per official government document, court-issued document or postsecondary credential. $16 per notarized document. | 2026 |
| British Columbia | $20 per document | 2026 |
| Quebec | $66.50 per document | 2026 |
These are the fees published by Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec. Fees can change. Confirm the amount on the official page before you pay. For the other provinces, see our overview of apostille fees by province.
A worked example helps. A student has an Ontario diploma and a transcript. The diploma is a postsecondary credential. The government fee is $32 for each. If a notary certifies copies first, the notary charge is added. The student should also add courier costs in both directions if filing by mail.
How long it takes
Processing time depends on the office and the method.
- Ontario, by mail. About 15 business days at ODS.
- Ontario, in person. The same page says service at select locations can take about 30 minutes when the documents are complete.
- British Columbia. Two to four weeks, not counting mail time.
- Global Affairs Canada. The office posts the date of the requests it is processing now. Mailing time is added, normally 5 to 10 business days when shipped from Canada.
The federal wait changes through the year. Look at the posted figure on the day you plan to file. If your deadline is close, a province that offers in-person service is often faster than a mail-in federal route.
How to apply
The steps are similar in each province.
- Confirm the destination country is a member of the Convention.
- Find the place of issue of each document. This sets the authority.
- Decide if the document is public or needs a notary. Get the original from the issuing office if it is a vital record.
- If a notary is needed, use a notary commissioned in the same province as the filing office.
- Check for a translation. A document in a language other than English or French needs a certified translation.
- Submit the original document with the form and the fee, by mail or in person where the office allows it.
- Receive the apostille attached to the document. Send it abroad as paper.
There is no fully online route for the apostille itself. The original paper document must reach the office. Our checklist for filing by mail lists the items each province asks for.
If the destination country is not a member
A non-member country does not accept an apostille. Legalization may be needed by the embassy, high commission or consulate of that country after the Canadian authentication. Contact the consulate first, since each one sets its own rules. We also handle consular legalization. See our services page.
Common reasons for delay
- The document is a copy, not an original.
- The notary is not commissioned in the province of filing.
- The signature is not an original wet-ink signature.
- The document is laminated or altered.
- The translation is missing.
- The fee is wrong or the payment method is not accepted.
Most of these are caught by a review before submission. A review costs less than a rejected file and a second round of postage.
Our perspective
We file Ontario documents in person at the ODS counter. This is why same-day and next-day turnaround is possible for Ontario documents. Mail-in processing is slower, and many clients cannot wait for it.
Most errors we see are about the notary or the place of issue. A client has a document from one province and a notary from another. The file is then refused. We check this before filing.
Our quote includes the government fee. The client sees the total before ordering. If a filing error is ours, we correct it at no extra cost. Documents are handled by a commissioned Ontario Notary. We do not pass them to intermediaries.
We do not file in other provinces ourselves in the same way. For a document issued elsewhere, we tell the client which office to use.
— Ken
Our service for Ontario documents
We prepare, notarize and apostille Ontario documents, with notarization and certified true copies at $35 per document. Additional documents in one order cost $50 for the second, $45 each for the third to fifth and $40 each from the sixth. Next-Day Priority and Same-Day Rush options are on the pricing page. Services are described on the services page. For urgent files in the Toronto area, see same-day apostille in Toronto and the GTA. For the general process, read how to apostille a Canadian document.
FAQ
Is Canada a signatory of the apostille convention?
Yes. The Convention came into effect in Canada on January 11, 2024. Canadian public documents can be apostilled for use in member countries. The federal government lists 124 members.
Can I get an apostille online?
Not for the apostille itself. The offices need the paper original with a recognized signature and seal. You can prepare and order through a service online, but the physical document must be filed.
How long does an apostille take in Canada?
It depends on the office. Ontario mail-in takes about 15 business days, and in-person service at select locations can take about 30 minutes. British Columbia takes two to four weeks, and the federal office posts its current wait.
Which province do I file with?
File with the province where the document was issued, or where the notary is commissioned for notarized documents. If that province is not Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec or Saskatchewan, file with Global Affairs Canada.
Sources
- Canada joins Apostille Convention to facilitate use of public documents abroad
- Documents for other jurisdictions or countries, Alberta.ca
- Authentication of documents: Requirements, Global Affairs Canada
- Authenticate a document for use outside Canada, ontario.ca
- Document Authentication Fee, Province of British Columbia
- About Authentication, Province of British Columbia
- Applying for an apostille, Gouvernement du Québec
- Authentication of documents, Global Affairs Canada