To authenticate or legalize a document in Ontario, start by getting it notarized by a Notary Public. Then, send it to Service Ontario for an Authentication or Apostille certificate. If the destination country is not part of the Apostille Convention, further legalization at the
respective Embassy or Consulate in Canada will be required. A list of countries not in the Apostille Convention is available to check if additional steps are necessary
Step 1
Start the process by having the document notarized by a Notary Public in Ontario. Come to our office at 1033 Wyandotte Street West, Windsor, Unit 2 to get your documents notarized.
Step 2
The next step is to send it to the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery of Ontario Service Ontario) to get an Authentication/ Apostille certificate. The standard Service Ontario cost for Authentication service is $16.00
Step 3
If your country is NOT mentioned in the list below, you donʼt need to do anything else. After step 2, you can send your document package to your country of destination.
- If your country is listed on the list below where the Apostille convention is not in effect, you will need further legalization. Contact your Embassy/ Consular office in Canada for the legalization step.
Afghanistan
Algeria
Angola
Bangladesh
Benin
Bhutan
Burkina Faso
Cambodia
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros
Congo
Côte dʼIvoire
Cuba
Democratic Peopleʼs Republic of Korea
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Haiti
Iran
Iraq
Jordan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kuwait
Laos
Lebanon
Libya
Madagascar
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Mauritania
Micronesia
Mozambique
Myanmar
Nauru
Nepal
Niger
Nigeria
Papua New Guinea
Qatar
Sierra Leone
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Syria
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
United Arab Emirates
Tanzania
Viet Nam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe - Disclaimer: List of countries where the Apostille Convention is not in effect (as of June 2024. For the list of countries that have signed the Apostille Convention, visit the Apostille Section of the Hague Conference on Private International Law.