Checklist of documents for Canadian immigration applications — and a straight answer on which ones actually need a notary. Most don't; here is where a commissioned declaration or certified copy fits.
Navigating Immigration Paperwork
Applying for Canadian immigration can feel overwhelming. Between IRCC requirements, supporting documents, and tight deadlines, it's easy to miss something important.
This guide lists the documents most applications ask for and gives a straight answer to the question in the title: most IRCC documents do not need a notary. IRCC applications are submitted with scans or photocopies of your originals. A notary fits in a handful of specific places — a common-law declaration, a custodianship declaration, a translator's affidavit, a declaration an IRCC instruction names — and a certified true copy only where a checklist actually asks for one.
Types of Immigration Applications
Before diving into specifics, here are the main application types:
- Permanent Residence (PR) — Express Entry, Provincial Nominee, Family Sponsorship
- Work Permits — LMIA-based, Open Work Permits, IEC
- Study Permits — International students
- Visitor Visas (TRV) — Tourism, family visits, business
- Citizenship — After meeting PR requirements
What IRCC Actually Asks For
For almost every application type, IRCC wants clear scans or photocopies of these documents — not notarized copies:
1. Identity Documents
| Document | What to submit |
|---|---|
| Passport | Scan or photocopy of the pages your checklist asks for |
| Birth certificate | Scan or photocopy |
| National ID card | Scan or photocopy |
| Driver's licence | Scan or photocopy, where asked |
2. Civil Status Documents
| Document | What to submit |
|---|---|
| Marriage certificate | Scan or photocopy |
| Divorce decree | Scan or photocopy |
| Death certificate (spouse) | Scan or photocopy |
| Name change documents | Scan or photocopy |
3. Police Certificates
Police certificates from every country where you've lived for 6 months or more in a row since age 18. For Express Entry, IRCC asks for a colour scan of the original and states that certified true copies will not be accepted — so never have a police certificate notarized. Follow IRCC's police-certificate instructions for your application type; if a certificate cannot be obtained, those instructions say what to submit instead, and it is worth asking an immigration professional before assuming a sworn statement will do.
4. Language Test Results
IELTS, CELPIP, PTE Core, TEF or TCF results are verified by IRCC directly — no notarization needed.
5. Education and Work Documents
| Document | What to submit |
|---|---|
| Diplomas, degrees, transcripts | Scans; an ECA organization will tell you how to send it your documents |
| ECA report | The report from the designated organization |
| Reference letters | Scans of the original letters on company letterhead |
| Pay stubs, tax documents | Copies |
6. Financial Documents
Bank letters and statements are submitted as issued, scanned. Notarizing them adds nothing IRCC has asked for.
7. Sponsorship and Application Forms
The sponsor's undertaking, relationship forms and application forms are signed by the sponsor and applicant as the forms direct. Follow each form's own signature instructions; do not add a notary unless your checklist asks for one.
Where a Notary Actually Fits
A notary public (or a commissioner of oaths) commissions declarations and affidavits and certifies copies. These are the immigration situations where that genuinely comes up:
Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union (IMM 5409)
Both partners declare before a commissioner of oaths or notary public that they have lived together in a conjugal relationship since a stated date; IRCC's form has a solemn-declaration block for the commissioner to complete. This is a commissioning act, so it can be done online by video. See our common-law declaration guide.
Custodianship Declaration for a Minor Student (IMM 5646)
IRCC's instructions say the custodian's page is signed and notarized in Canada and the parents' page is notarized in their home country. See our IMM 5646 guide for how the custodian's part is handled.
Translator's Affidavit
Any document not in English or French must be translated. IRCC accepts a translation by a certified translator (a member in good standing of a provincial or territorial organization of translators and interpreters) with no affidavit, or a translation by anyone else accompanied by the translator's affidavit swearing to their language proficiency and the accuracy of the translation. That affidavit is sworn before a commissioner or notary and can be commissioned online. Translations may not be done by you or a member of your family.
Declarations an IRCC Instruction Names
Some IRCC instructions call for a statutory declaration in a specific situation — for example, to explain why a reference letter cannot be obtained. Bring it prepared and unsigned; the notary commissions it and does not advise on what it should say. Check the instruction first: if IRCC's own form is a self-signed solemn declaration, it needs no commissioner.
Certified True Copies — Only Where Asked
A certified true copy is a notary's certification that a copy matches the original shown. IRCC generally does not ask for one; get one only where a specific checklist, a foreign authority, or a credential assessor asks. It is an in-person act — at our Orléans office in Ottawa or by mobile visit within Ottawa — because the notary must inspect the original.
Tips for Successful Applications
✓ Start Early
Some documents take weeks to obtain. Start gathering them as soon as possible.
✓ Check Specific Requirements
IRCC requirements change. Always check the most current checklist for your specific application type — it, not this page, decides what form of copy you need.
✓ Keep Originals Safe
Submit the scans or copies your checklist asks for and keep your originals in a safe place in case IRCC asks to see them.
✓ Organize by Category
Use dividers or separate folders for each document type. Label everything clearly.
Cost of the Notarial Step
| Service | Cost |
|---|---|
| Statutory declaration (commissioned) | $24.95 per stamp plus HST |
| Affidavit, including translator's affidavit | $24.95 per stamp plus HST |
| Certified copy (per document, in person) | $24.95 per stamp plus HST |
Note: the first signer is included; if more than one person signs, each additional signer is charged an additional-signer fee of $24.95, shown before you pay.
Declarations and affidavits are commissioned online by video — an online appointment averages 3–4 minutes, and same-day online appointments are usually available. Certified copies are done in person.
Ready to Prepare Your Immigration Documents?
What a notary can and cannot do: A notary public commissions declarations and affidavits and certifies copies. A notary does not review your application, advise on what IRCC requires, or tell you how to respond to IRCC. That is the role of an immigration lawyer or a regulated Canadian immigration consultant (RCIC).
If your checklist calls for a commissioned declaration, a translator's affidavit, or a certified copy, book your appointment and bring the document prepared and unsigned.
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About the author
Kai Mai
Content Editor, Minute Notary
Kai Mai writes and edits the Minute Notary guides, working from the published federal and Ontario guidance each article links, and from what Ottawa clients actually run into with certified copies, affidavits, statutory declarations, travel consent letters, and immigration paperwork. These guides are general information written by our editorial team — not legal advice, and not a professional opinion on your document. The receiving authority always has the final say.