How to get an apostille in Canada
Updated October 23, 2026 · 7 min read · Prices in Canadian dollars
- Provinces with their own office
- 5
- Global Affairs Canada fee
- $0
- Ontario, notarized document
- $16
- Fastest by mail (SK)
- 4–7 days
Canada joined the Hague Apostille Convention on January 11, 2024. Since then, a Canadian document headed to a member country gets an apostille: one certificate, with no second stamp from that country’s embassy.
Who issues it depends on the province. Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec, Saskatchewan issue apostilles for their own documents and (in Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan) for documents notarized there. Every other province and territory, and every federal document, goes to Global Affairs Canada, which charges nothing at its Ottawa office.
Copies, translations, powers of attorney and most private documents need a notary’s signature and seal first. A commissioner of oaths’ stamp is not enough: the apostille office checks a notary’s signature against its records.
Where to send your document
Find the province your document was issued or notarized in. If it’s a federal document (an RCMP record check, a citizenship certificate), it goes to Global Affairs Canada whatever the province.
| Province | Who issues the apostille | Fee | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | Ontario Official Documents Services (Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement) | $16 a document for a notarized document; $32 for an Ontario government, court or post-secondary document. | Within 15 business days by mail; about 30 minutes in person when everything is in order (court documents can take up to 10 business days). |
| Alberta | Alberta Justice (Official Documents and Appointments) | $25 a document, paid online through Alberta eServices before you send the documents. | Allow at least 7 to 10 business days, in the order received. |
| British Columbia | BC Authentication Program (Ministry of Attorney General) | $20 a document. | 2 to 4 weeks, not counting mailing time. |
| Quebec | Quebec Ministère de la Justice (Délivrance des apostilles) | $65 a document (per the Hague Conference listing; confirm on Québec.ca). | On October 22–23, 2026 the ministry was processing requests received on October 21. |
| Saskatchewan | Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice and Attorney General (Authentication Services) | $50 a certificate issued, signatory listed or package. | Usually 4 to 7 business days from receipt, not counting mailing time. No same-day service. |
| Manitoba | Global Affairs Canada (Authentication Services Section) | Free at Global Affairs Canada headquarters in Ottawa ($50 a document at Canadian missions abroad). | Global Affairs Canada was processing requests received about 25 business days earlier when we checked, plus 5–10 business days of mailing time. There is no paid rush service. |
| Nova Scotia | Global Affairs Canada (Authentication Services Section) | Free at Global Affairs Canada headquarters in Ottawa ($50 a document at Canadian missions abroad). | Global Affairs Canada was processing requests received about 25 business days earlier when we checked, plus 5–10 business days of mailing time. There is no paid rush service. |
| New Brunswick | Global Affairs Canada (Authentication Services Section) | Free at Global Affairs Canada headquarters in Ottawa ($50 a document at Canadian missions abroad). | Global Affairs Canada was processing requests received about 25 business days earlier when we checked, plus 5–10 business days of mailing time. There is no paid rush service. |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Global Affairs Canada (Authentication Services Section) | Free at Global Affairs Canada headquarters in Ottawa ($50 a document at Canadian missions abroad). | Global Affairs Canada was processing requests received about 25 business days earlier when we checked, plus 5–10 business days of mailing time. There is no paid rush service. |
Prince Edward Island and the three territories also go through Global Affairs Canada. Each province’s page has the address, the steps and the documents it accepts.
When you need a notary first
- A copy of a document (a degree, a passport page, a record): a notary certifies it as a true copy.
- A document you signed (a power of attorney, a consent letter, an affidavit for use abroad): sign it in front of a notary.
- A translation: in British Columbia, the original and its translation are notarized together as one set.
- A Quebec notarial act: get a certificate of authenticity from the Chambre des notaires du Québec before you apply.
Use a notary from the province that will issue the apostille. Alberta accepts only Alberta notaries for its apostilles, Saskatchewan rejects documents stamped by a commissioner instead of a notary, and Ontario checks the notary’s name, signature and seal against its file.
Original government documents usually don’t need a notary: an Ontario or Alberta birth certificate, for example, goes straight to the province.
If the destination country isn’t in the Apostille Convention
You still start in Canada: the same offices authenticate the document. Then the destination country’s embassy or consulate in Canada legalizes it. Check with that embassy before you start, since some ask for extra steps or a translation.
Questions people ask
+How much does an apostille cost in Canada?
Global Affairs Canada charges nothing at its Ottawa office. Provinces charge per document: Ontario $16 for a notarized document ($32 for a government, court or school document), British Columbia $20, Alberta $25, Saskatchewan $50 and Quebec $65. Add the notary’s fee if the document needs notarizing first.
+How long does an apostille take?
Saskatchewan quotes 4 to 7 business days, Alberta 7 to 10, Ontario up to 15 by mail (about 30 minutes in person), British Columbia 2 to 4 weeks, and Global Affairs Canada was about 25 business days when we checked. Add mailing time both ways.
+Can I get an apostille in person?
In Ontario, yes: in Toronto or at ServiceOntario in Ottawa, Sault Ste. Marie, Windsor and Thunder Bay, by appointment. Saskatchewan takes drop-offs in Regina. Alberta, British Columbia and Global Affairs Canada take mail or courier only.
+Can a commissioner of oaths notarize a document for an apostille?
No. A commissioner can swear an affidavit, but an apostille needs a notary’s signature and seal. Ontario won’t apostille a document that was only commissioned, and Saskatchewan rejects commissioner stamps.
+Do I still need my document legalized by the embassy?
Not for a country in the Apostille Convention: the apostille replaces legalization. For other countries, the Canadian authentication is followed by legalization at that country’s embassy or consulate.
Where these prices come from
- Ontario: Authenticate a document for use outside Canada
- Hague Conference: Canada’s competent authorities
- Alberta: Document authentication for other jurisdictions and countries
- BC: About authentication
- BC: Document authentication fee
- Québec.ca: Apostille
- Québec.ca: Bodies that issue public documents
- Saskatchewan: Authenticating notarized documents
- Global Affairs Canada: Authentication of documents
Checked October 23, 2026.
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