Authentication of documents: Frequently asked questions

We do not offer expedited services so please plan your request accordingly. If you have urgent and exceptional circumstances (generally defined as unexpected events outside of the applicant’s control and that require immediate action) and want us to consider processing your document in priority, you may contact us. Please note that you do not need to hire a third-party company to submit your request to our office.

Be advised that some provinces and territories offer authentication services with respect to public documents issued in their jurisdictions. These services operate independently of the Government of Canada and have the same validity as the ones performed by the Authentication Services Section at Global Affairs Ottawa in Ottawa. Please note that some countries will only accept the authentication performed by Global Affairs Canada. To find out whether the country of destination of your document will accept provincial or territorial authentication, we suggest you checking with the foreign mission of the country of destination of your documents (see above link).

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