Power of Attorney Authentication Legalization the Apostille Equivalent
If you’re going to use a Canadian Power of Attorney abroad, you’ll need to have it authenticated and legalized. This is to make sure that the document is legally recognized in a foreign country. The process of authentication and legalization is also known as Apostille or Attestation in other countries. It’s important to note that these terms are all equivalent to each other.
What is the Hague Apostille Convention?
The Hague Apostille Convention is an international treaty that provides for the simplified legalization of public documents. If you’re asked to get an Apostille for your Power of Attorney, it means that you’ll be using the document in a country that has signed the treaty. Unfortunately, Canada has not signed this treaty, so we use the older two-step process of authentication and legalization.
Getting Help from the Canadian Experts
ALSC has been helping people authenticate and legalize their Canadian Power of Attorney for over 30 years. We’ve helped clients for countries like the Netherlands, Spain, USA, Mexico, UAE, and Saudi Arabia. Whether it’s called Power of Attorney Apostille or Power of Attorney Attestation, we’ll make sure that your document is legally recognized in the country you’ll be using it in.
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Step 1: Authentication at Global Affairs Canada
The first step in the process is to have your Power of Attorney authenticated at Global Affairs Canada. Before that, you need to have the document sworn and sealed by a Canadian Lawyer or Notary Public. Any Canadian Lawyer or Notary in your local area should be able to help you with this you can search for one here. If you have a commercial Power of Attorney, your corporate legal counsel may also help.
It’s important to start the authentication process as soon as possible, as processing times are longer than ever at Global Affairs Canada. You can find out their current processing time here.
Translation Services
If your Power of Attorney is not in English or French, you’ll need to have it translated into one of Canada’s official languages. The translated version must be prepared by a certified Canadian translator and further notarized. We can assist you with this if you need translation services.
Swearing an International Power of Attorney
When you go to your appointment with the Lawyer or Notary, you’ll need to bring a government-issued identification like a passport. The Lawyer or Notary will examine your identification to confirm your identity, have you swear to it verbally, and then you’ll sign the Power of Attorney in their presence. The Lawyer or Notary will then sign and affix their seal to the Power of Attorney. Now it’s ready for authentication at Global Affairs Canada in Ottawa.
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Step 2: Legalization at the Foreign Embassy
The second step is legalization at the embassy or consulate of the country you’ll be using the Power of Attorney in. This can be a bit more difficult as embassy consulates have different requirements and processing times that change often. When you use our document legalization services, we’ll take care of everything and make sure it gets done correctly and meets your timeline. After the Power of Attorney has been authenticated and legalized, it will be valid for use in that country. We’ll return it to you or anywhere in the world it needs to go using one of our document shipping made easy solutions or your preferred delivery method.
Other Documents That May Need Authentication and Legalization
If you have been asked to get a Power of Attorney authenticated and legalized, you may also have other documents like a notarized copy of a passport, birth certificate, and incorporation documents that may need authentication and legalization. We can help you authenticate and legalize these and more documents. Speak with one of our friendly agents about yours.
In conclusion, validating an international Power of Attorney can be a complicated process, but with the help of the Canadian experts at ALSC, we’ll make sure that your document is legally recognized in the country
Canadian International Power of Attorney FAQ’s
Our service fees, not including the Embassy fees, for the processing of your Power of Attorney will vary depending on the country. For the first step of authentication at Global Affairs Canada due to the current conditions processing times are 16-20 business days as of September 15, 2022. Processing times for legalization at the the Embassy Consulates change weekly due to shorten hours of operation and staff. To find out the current times for processing and get a fee quote use our Quick Quote or call 1-800-336-1132 an ALSC agent who would be happy to help.
As Canada’s experts, ALSC can efficiently help you get your Power of Attorney ready for international use by providing you with 30 years of experience with the most up to date knowledge about the rules and regulations of Global Affairs Canada and the Embassy. Not only will ALSC help you process your documents quickly we also make it easy by guiding you through each step providing you with the up to the minute status of your documents using our Online Status Tracker. Talk to one of our experts on how to get your Power of Attorney accepted internationally and get the experts working for you.
Yes. For a Canadian Power of Attorney to be legally valid for use outside of Canada, it would need to first be Authenticated by Global Affairs and then Legalized by the Embassy of the country in which you wish to use the Power of Attorney. In some countries, this process is referred to as an Apostille which is the equivalent process to Authentication and Legalization for validating documents internationally. So, whether someone has asked for an Apostille or the Authentication and Legalization of your Power of Attorney, ALSC can help you.
No, you cannot Authenticate and Legalize a photocopy or digital copy of a Power of Attorney because it is not an original, only a copy of the original. To Authenticate and Legalize a Power of Attorney it needs to be an original sworn and signed in front of a Canadian Lawyer or Notary Public. For more information about Powers of Attorney, you should speak with your legal professional they will be best able to help you. Once you have spoken with them ALSC is ready to help you Authenticate and Legalize your Power of Attorney for whatever country you need to use it in.
Yes, in order to have your Power of Attorney authenticated at Global Affairs Canada, it would first need to be sworn before a Canadian Lawyer or Notary Public. This would be done at the time that the document is signed by you or the party. This step is taken in order to ensure that all signatures are authentic and have been witnessed by an official party. Most of our clients use a legal professional they have used in the past for this but if you need help look online for a legal professional who offers the service nearest you.
Unfortunately, you cannot get an Apostille Certification for a Canadian Power of Attorney to use it abroad. Since Canada did not sign the Apostille Convention of 1961, we rely on the older two-step process of Authentication & Legalization. This process starts at Global Affairs Canada and ends with the Embassy Consulate of the country in which you intend to use your document. The good news is that this two-step process is the direct equivalent of an Apostille and is accepted in any country requiring one for your Canadian Power of Attorney. Talk to an ALSC expert about how we can get the equivalent of an Apostille for your Canadian Power of Attorney.
We cannot speak legally as that is best left for the legal professional who is preparing your Power of Attorney, whether for personal or commercial reasons. What we can advise you on is the strict requirements that some countries have for accepting your Power of Attorney for legalization at the embassy or for Authentication at Global Affairs Canada. In addition, fees may differ between personal and commercial Powers of Attorney, which changes often. To save our clients any delays in processing our experts are always keeping up to date on any changes with Global Affairs Canada and the Embassies. Whether it is a personal or commercial Power of Attorney ALSC has been helping clients Authenticate and Legalize at the country of their choice for over 25 years and we are ready to help you.
As many of our clients have Powers of Attorney that contain a language other than English or French, this question comes up often. In most cases, the Embassy will not have an issue although Global Affairs Canada has strict rules about documents that contain foreign languages. Global Affairs Canada will only authenticate a foreign language Power of Attorney if a notarized translation in English or French has been prepared by a certified Canadian translator. If your Power of Attorney contains a foreign language, simply speak with one of our ALSC agents. They will be able to assist with the fastest and most economical way to have your foreign language document translated.
ALSC makes it simple to get started with translation services. All we require is a scan of the original notarized foreign language Power of Attorney for review, as fees are determined on a per word basis. In the rare case where we are unable to assist because of the availability of a translator in the language required, we will quickly let you know. In most cases we will be able to help, responding with more information on how to begin the process. It’s that easy!
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