A Single Status Document is a declaration that is prepared and signed by you in the presence of an experienced notary. The Single Status Document is a signed and sworn statement confirming that you are single.

There are actually three different types of Single Status Documents. These are a Single Status Declaration, Statement in Lieu of Non-Impediment to Marriage Abroad and Provincial Marriage Search Certificate. It is recommended that you obtain the one that is required by the destination country.

Each Single Status Document has an intended purpose. It is important that you obtain the one that is specifically requested for use in the destination country. In order to ensure that you are obtaining the proper document it is recommended that you clarify with the individual in the foreign country who is asking for the documentation.

In Canada, documents that are intended to be used abroad proceed through the authentication and legalization process. The authentication and legalization process is the Canadian equivalent to an Apostille. The first step in the process is to have the Canadian document stamped by Global Affairs Canada. The second step in the process is for the document to be stamped by the specific countries Embassy or Consulate.

The speed at which a document can be completed comes down to how quickly a particular Embassy will complete the legalization process. In some cases, a document can be authenticated and legalized in as little as a few days. In other cases, it can take a number of days.

Our office balances individual need with the total length of time required to complete the authentication and legalization process. We provide our clients with the processing options that are available to them.

An experienced document specialist can review your material and confirm that it conforms to the requirements of Global Affairs as well as the particular diplomatic mission for the country where you intend to use the document. Using a third-party company to assist with the authentication and legalization process typically saves you time and money. Our expert staff would welcome the opportunity to discuss your unique situation. We are confident that we can save you time and money in the process.

There are a few factors that must be taken into consideration when determining the overall cost. For instance, the number of documents that you have including the Single Status Document that require processing, is translation and notarization required, the fees charged by the specific Embassy, the method of payment, return couriers. Of course, the fees charged by our office. It would be best to reach out to our office and we can discuss your requirements while providing a detailed quote.

To make it easier to understand, we have grouped the authentication and legalization fees. Our office offers four different processing options depending upon urgency. More importantly, we employ a system that we refer to as “The Completion Time Method”. When suggesting prices, we balance the total time expected to take to have the document(s) authenticated by Global Affairs and then legalized by a particular Embassy or Consular Office. Employing our method translates into lower fees for our customers.

Once the authentication and legalization services have been completed, our clients can provide a prepaid return courier to our office.  If however it is more convenient, our office will happily arrange for the return courier either to our client directly or to an authorized third party of their choosing.

At Capital Authentication we do not like to return documents to a client using regular lettermail.  Regular lettermail is not encouraged given the sensitive nature of the documents.  However, where a client has specifically requests this method of return, we will comply.

This is a very good question and it really depends upon where one intends to use the document.  As long as the document is a Canadian document, Global Affairs Canada will generally authenticate either an original document or a notarized copy of the document.  If using a notarized document, the notary must be a Canadian notary.   The more important question to ask is whether the diplomatic mission in question will accept notarized documents instead of original documents.  It is always best to consult the diplomatic mission to determine if original documents and/or notarized documents can be used.  There are some diplomatic missions that will only accept original documents.

Should a problem arise with the processing of your documents due to a change in policy or requirements by Global Affairs Canada or at a particular diplomatic mission our office will be in contact with our clients immediately, by e-mail and/or telephone, so as to identify the problem and determine the best possible solution.

There are many instances when it is more convenient for a client to have documents sent directly to our office as opposed to their receiving them first.  For example, government issued documents such as birth certificates can be sent directly to us.  We can receive them and start compiling a client dossier with the authentication and legalization component to commence once we have all of the documents.