Preparing An Apostille In Vancouver For Use Abroad
You will need to prepare an apostille if you plan to use official documents abroad. Our notary public in Vancouver will help you prepare this document in a timely and efficient manner, as we offer same-day notary services and even mobile notary appointments.
Having an apostille is important if you do business overseas, or plan to move to another country and want your official documents to remain legally recognized in a foreign jurisdiction. For example, how will your declaration hold up if you move to a foreign country? Or, what if you’re making a large business deal with a company in Asia? How do you ensure that your documents remain legally recognized?
If you want your official documents to be used in a foreign jurisdiction, you will require the Canadian equivalent of an apostille.
What Is an Apostille?
An apostille (pronounced ‘ah-pos-til’) is somewhat of a misnomer in Canada.
The Hague convention that established the apostille in 1961 did not include Canada – which means that we have a separate set of requirements for foreign notarization.
The equivalent of an apostille in Canada is the process of notarization, authentication and legalization. This is done in three separate steps:
- Your document is notarized by a notary public in Vancouver.
- Your notary public will send the notarized document to the Ministry of Justice for authentication.
- At Morris Notary, our lawyer will send your document directly to the Ministry of Justice, because he is already registered with the Order in Council, whereas another notary public in Vancouver may first have to consult the Societies of Notaries Public
- The notarization and authentication process will have to be verified by the foreign consulate of the country you plan to send your document to. This process is known as legalization.
Generally, an ‘apostille’ in Canada is referred to when one needs to notarize, authenticate and legalize a document. This is the Canadian equivalent of an apostille. You can read more about the apostille and the Hague convention on our notary resources page.
When Do You Need an Apostille?
Many countries require that documents are authenticated before they are accepted for use in the foreign country. For example, the Consulate of India requires that all documents must be authenticated in Canada before they are accepted in India.
An apostille, or the equivalent process, can be required for declarations or affidavits to hold up in another country. This means that you must authenticate your documents before moving to another country.
Morris Notary has an excellent track record of preparing real estate transfers, apostilles and all forms of notarizations. If you are in need of a notary public in Vancouver, call us at (778) 819-8553 or email [email protected].
