CANADA – To Join the Apostille Convention

May 23, 2023


Global Affairs Canada announced on 16 May that Canada has formally acceded to the Convention on the Abolition of the Requirement of Legalization of Foreign Public Documents, also known as the Apostille Convention.

The Apostille Convention simplifies the process of legalizing documents for use in other countries who are members of the Convention. Under terms of the Convention, if a document has been legalized in one country, it can be used for legal purposes in another member country without the need to legalize it again.

One common use for such documents is in the process of immigration, where documents such as birth and marriage certificates, university degrees, and professional certifications must all be “legalized” as part of the immigration process. Global Affairs Canada states “Over 200,000 Canadian public documents are authenticated every year, and this accession will give Canadians a cost-effective, streamlined method for getting their Canadian public documents accepted abroad.”

Canada will join 124 other countries as members of the Apostille Convention. Membership in the Convention for Canada will go into effect on 11 January 2024.