New ‘Apostille’ system for document authentication will streamline processes, save money
Businesses having contracts signed and notarized in a foreign country will benefit now that the Apostille Convention, a multilateral treaty of more than 125 countries for authenticating documents internationally, has come into effect in Canada, according to Canadian lawyers.
Global Affairs Canada says more than 200,000 Canadian public documents are authenticated yearly. Through the new system, the provinces and the federal government will issue apostilles (used as a form of authentication between different countries) for official documents, such as driver’s licences and marriage certificates, that government officials in countries in the convention will be able to recognize. The 1961 convention has more than 125 contracting parties around the world.
