Apostille in Federal — Global Affairs Canada
Which documents this office will accept
- Wet ink
The document must carry an original, hand-signed signature (and seal where one applies).
An electronically notarized document — what a remote online notarization produces — cannot satisfy that, so a RON notarization cannot feed this paper chain.
- Copies
Plain photocopies refused. Vital statistics: notarized copies NOT accepted ("if you need a copy, it must be issued by the appropriate vital statistics office")
- From the source
Document must bear "an original, recognized signature (and seal, if applicable)". Pocket-sized certificates and religious-institution documents refused. Laminated/glued documents refused. Non-English/French documents need a certified translation (member of a provincial translators' association) or notarized translator attestation; exceptions: diplomas in Greek/Latin, proof-of-life documents under half a page. Remote-notarization interplay: GAC requires original/wet-ink signatures and seals — remotely executed, purely electronic notarizations are generally unusable for apostille unless printed/wet-signed by the commissioner
By document type
| Document type | What this office requires |
|---|---|
| provincial/territorial vital statistics birth/death/marriage certificates; divorce certificates signed by a court clerk; original university/college diplomas signed by registrar; RCMP HQ criminal record checks with Director General signature + dry seal; court documents with original seal/signature/judge's name | No notarization needed |
| provincial/municipal police checks, bank documents, medical documents, school (K-12) diplomas, business records, private legal documents, etc. | Notarization required |
Certifications you may need first
No additional certification step is required before the apostille.
The request form
- Form
A PDF request form.
- Form number
EXT2165
- Where to get it
- From the source
Authentication Request form EXT2165
Requesting online
- Online route
Part of the request is made online; the documents themselves still reach the office on paper.
- From the source
Partial — online triage portal (launched Oct 30, 2025) to determine document requirements and start a request; physical documents must still be mailed/dropped off
Where to go in person
Ottawa
2421 Lancaster Road, Ottawa, ON- Access
Documents are dropped off here.
- Hours
Mon–Fri 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (except statutory holidays)
- Same-day service
Not offered.
- From the source
Drop-off only at the distribution centre. "The Authentication Services Section does not offer in-person service" — no counter service, no same-day; documents returned by mail/courier only
What it costs
| Fee | Applies to | Details |
|---|---|---|
| No fee | all (requests submitted in Canada) | "We do not charge a fee for our service." |
| $50.00 CAD per document | all (requests at Canadian diplomatic/consular missions abroad) | At Canadian missions abroad: $50/document (Consular Fees (Specialized Services) Regulations; per HCCH page) |
How to pay
- Accepted methods
The source does not itemize which payment methods this office accepts.
- From the source
N/A (free in Canada). Return shipping is the applicant's responsibility — see returnShipping
Where to send your documents
- Mailing address
- Global Affairs Canada, Authentication Services Section, 2421 Lancaster Road, Ottawa, ON K1B 4L5, Canada
- From the source
Address in effect since Aug 15, 2024
How long it takes
- By mail
90% of applications in 25 business days (the site phrases it as currently processing applications received 25 business days ago), plus mailing time "normally 5-10 business days if shipped from Canada."
- Expedited
Priority processing only for "exceptional and urgent circumstances outside of your control."
- From the source
The office runs a rolling date-based queue and posts the live currently-processing date on its updates page; the reference snapshot records the ~25-business-day figure, not a dated queue position, so this is encoded as fixedRange (rollingDate requires the posted date — never invented)
Getting your documents back
A self-addressed stamped envelope is required.
Courier account numbers are not accepted; only prepaid labels
Applicant must enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope or prepaid courier shipping label for return
Checking status and verifying an apostille
- Verify an issued apostille
https://apostille-gac.powerappsportals.com/en/eregister-eregistre/
Verification tool launched June 20, 2025; verifies apostilles issued by Global Affairs Canada, Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia
- Check a request's status
Online portal for service request numbers starting "R-"
Remote online notarization
This authority issues apostilles but commissions no notaries, so there are no remote-notarization rules at this level. They belong to the state or province where the notary holds their commission.