If travelling or working abroad, there might be a requirement to bring with you a copy of your Canadian birth certificate. In order for this document to be acceptable in a foreign country, it must proceed through the Canada Apostille process. This process is more commonly known as document authentication and legalization.
The authentication and legalization process is a two-step process and is pretty straightforward. Generally speaking, one can use an original long-form birth certificate as issued by a Provincial or Territorial Vital Statistics Office.
The first step in the process is to have the document authenticated by the authentication section of Global Affairs Canada. When the document is presented, the examiner in the authentication section will confirm that the document is acceptable and then affix a stamp and signature to the document. The authentication stamp confirms that the document is a valid Canadian document.
The second step in the process is to have the document legalized by the specific diplomatic mission for the country where you intend to use the documents. The Embassy official will affix a stamp or seal to the document confirming that the authenticated document is a legitimate document for use in that country.
One can manage the authentication and legalization process on their own. The requirements of the authentication section of Global Affairs Canada must be met.
Individuals are able to mail or courier their documents to their offices. The processing time can vary depending upon how busy their office is. On average, the processing time is about twenty business days. At your request, the documents could be forwarded by Global Affairs Canada to a specific Embassy.
In order for the documents to be legalized, the documents must meet the requirements of the Embassy. If you are trying to manage the documents on your own, there is very little that you can do to determine the status of the documents. Considering that the document is generally sensitive and is needed timely, one should realistically rely on the expertise of a local third-party company that specializes in the Canadian Apostille process.
At Capital Authentication, we would welcome the opportunity to offer our services.
There are a few benefits to using a specialized service that works in the authentication and legalization space. For instance, being knowledgeable about the requirements for individual documents such as a Canadian Birth Certificate in relation to Global Affairs Canada as well as the specific diplomatic mission.
Given that the requirements for a particular diplomatic mission can change with little or no notice, it is good to have an experienced service provider assisting with this process.
Another benefit is the speed at which documents can be processed. The fastest way to have Canadian documents authenticated and legalized (the Canada Apostille process) is to use a local Ottawa based third-party company.
One has to be mindful, however, as the fees can vary depending upon the third party company that is used. Some due diligence is required before selecting the company that best suits your needs.
At Capital Authentication, we approach the authentication and legalization process differently from our local competitors. We have devised a process that we employ, and it is referred to as The Completion Time method, when determining the fees to charge our clients and the speed at which the tasks can be completed. This often means that our client is not taking our most expensive processing package.
Feel free to reach out to our office in the format of your choosing either by e-mail at: info@capitalauthentication.com or by telephone at: 613-236-9975. We would be happy to discuss your unique situation while offering specialized guidance in arranging to have your Canadian Birth Certificate or other personal documents processed.