On May 16, 2023, Global Affairs Canada issued an important statement. Canada formally acceded to the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents, also known as the Apostille Convention.
What does this mean?
Membership in the Apostille Convention will allow Canadian citizens and businesses to obtain a certificate of authenticity called an “apostille” for Canadian public documents, making them acceptable in 124 countries that are members of the convention.
This accession will simplify the authentication process for over 200,000 Canadian public documents used abroad each year.
When does it take effect?
The Apostille Convention will come into effect in Canada on January 11, 2024.
Current procedures for authenticating Canadian documents will remain effective until the Apostille Convention takes effect in Canada.
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