What an apostille is
An apostille is a certificate riveted to the front of your document that proves the notary's signature, seal and capacity are genuine, so a foreign government, university, bank or employer will accept it. It says nothing about the document's contents. Canada joined the Hague Apostille Convention on 11 January 2024; before that, documents needed a two-step authentication and legalization. For the 120-plus Convention countries, the apostille is now the only step after notarization.
For a document notarized in BC, the apostille comes from the BC Authentication Program in Victoria. It matches the signature and seal on your document to a specimen it keeps on file for each lawyer and notary. That one fact drives every rule below.
Which office handles your document
| Your document | Where it goes | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Notarized in BC by a lawyer or notary (true copies, affidavits, declarations, powers of attorney, consent letters) | BC Authentication Program, Victoria | $20 per document. 2–4 weeks plus mail. This is what we handle. |
| Issued by a BC public body (birth, marriage, death certificates from BC Vital Statistics; BC court and corporate records) | BC Authentication Program | Vital Statistics certificates must be originals; the program punches a hole in them, so order a spare. |
| Issued by the federal government (RCMP certified criminal record check from Ottawa, federal corporate documents, CRA letters as originals) | Global Affairs Canada | Free, currently about 25 business days plus mail. A BC-notarized true copy of a federal document can go to BC instead. |
| Issued in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec or Saskatchewan | That province's own program | Or have us notarize a true copy here, which then goes to BC. |
| Issued outside Canada | Cannot be apostilled in Canada | Even translated and notarized here. It must be apostilled in the issuing country. |
Going to a country that is not in the Convention, such as the UAE, Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar, Malaysia or Taiwan? The same BC office issues an authentication instead, and the document then has to be legalized at that country's embassy or consulate. We prepare the first step and tell you exactly what the second involves. Vietnam joins the Convention on 11 September 2026 and Thailand on 28 February 2027.
Why the notarization has to be done a particular way
The program returns packages unprocessed, weeks later, for reasons that have nothing to do with the document itself. The ones we see most:
- Wrong capacity. A document signed as a commissioner for taking affidavits is rejected. It must be signed as a Notary Public in and for the Province of British Columbia, with the round notary seal.
- Missing pieces. Ink signature, seal impression and date must all be on the same page and legible.
- Stapled bundles. Several documents stapled together are rejected unless a signed and sealed notarial certificate on the front lists every document inside. Each apostille covers one document at $20.
- Wrong copy type. Some receiving authorities accept a notarized true copy of your passport, diploma or criminal record check; BC Vital Statistics certificates must be originals. We confirm which you need before the visit.
- Translations. Anything not in English needs a translation that meets the program's policy, and the translation itself must be notarized as a true copy.
- Blank apostille boxes. Foreign forms sometimes include an empty apostille template. Nobody fills it in; leave it blank.
How it works
- Text or email us what the document is, which country it is going to, and who issued it. We confirm the route and whether you need originals, true copies or a translation.
- We come to you in Vancouver, Burnaby, North or West Vancouver or Coquitlam and notarize each document in the program's required form. True copies are compared against the originals in person.
- We prepare the request: the government form, the fee payment, and a notarial certificate if several documents travel together, and courier the package to Victoria the next business day.
- Victoria rivets the apostille to each document and mails it back, currently 2 to 4 weeks plus mail. We can have it returned to you or to us, and by tracked courier if you prefer.
Pricing
| Apostille service | 🚗 In person |
|---|---|
Apostille notarization & filing The visit, notarization in the program's required form for all your documents, the notarial certificate if needed, the request form, and courier to Victoria | $195 |
BC Authentication Program fee Government fee, passed through at cost | $20 / document |
Tracked return courier Optional; regular mail return is included | at cost |
All prices in CAD plus GST & PST on our fee; the government fee is tax-free. Payment at the appointment by e-transfer, card or cash.
Common apostille jobs
- Working or studying abroad: true copies of your degree, transcript and passport, plus a criminal record check.
- Marrying abroad: a statutory declaration of single status, and a true copy of your birth certificate.
- Buying or selling property overseas: a power of attorney for a lawyer or relative in that country, drafted to that country's requirements and notarized here.
- Foreign pensions and inheritances: life certificates, declarations of heirship, and true copies of Canadian records.
- Converting a driver's licence: a true copy of your ICBC licence and driving abstract.
Apostilles do not expire, but many receiving authorities want the underlying document, especially a criminal record check, to be less than three to six months old. Check the destination's requirements before you order anything, and if they also want a translation of the English document, tell us so we can notarize it the same day.