About apostille

Sometimes a foreign country requires a certificate to make a document official. This certificate, called an apostille, attests to the document’s origin and the signature or seal of the person or body who signed or sealed it. Québec issues apostilles in French only.

It does not certify the document’s content.

An apostille can be issued for any of the 127 countries that signed the October 5, 1961, Convention abolishing the legalization requirement for foreign documents. It can also be issued for a non-signatory country, but legalization may then be required by that country.

You can request authentication of the original or a copy certified true by the person or body who produced it of the following:

• a document issued by a public body, such as a birth certificate or diploma;
• a court document, such as a decision by the Superior Court or a municipal court;
• an authentic act such as a notarized document;
• a document issued by a person or body that is not a public body but having an establishment in Québec. Such documents must be officially certified by a lawyer or notary. For example:
  • a single status affidavit;
  • a consent letter for children travelling abroad;
  • a baptismal certificate;
  • a power of attorney.

You must make sure that the notarized document and lawyer or notary’s official certificate are accompanied by a signature authentication issued by the professional association. Contact the Chambre des notaires du Québec or the Barreau du Québec.

Commissioners for Oaths cannot make any copies or administer oaths for sworn statements (affidavits) related to documents requiring an apostille.

IMPORTANT: Québec does not issue apostilles for documents issued by a federal authority, a territory or another province. For more information, visit the Global Affairs Canada website.

To obtain an apostille for a document issued by the federal government and accompanied by a translation provided by a member of the Ordre des traducteurs, terminologues et interprètes agréés du Québec (OTTIAQ), contact Global Affairs Canada.

A document written in a language other than French or English must be the subject of an official certificate produced by a lawyer or notary. They must declare they understand the document’s contents or have obtained a translation from a translator who is a member of OTTIAQ.

Document translated into a language other than French or English at the request of the recipient country: Depending on the requirements of the recipient country, your apostille request may be for the document only, or for the document and its translation.

Examples:

• The recipient country requires a translation of your birth certificate, but only needs the certificate to be apostilled, not the translation. In this case, you will only need to request an apostille for one document, the birth certificate.
• The recipient country requires that both your birth certificate and its translation be apostilled. In this case, you will need to request an apostille for both the birth certificate and the translation. The translation must be the subject of an official certificate by a lawyer or notary.

Apostilles cannot be issued for some documents due to their format. Do not send them, as they will be returned to you by regular mail without an apostille.

Examples:

• Driver’s licence;
• Social insurance number;
• Passport.