Notarization for Apostille & Use Outside Canada
Need a document accepted in another country? We notarize it in Scarborough so Ontario’s Official Documents Services can add an apostille or authentication. From $20.
To use a private document such as an affidavit, power of attorney or certified copy outside Canada, it’s usually notarized by an Ontario notary first. Ontario’s Official Documents Services then checks the notary’s signature and seal against its records and issues an apostille (for Hague Convention countries) or a certificate of authentication. We handle the notarization step.
How it works
Notarize
Sign your document in front of our Ontario notary, or get a certified true copy of an original.
Submit to ODS
Send or bring the notarized document to Ontario’s Official Documents Services and pay the provincial fee.
Use abroad
ODS attaches an apostille or authentication. Some non-Hague countries also need embassy legalization.
Documents people often notarize for use abroad
- Powers of attorney for property and bank matters
- Affidavits and statutory declarations (single status, name, support)
- Certified true copies of degrees, transcripts and passports
- Consent letters for children travelling abroad
- Business and corporate documents
Rules and fees are set by the Government of Ontario and the destination country, and they change. Check ontario.ca (“Authenticate a document for use outside Canada”) and the receiving authority’s instructions before you start.
Frequently asked questions
What is an apostille?
An apostille is a certificate that confirms the signature and seal on a public document so it can be accepted in another country that belongs to the Hague Apostille Convention. Canada joined the Convention in January 2024. An apostille does not confirm that the contents of the document are true.
Who issues apostilles in Ontario?
Ontario’s Official Documents Services (ODS) issues apostilles and certificates of authentication for documents notarized by an Ontario notary public and for certain Ontario government documents. Federal documents, such as RCMP certificates, go to Global Affairs Canada.
Do you issue apostilles?
No. We notarize your document so that it is eligible. You (or a service you hire) then submit the notarized document to Official Documents Services, which issues the apostille.
What if the destination country is not part of the Apostille Convention?
ODS issues a certificate of authentication instead, and the document may then need legalization by that country’s embassy or consulate in Canada.
Can a foreign document be apostilled in Canada?
Generally no. A document issued by a foreign government has to be authenticated by the country that issued it, even if a Canadian notary has notarized a copy.
Related: power of attorney · certified true copies · affidavits
Need a document notarized?
Same-day appointments in Scarborough, 7 days a week. $20 for the first signature and seal.