An Ontario notary can commission your affidavit or statutory declaration by video while you sit in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal or overseas. Which documents that works for, when the receiving office decides, why Quebec is different, and the exceptions.
Last updated: October 14, 2026
Online Notary From Anywhere in Canada: What an Ontario Commissioner Can Do for Signers in BC, Alberta, Quebec or Abroad
Quick answer: An Ontario Notary Public and Commissioner for Taking Affidavits can commission your affidavit or statutory declaration by live video while you are in Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Montreal, Halifax or overseas. Ontario's remote commissioning rules (O. Reg. 431/20) set conditions on the video call and the jurat, not on where you sit. Federal documents, for IRCC, the Passport Program, Service Canada and the CRA, are commonly accepted wherever in Canada they were commissioned. Documents for another province's court, registry or government depend on that office's own rules, so ask it first. Quebec adds a twist: a notarial act before a Quebec notaire is a different thing from a commissioned declaration. And some forms say where or how they must be signed; those win. The price is a flat $24.95 per seal plus HST, seven days a week, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM Toronto time.
Minute Notary's head office is in Ontario, and search engines file us under "Ontario". That makes people in other provinces assume the video appointment is not for them. It is. Most of the clients on our calls in a given week are not in Ottawa or Toronto: a nurse in Surrey swearing an IRCC declaration, a couple in Calgary declaring a common-law union, a graduate student in Halifax swearing a translator's affidavit for a parent's certificate, a Canadian in Dubai declaring that a passport was lost.
This guide explains what an Ontario commissioner can do for a signer elsewhere, which documents travel well and which do not, why Quebec needs its own paragraph, what changes when you are outside Canada, and the handful of forms that decide the question for you. If your situation is not covered, contact us or call (613) 434-5555.
Key Takeaways
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Can I join from another province? | Yes. The regulation governs the video call and the jurat, not the signer's location |
| Federal documents (IRCC, passport, CRA) | Commonly accepted anywhere in Canada; follow the signing instruction on the form |
| Another province's court or registry | That office decides; ask it before you book |
| Quebec | A notarial act before a Quebec notaire is a different act from commissioning; federal forms are fine |
| Outside Canada | Yes, on Toronto time, with a passport as ID; documents for a foreign authority may need a wet-ink original and an apostille instead |
| Forms that decide for you | IMM 5604 (by hand before a notary), PPTC 132 (in person), anything bound for an apostille |
| Several signers, several provinces | One call, each with their own ID and signing link; the notary signs last |
| What stays in person | Certified true copies, wills, powers of attorney, witnessed signatures: a mobile visit in Ontario, a local notary elsewhere |
Can I use an Ontario online notary if I live in another province?
Yes. Under the Commissioners for Taking Affidavits Act, an oath or declaration is normally taken in the commissioner's physical presence, but section 9(2) lets a regulation provide otherwise, and O. Reg. 431/20 does. It allows an oath or declaration to be taken without the deponent being physically present when five conditions are met:
- The commissioner and the deponent can see, hear and communicate with each other in real time for the whole transaction.
- The commissioner confirms the deponent's identity.
- A modified jurat states that the oath was administered under the regulation and records where the commissioner and the deponent each were.
- Where the commissioner uses a stamp, its information appears on the document.
- The commissioner takes reasonable precautions, including making sure the deponent understands what is being signed.
The commissioner also keeps a record of the transaction. None of those conditions says the deponent must be in Ontario. The regulation assumes the two of you may be in different places; that is why the jurat records both locations. So the notary commissions from Ontario, you declare from wherever you are, and the document says so on its face.
What the regulation does not do is bind the organization that receives the document. That is the second half of every answer in this guide: the commissioning is valid where it was done; acceptance is the recipient's call.
Federal documents: IRCC, passports, Service Canada, CRA
The easy case. Federal bodies deal with Canadians in every province, and their forms do not ask for a commissioner from a particular one. IRCC's own forms, such as the Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union IMM 5409, name a notary public, a commissioner of oaths or a justice of the peace without limiting the province. The Canada Evidence Act, section 41, lets a solemn declaration be received by any notary public or commissioner authorized to take affidavits, in the form "I solemnly declare that … and I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing it to be true, and knowing that it is of the same force and effect as if made under oath."
So for a signer in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Maritimes or the territories, these are routine online appointments:
- IRCC declarations and affidavits: IMM 5409, the custodian's part of IMM 5646, a translator's affidavit, a one and the same person affidavit, a PR card declaration where a commissioner is needed. Our IRCC and newcomer hub lists them all.
- Passport Program: the lost passport declaration. Not PPTC 132, which is declared in person on paper.
- Service Canada and CRA: statutory declarations an officer asks for, for example about residency, a name, or a document that cannot be produced.
- Federal Court: an affidavit of service in Form 146A or any other affidavit the Federal Courts Rules call for.
Acceptance is still the recipient's decision, so match the exact instruction on your checklist. If a form says "sign in the presence of a notary public" rather than swear or declare, that is a witnessing instruction, and the next sections explain why it matters.
Documents for another province's court, registry or government: the receiving office decides
Provincial bodies set their own rules about who may commission an affidavit for their purposes, and those rules differ. Some accept an affidavit sworn before a notary public anywhere in Canada; some ask for a commissioner appointed in their own province; some want a particular jurat or a certificate of the commissioner's authority attached. None of this is a reason not to use a video appointment; it is a reason to ask one question first.
| Document going to | What to do |
|---|---|
| A court in another province | Ask the court registry whether it accepts an affidavit sworn before an Ontario notary public by video, and what jurat it expects |
| A land titles or land registry office | Ask the office; land registration rules are strict about who may take an affidavit and how it is marked |
| A provincial vital statistics office | Ask. Some registries accept a statutory declaration sworn anywhere; some supply their own form with its own instructions |
| A provincial driver or vehicle registry | Ask. Ontario's ServiceOntario accepts the sworn statements on Forms 1157E and 1155E commissioned by us; another province's registry has its own form |
| A provincial student aid, health or benefits body | Ask. Many accept a statutory declaration sworn before any Canadian commissioner; some name their own officials |
| A bank, insurer, employer or school | Usually fine; confirm with the person who asked for the document |
When you book, tell us what the receiving office said. If it wants something we cannot provide, such as a commissioner appointed in that province, we say so before you pay, and you are offered a full refund if it comes up after.
Quebec: an acte notarié is not commissioning
Quebec is the one province where the word "notary" means something different. A Quebec notaire is a civil-law legal professional, regulated by the Chambre des notaires du Québec, who drafts and receives notarial acts (actes notariés) and gives legal advice. Certain Quebec documents must be done as a notarial act before a Quebec notaire to be valid, among them a marriage contract and a hypothec (mortgage) on property in Quebec, and many Quebec estate documents are prepared that way by choice.
An Ontario notary public is not a notaire, and commissioning an affidavit or a statutory declaration does not create a notarial act. So:
- For a federal form, a Quebec resident uses our video appointment like anyone else: IMM 5409 from Laval, a translator's affidavit from Gatineau, a lost-passport declaration from Quebec City.
- For a Quebec court, registry or government body that asks for a sworn declaration, ask that body whether it accepts a declaration commissioned outside Quebec; Quebec also appoints its own commissioners for oaths, and some bodies expect one of those.
- For a document that must be a notarial act, a marriage contract, a hypothec, a notarial will, see a Quebec notaire. No Ontario commission can substitute.
Our appointments run in English and Vietnamese. If your Quebec document is in French, we can commission a declaration you understand, but the conversation that confirms you understand what you are signing happens in a shared language.
Signing from outside Canada
Canadians working or studying abroad, and foreign nationals with Canadian paperwork, join from wherever they are. The regulation's five conditions are met the same way, and the modified jurat records that you were in, say, London or Ho Chi Minh City when you declared. Four practical points:
| Point | What to do |
|---|---|
| Time zone | Appointments run 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM Toronto time, seven days a week. Convert for where you are; evening in Europe and early morning in East Asia both work |
| Identification | Bring your passport. A Canadian passport or a foreign passport is valid government photo ID; a provincial licence also works if it is unexpired |
| Connection | A steady connection matters more than a fast one; the notary must see and hear you for the whole call. A phone on mobile data is fine |
| Where the document goes | A document for a Canadian body is commonly accepted. A document for a foreign authority often needs a wet-ink original and an apostille instead |
That last row is the one to check before you book. If an embassy, a foreign court or a foreign bank asks for a "notarized" document, it may want a notary-witnessed wet-ink original followed by an apostille from Ontario's Official Documents Services, and a remotely commissioned PDF will not serve. Our guides to sending documents overseas and apostille vs notarization explain the chain. If the foreign authority's form says it must be signed before a notary in the country where you live, follow the form.
The exceptions: when the form itself says where or how to sign
A form's own signing instruction beats everything above. Watch for these:
- IMM 5604, the non-accompanying parent declaration: IRCC says it must be printed and signed by hand in front of a notary public. In Ontario that is a mobile visit; abroad, a local notary. See IMM 5604: who signs and how.
- PPTC 132, the passport declaration in lieu of a guarantor: a paper form declared in person, because the official also signs the back of a photo and your ID photocopies. See the passport guarantor guide.
- "Signed in the presence of a notary public" on any form: a witnessing instruction, not a commissioning one. Signature witnessing is in person. Some such letters, a travel consent or an invitation, can be re-prepared as a statutory declaration and then commissioned online; ask us before you book.
- Anything bound for an apostille or consular legalization: a wet-ink original is the norm, so an in-person signing comes first.
- A form that names the place of swearing in a way that excludes a remote oath: rare, but read the jurat block on the form. The modified jurat the regulation requires records both locations; if the recipient insists on a jurat that says you were in their province, ask them before you book.
Several signers in different provinces on one call
Two partners declaring IMM 5409 from different cities, three siblings each swearing an estate affidavit, a translator in one province and the applicant in another: all of these are one appointment. Each signer joins the same video call from their own location, holds up their own government photo ID, declares, and signs through their own secure link. Signers do not wait for one another; each signs as soon as the documents are ready, and the notary signs last. Each signer beyond the first adds one $24.95 seal plus HST for each document they sign, shown before you pay.
What still needs an in-person visit, and where we do it
What a notary can and cannot do online: Over video, the notary commissions oaths, affirmations, affidavits and statutory declarations. Over video, the notary does not certify a true copy of a paper original, witness an ordinary signature, or handle a will or power of attorney. We handle wills and powers of attorney in person; that is our practice. In Ontario, every in-person act is a mobile visit: $24.95 per seal plus HST, plus a $60 travel fee once per trip (up to 30 km from our nearest office in Ottawa or Toronto; beyond that, an additional travel fee applies). Outside Ontario, use a notary near you for those acts and our video appointment for the sworn documents.
Pricing
| Service | Fee | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Affidavit or statutory declaration, online | $24.95 per seal | The same from any province or country; each signer beyond the first adds one seal |
| Instant booking (slot starting within 20 minutes) | $8 | Flat, accepted before payment; never on a later slot |
| Exhibits, online | $24.95 each (1st–5th) | $20 each for the 6th to 10th, $15 each from the 11th |
| Printed copy by mail, anywhere in Canada | $20.99 / $49.95 | Regular (8 to 10 business days) / expedited (3 to 4 business days), postage included |
| Card processing fee | 2.9% + $0.30 | Shown before you pay |
Note: prices are before HST. Students and low-income families save up to 15% on an online appointment on request. We commission the document; we do not draft it, give legal advice, or promise that a receiving office will accept it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use an Ontario online notary if I live in another province?
Yes. The appointment is a live video call, and Ontario's remote commissioning rules do not require you to be in Ontario. You join from British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, the Maritimes, the territories or abroad; the notary commissions from Ontario and the jurat records where each of you was. The one real question is whether the organization receiving the document accepts a remotely commissioned Ontario document, and for federal bodies it commonly does.
Are federal documents such as IRCC forms accepted across Canada?
Commonly, yes. IRCC, the Passport Program, Service Canada and other federal bodies take affidavits and statutory declarations commissioned by a notary public or commissioner anywhere in Canada, and IRCC's forms name a notary public, a commissioner of oaths or a justice of the peace without limiting the province. Follow the exact instruction on your form or checklist, because a few forms say how or where they must be signed.
What about a document for another province's court, registry or government?
The receiving office decides. Some provincial courts, land registries and vital statistics offices accept an affidavit commissioned in another province; some require a commissioner appointed in their own province or a particular form of jurat. Ask the office that will receive the document before you book, and tell us what they said.
Why is Quebec different?
Quebec is a civil-law province. A Quebec notaire is a legal professional who prepares notarial acts, and some Quebec documents, such as a marriage contract or a hypothec on Quebec property, must be done as a notarial act before a Quebec notaire. Commissioning an affidavit or statutory declaration is a different act, and an Ontario commission does not turn a document into a Quebec notarial act. For a federal form, a Quebec resident can use our video appointment like anyone else.
Can I sign from outside Canada?
Yes. Canadians abroad and foreign nationals with Canadian paperwork join from wherever they are. Appointments run 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM Toronto time, so convert for your time zone; bring your passport as ID and a stable connection. If the document is going to a foreign authority, it may need a wet-ink original and an apostille instead, so check that before you book.
When does the form itself decide where I sign?
When it says so. IRCC's IMM 5604, for example, must be printed and signed by hand in front of a notary; the passport form PPTC 132 is declared in person; a document bound for an apostille needs a wet-ink original. Read the signing instructions on the form before you book an online slot.
Can several signers in different provinces join one appointment?
Yes. Each signer joins the same video call from their own location, shows their own photo ID, and signs through their own secure link; the notary signs last. Each signer beyond the first adds one $24.95 seal plus HST for each document they sign.
What still needs an in-person visit, and where do you do it?
Certified true copies of paper originals, wills, powers of attorney and witnessed signatures. We handle those in person on a mobile visit anywhere in Ontario; outside Ontario, use a notary near you for those acts and our video appointment for the sworn documents.
Final Recommendation
Ask one question before you book: who is receiving this document? If the answer is IRCC, the Passport Program, Service Canada, the CRA or a federal court, book the video appointment from wherever you are in Canada or abroad, with your passport and the unsigned form beside you. If the answer is a court, registry or government office in your own province, ask that office whether it takes an affidavit sworn before an Ontario notary by video, then book. If the answer is a Quebec notaire's domain, a marriage contract or a hypothec, see a notaire. And if the form itself says to sign by hand before a notary, or an apostille has to follow, plan an in-person signing instead. Everything else about the appointment, the price, the hours and the sealed PDF, is the same from Victoria to St. John's.
Book Your Appointment
Need an affidavit or statutory declaration commissioned from another province or from abroad? Minute Notary commissions it by secure video for $24.95 per seal plus HST, seven days a week, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM Toronto time.
- Contact us: Ask a question or request an appointment
- Call: (613) 434-5555
- Service page: Online Notary
- Related guide: What You Can Notarize by Video in Canada: The Full Guide
- Hours: Every day, Saturday and Sunday included, 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM (Ottawa time)
Sources
- O. Reg. 431/20: Administering Oath or Declaration Remotely (Ontario)
- Commissioners for Taking Affidavits Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.17 (Ontario), s. 9
- Notaries Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. N.6 (Ontario), s. 3
- Canada Evidence Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-5, s. 41 (solemn declarations)
- IRCC — IMM 5409, Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union
- IRCC — IMM 5604, Declaration from Non-accompanying Parent/Guardian
- Ontario — Authenticate a document for use outside Canada
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About the author
Kai Mai
Co-founder & Chief Technology Officer, 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.