Legalisation requirements for Canada
Canada is a member of the Hague Convention of 1961 and the Hague Apostille only should suffice for documents to be used in Canada.
However, the federal Canada Evidence Act provides that public documents issued/executed in the UK (certified by a UK Notary Public or Solicitor and bearing the name and seal of office) are legally valid, have the same force and effect as if taken in Canada by an authorised person and will be admitted in evidence in Canada without further attestation.
Certain UK documents for use in Quebec may require further consular attestation – please confirm with the instructing party in Canada if this would be the case.
Hague Apostille Fees
The FCDO Apostille Disbursement fee is:
- £40 for Standard & Express
- £100 for Premium (Restrictions apply)
- £35 for e-Apostille (Restrictions apply)
Apostille Processing Times
Turnaround time is likely to be:
- Standard: 5 working days
- Express: Next-Day Service (If document arrives by 11:15 am)
- Premium: 2-3 hours
- e-Apostille: 1-2 working days
Apostille Processing Terms
Express: For the Express Apostille Next-Day Service (paper-based Apostille), we must receive the original documentation by 11:15 am am to be despatched the next working day. If the document arrived after 11:15 am it will be processed on the next-working day.
Premium: The Premium Apostille is a restrictive service the FCDO can provide for a few eligible types of documents and they require evidence to support the urgency requirement. Please contact our legalisation team for further details.
e-Apostille: Documents eligible for the e-Apostille must be first e-notarised with an Advanced Electronic Signature (AES) or a Qualified Electronic Signature (QES).
CONSULATE ADDRESS
Canada House, Trafalgar Square, London SW1Y 5BJ