Are you interested to know- What does global affairs do in Canada? Global Affairs or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs manages diplomatic relations, promotes international trade, and provides consular assistance. They play a crucial role in the document authentication process validating documents for use outside Canada. Canada is now a member of the Hague Convention, abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (commonly known as the Apostille Convention) since Jan 2024.
Therefore, the international document verification process has become more streamlined. This alteration impacts the role of Global Affairs Canada in document authentication and legalization. Read on to learn how the process works:Apostille is a certificate that validates Canadian documents for use in Hague apostille convention member countries. The process for obtaining an apostille as as follows:
Global Affairs Canada’s Apostille Issue: Global Affairs Canada is the accredited authority in Canada for the Apostille certificate for Federal documents as well as those documents issued or notarized in specific provinces of Canada. It works through a three-step process:
It is important to note that with the Hague Convention coming into force, the jurisdiction of Global Affairs has been modified when it pertains to apostille services. Global affairs has allowed provincial authorities in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan to provide the apostille services as well. For these provinces, Global affairs is no longer the issuing authority for apostille.
Global Affairs Canada's role has been adapted to fit the streamlined Apostille process. Global Affairs Canada remains responsible for issuing Apostille certificates in Canada for all federal documents like Canadian citizenship certificates, RCMP certified results, etc. These federal documents do not require prior notarization before being submitted for apostille.
Canada’s accession to the Hague Apostille Convention has made the document authentication process more streamlined. Global Affairs Canada plays a critical role here by issuing Apostilles. Their requirements might be tricky or confusing so you can contact Globeia for smooth apostille services in Ottawa.