French Document Apostille Services

End-to-end coordination: certified translation and apostille in a single workflow

What An Apostille Is And Why It Replaced Consular Legalization?

An apostille is a standardised certificate that authenticates a public document for international use in any country party to the Hague Apostille Convention. It replaces the older two-step process of authentication + consular legalization for documents bound for member states. Canada formally joined the Convention on January 11, 2024, and Canadian public documents can now be apostilled for use in any of the 120+ member states — a major simplification for individuals and businesses dealing with international authorities. 

One certificate, recognised everywhere in the Convention zone. No embassy visit, no consular fees, no separate stamp from the destination country. The apostille is the only authentication required.

For documents bound for countries that have not joined the Convention — China, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Vietnam and others — the older consular legalization process still applies. See our dedicated page on French document legalization services in Canada.

Who Issues Apostilles In Canada

Apostilles are issued by Global Affairs Canada in Ottawa, and by designated provincial authorities for documents originating in their province:

• Ontario — Official Documents Services, Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery
• Quebec — Ministère de la Justice du Québec
• Alberta — Authentication Services, Alberta Justice
• British Columbia — Order in Council Administration Office
• Saskatchewan — Authentications and Legalization Services 

For documents originating in provinces or territories without their own designated authority, the apostille is issued by Global Affairs Canada.

Where French Translation Fits In

Most destination countries require Canadian French documents to be accompanied by a translation into their official language. The translation must be a certified French translation produced by a translator accredited by a recognised Canadian provincial association (OTTIAQ, ATIO, STIBC, ATIA, CTINB, ATINE or another body federated under CTTIC). The certified translation is itself apostilled alongside the original — both documents carry their own apostille certificate. 

The order of operations is straightforward in most cases: produce the certified translation first, then submit both the original and the translation for apostille together. We confirm the right sequence based on your destination country and document type before starting any work.

Documents we handle

• Birth, marriage, divorce and death certificates
• Diplomas, transcripts and academic credentials
• Powers of attorney and notarial acts
• Court rulings and judicial documents
• Corporate documents (bylaws, certificates of incumbency, board resolutions)
• Adoption files, criminal record checks, immigration-related documents

Commercial contracts and intellectual property documents

Our Process

1. Document review and destination assessment — we confirm that the destination country is a Hague Convention member and identify the correct issuing authority based on where the document was produced.
2. Certified French translation — produced by an accredited translator, signed and sealed, ready for apostille.
3. Apostille — coordinated with Global Affairs Canada or the relevant provincial authority. The apostille certificate is affixed to the original document and to the certified translation.
4. Delivery — apostilled documents couriered to your address in Canada or abroad.

Standard turnaround is one to three weeks depending on the issuing authority and document volume. Some provincial authorities process within days; Global Affairs Canada typically takes longer. Urgent files can sometimes be accelerated — share your deadline when you request your quote.

Frequently Asked Questions About French Apostille