Canada Apostille for Documents Used in Türkiye

Canada has issued apostilles since the Apostille Convention entered into force for it on 11 January 2024. The first question for any Canadian document going to Türkiye is not what kind of document it is but where it was issued or notarized, because Canada splits the work between Ottawa and five provinces.

Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan are competent authorities for their own documents. Global Affairs Canada authenticates documents issued by the Government of Canada and documents issued or notarized in the provinces and territories without their own authority: Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island and Yukon.

Notarization can change the route. A document notarized in one of those eight jurisdictions is sent to Global Affairs Canada no matter where the original was issued.

What Global Affairs Canada accepts without a notary

The federal office lists several documents that need no notarization. Birth certificates must be issued by a provincial or territorial vital statistics office. Court orders and judgments qualify when they bear the original seal, signature and printed name of a judge, registrar or clerk of the court; other court documents must be notarized. College and university diplomas from recognized Canadian institutions are authenticated directly, and so are Corporations Canada documents that carry an original signature or seal.

For anything that is not on its list, the general rule is that the document has to be notarized first. Requests to Global Affairs Canada go through its online portal, but the physical documents are still sent by mail.

From Canada to Ankara

Once the apostille is attached, sworn translators in Türkiye translate the document into Turkish at our Ankara office. A Turkish notary certifies the translation if the authority receiving it requires that, and the authority decides on acceptance. The provincial offices are listed below.