Notary publics are allowed to confirm an appropriately certified document, and they are trained for this purpose. So, jurisdiction authorities typically trust a notary public seal and signature on a document. The authorities usually can’t verify the authenticity of a signature or sign themselves. In this case, a Toronto notary public‘s documents notarized that will be used in other countries must be validated through the “authentication and legalization” process for a foreign jurisdiction. This process is somehow similar to “apostille certificates.”
Generally, if you want to send your document or product to other countries, your document must be authenticated or legalized for exportation. The foreign rules, organization, or government of the destination country may ask you to authenticate a specific document, then they accept it as a valid or legal one. A Toronto, Ontario notary public can do the authentication and legalization for you.
What to Do before Authentication?
If you want your document to be authenticated, you must have the original document with you. Besides, it must contain a recognized and valid signature and seal (if required) too. You can prove the seal and signature are genuine with the authentication process. as we mentioned above, authentication may be called legalization or apostille too. Before seeking authentication, your document must first be notarized by a notary public.
Do You Need to Translate Your Document before Authentication?
If your document is in a language other than English or French, you must have a certified and notarize translation of your document and send it with the original one. For some countries, translator affidavits may be required too. A Canadian notary such as those in Toronto, Ontario, must sign and seal the translation.
When Your Document Can Not Be Authenticated?
Sometimes your document can’t be authenticated due to several reasons. Here we mention some reasons that stop the authentication process for your document:
- If a document does not contain an original seal or signature, it cannot go through the authentication process. Plain photocopies, for example, cannot be authenticated.
- When the seal and signature cannot be verified, or a document without a known seal or signature can’t pass the authentication or legalization process.
Authentication is not possible for religious documents, such as a religious marriage certification.
If unrecognized institutions of education issue the document, authentication is not possible. Glued and laminated documents can’t be authenticated.
When your document contains misleading content, the notary public will decline authentication. Misleading or illegal purposes make a document invalid for the authentication process.
Do You Need to Authenticate Your Document in Canada?
You don’t need authentication for most documents in Canada. Foreign public documents signed by a foreign embassy are the only ones that require authentication and legalization. Before seeking authentication, it is better first to consult with the intended organization or institution to find out if they want you to authenticate your document. Some provinces or authorities other than Ontario may offer authentication services, but considering their jurisdiction and documents issued by it.