If you have an Ontario document — a notarized affidavit, a power of attorney, a certified copy of a diploma, a birth or marriage certificate — that needs to be accepted by a government, court, employer, or institution outside Canada, you may need to add a layer of certification on top of the notarial seal or the issuing authority’s signature. Until January 2024, that meant a two-step process: authentication by a Canadian government authority, followed by legalization at the destination country’s consulate. Since Canada joined the Hague Apostille Convention, a single apostille now replaces that two-step process for most destinations.

The big change: Canada joined the Hague Apostille Convention

Canada deposited its instrument of accession to the Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (the “Hague Apostille Convention”) in 2023, and the Convention entered into force for Canada on January 11, 2024. As a result, Canadian public documents — including documents notarized by Ontario notaries — can now be apostilled for use in any other Hague Convention member country.

An apostille is a standardized certificate, attached to or printed on the document, that confirms the authenticity of the signature and seal of the public officer who signed it. It is not a certification of the document’s contents — only of the authority and authenticity of the signing official. The apostille replaces the older multi-step authentication and consular legalization process for documents going to Hague countries.

Who issues apostilles in Canada

Under the Convention, each country designates one or more “competent authorities” empowered to issue apostilles. In Canada, the designations split along federal/provincial lines:

• Ontario competent authority: the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement — Official Documents Services (ODS). ODS issues apostilles for Ontario notary public seals and signatures, and for many Ontario-issued public documents (provincial certificates, court documents, etc.).
• Federal competent authority: Global Affairs Canada — Authentication Services Section. GAC issues apostilles for federally-issued documents (such as Canadian passports, RCMP criminal record checks, federal court documents, citizenship and immigration documents) and also acts as the competent authority for provincial and territorial documents originating from jurisdictions that do not maintain their own apostille service — currently Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon.
• Other provinces have their own designated authorities for documents issued under provincial authority in those provinces.

Confirm which authority applies to your document before submitting. Submitting an Ontario-notarized document to Global Affairs Canada (instead of ODS) will result in a return.

The typical Ontario apostille path

For a private document — for example, a power of attorney or a statutory declaration that you have written and signed — the path looks like this:

1. Notarize. The document is signed in front of an Ontario notary public, who applies their seal and notarial certificate.
2. Apostille. The notarized document is submitted to Official Documents Services (ODS). ODS verifies the notary’s seal and signature against its database and attaches an apostille certificate.
3. Send. The apostilled document is sent directly to the receiving party in the destination country. No consular step.

For a public document already issued by a government authority — for example, a birth certificate or a court order — step 1 is often unnecessary, and the document is submitted directly to ODS (for Ontario-issued documents) or to Global Affairs Canada (for federally-issued documents).

Documents going to non-Hague countries

Not every country is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention. For destinations that are not Hague Convention parties — examples include the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and a number of other jurisdictions — the older two-step process still applies and the apostille will not be accepted.

1. Notarize (where applicable).
2. Authenticate the notary’s seal and signature with Global Affairs Canada — Authentication Services Section. GAC verifies and attaches an authentication certificate.
3. Legalize the document at the destination country’s embassy or consulate in Canada. The consulate verifies the GAC authentication and adds its own stamp confirming acceptance.

This process takes longer and costs more than the apostille. Confirm with the destination authority whether the country is a Hague party and which step is required — the Hague Conference on Private International Law maintains an up-to-date list of member states.

How to know which path your document needs

Three quick checks:

• Is the destination country a Hague Convention party? If yes — apostille is the path. If no — authentication + consular legalization.
• Was the document issued by a federal authority or a provincial/notarial authority? Federal documents go to Global Affairs Canada. Ontario notarial work and most Ontario-issued documents go to ODS.
• Does the receiving party have specific instructions? Always ask. Some receiving parties accept just the notarization without further steps. Others want apostille; some still ask for the older legalization even from Hague countries (because their internal procedures haven’t updated). Their instructions trump the general rule.

Common Ontario documents we apostille for clients

• Powers of attorney for foreign real estate transactions (notably US, UK, EU)
• Certified copies of diplomas, transcripts, and professional licences for foreign employment or further study
• Certified copies of passports and birth certificates for visa or residency applications abroad
• Corporate documents (articles of incorporation, certificates of status, board resolutions)
• Marriage certificates for use in another country
• Affidavits and statutory declarations for use in foreign court proceedings
• Consular registration documents

What this change means for older guidance

Any guidance you read that says “Canada is not a signatory to the apostille convention” or “Canada cannot apostille documents” is out of date. That statement was correct only until January 10, 2024. As of January 11, 2024, Ontario notarial work can be apostilled by ODS for use in any other Hague Convention country.

Where to start

If you need a document apostilled or authenticated for use abroad, start with a notary public. Most Ontario notaries can prepare the notarized document and many can coordinate the apostille or authentication step on your behalf. Use our directory to find a notary public who handles authentication and apostille work: