Question
Apostilles in Canada question! We were recommended to send all documents that required apostilles to Global Affairs in Ottawa (with a 10-day turnaround) instead of the Attorney General in British Columbia (which could have taken multiple months to process).
Global Affairs has sent our documents back twice now for varying reasons, the most recent one being that “they will not issue apostilles for documents that were issued in a province designated as a competent authority.” Has anyone run into this before?
We are unsure of the next steps. Unfortunately, we don’t have time to get new documents AND send them to the Attorney General of BC, as we’ve been told this could take up to 4 months.
The document that has not been apostilled is the medical note from our doctor. We do have copies of these notes that were translated, but because they were translated, the Attorney General will also not accept any documents with anything other than English on them.
Answers
These are the answers of Spainguru’s Facebook group members:
“The apostille process was decentralized a while ago. Documents issued by the federal government are apostilled at Global Affairs, while everything else is apostilled in the province that issued it. Here are some government links that might help:
Global Affairs Apostille Guide
BC Authentication Guide“
“You only send the criminal record check to Ottawa to get apostilled, then get them both translated together. The current turnaround time with Global Affairs is 10 business days. If your medical form is worded in both English and Spanish and signed and stamped by your doctor, just get it apostilled in BC.”
“I went to my visa appointment without the apostille for my medical note (I was waiting on it from the BCAP). I handed them a copy of the medical note translated and notarized and explained the situation.
They took the paperwork I did have and gave me a mailing address to send the apostilled copy to when I received it. I then contacted the BCAP (although their website says they DO NOT accept rush requests, they helped me).
They asked for my order number and tracking number, and within five days, I received my paperwork in the mail. I sent it to the consulate in Toronto, and my visa was approved a week after that.”
“The standard for getting documents apostilled and notarized follows the Hague Convention, so the process should be the same across the country. I had mine notarized first, then took it to the Ontario government for apostille without any issue.”
“My doctor only had to sign the medical certificate. It had to be wet ink, not a digital signature. If it is an original document, then the notary can make a certified copy. If your notary insists on witnessing the doctor’s signature in person, you may need a new notary.”
“For the NLV application through the consulate in Toronto, the documents that need to be apostilled in BC are your doctor’s certificate and your marriage certificate. As long as they are in English, there should be no problem getting them apostilled.
You must have them notarized (via a BCAP-approved notary) before sending them for apostille. If you explain your time constraints, BCAP may expedite the process.”
“Documents proving financial means (such as bank statements or pension proof) do not need to be apostilled—just stamped by your bank branch.”
Conclusion
The process of obtaining apostilles in Canada can be complex, as different types of documents require different authorities for authentication. Federal documents, such as RCMP criminal record checks, must be apostilled through Global Affairs Canada, while provincially issued documents must be apostilled through the relevant provincial authority, such as the BC Authentication Program (BCAP).
Some members successfully had their medical certificates apostilled in BC, while others faced delays due to notary requirements.
If a document has both English and Spanish, BC may reject it for apostille. However, applicants have reported success with notarized translations and explaining their situation to the consulate.
To avoid delays, applicants should carefully check consulate requirements, use BCAP-approved notaries, and communicate with apostille offices regarding time constraints.
