If traveling 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.

Generally speaking, one can use an original long form birth certificate as issued by a Provincial or Territorial Vital Statistics Office.

One can manage the authentication and legalization process on their own.  There are a few benefits in 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 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.