Infiniti Legal Support Services is well versed in the particulars of authentication and legalization, Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) regulations, and individual embassy requirements and can quickly and proficiently handle your related requirements.
Authentication and legalization of foreign document rules, regulations and processes are complicated, especially as they differ dependent on which embassy/country your documentation is required for as well as the document type and origin.
For instance, for Canadian documents to be recognized in a foreign country the document must be verified as legitimate. This entails two steps*:
- Federal document authentication by DFAIT in Ottawa
- Embassy/consulate legalization according to the intended use of the documents
Did You Know…
Infiniti’s good standing and strong relationship with the embassies (we are at each embassy many times a week) as well as our convenient downtown Ottawa location — just minutes from DFAIT and most embassies — makes us an ideal partner to quickly address your authentication and legalization needs.
Working with DFAIT and the embassies, Infiniti Legal Support Services first coaches clients through their unique document and embassy requirements and then efficiently manages the required document authentication and legalization steps.
Documents commonly authenticated and legalized are:
- Birth, Marriage and Divorce Certificates
- Statement In-Lieu of Certificate of Non-Impediment to Marriage Abroad
- Educational documents: diplomas, degrees and transcripts for university, college, high school and elementary school
- Criminal clearance certificates, fingerprint/clearance certificates
- Adoption papers
- Power of Attorney
- Passports
- Legal documents
- Medical reports
*This two-step process is the equivalent of an Apostille certificate used by many other countries. As a non-signatory of the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement for Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, Canadian documents for use abroad must be certified twice – once by the DFAIT and subsequently by the embassy or consulate of the receiving state. For signatories, the Convention provides for the simplified certification of public (including notarized) documents to be used in/between countries that have joined the convention by a designated Apostille official in the jurisdiction in which the document has been executed, as provided for by the 1961 Hague Convention. With this certification no further certification or legalization is required.
Global, Trusted Professional Network
Professional association memberships provide Infiniti Legal Support Services with access to a trusted network of authentication and legalization experts, complementing our core team; enabling Infiniti to provide fast, effective service. Whether your service request needs to be fulfilled in Ottawa, across Ontario, Canada-wide, in the US or international, Infiniti Legal Support Services has a ready professional team to help.