Notary service by appointment
Apostille & Authentication
Sending documents abroad? We handle the apostille for you: we pick up your document in Ottawa or Toronto, file it with Ontario’s Official Documents Services, and return it to you.
We pick it up and bring it back. Book online and choose a time of day: we collect your documents in Ottawa or Toronto, file them with Official Documents Services, and return them. We call you to confirm the exact pickup time.
- Posted price
- From $119 + HST
- Pickup
- Same day with rushOur pickup and filing, not the apostille itself: Official Documents Services sets its own processing time.
- Where
- Ottawa & Toronto
Quick answer
Apostille & Authentication, done for you: we pick your document up in Ottawa or Toronto, file it with Ontario’s Official Documents Services and return it to you. The fee is $119 for the first document and $39 for each additional document in the same submission, plus a $60 handling fee for pickup and return in Ottawa, the ODS government fee and HST. Same-day rush pickup and drop-off adds $100. Book online and we call you to confirm the pickup. Notarization is a separate service.
Written by Kai Mai, Co-founder & Chief Technology Officer, Minute Notary. General information, not legal advice.
- Posted price
- From $119 + HST
- Pickup
- Same day with rushOur pickup and filing, not the apostille itself: Official Documents Services sets its own processing time.
- Where
- Ottawa & Toronto
- Hours
- 7 days a week, 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Also searched as: apostille Ottawaapostille Torontodocument authentication OttawaOfficial Documents Services authenticationapostille Canadanotarization for foreign uselegalization documents OttawaHague Convention apostille Canadanotary public Ottawa
Why it matters
Why Do Documents Going Abroad Need This?
A notarial seal on its own is recognized in Canada, but foreign governments cannot verify an individual Canadian notary.
The authentication chain solves that: the notary's seal is confirmed by a competent authority, and then either an Apostille certificate (for the 120-plus Hague Convention countries, including Canada since January 11, 2024) or embassy legalization makes the document acceptable abroad. If any link is missing or done out of order, the receiving authority will reject the document — a costly delay when it is tied to a visa, a marriage, a property purchase, or a job overseas. Filing the right document with the correct authority, in the right order, is what keeps an international document moving.
What is apostille & authentication?
Documents used in another country usually need one more step before a foreign authority accepts them.
For countries in the Hague Apostille Convention, which Canada joined on January 11, 2024, that step is a single Apostille certificate from Ontario’s Official Documents Services; for other countries it is authentication by Official Documents Services followed by legalization at that country’s embassy or consulate. We handle that step for you: we confirm what your destination country requires, pick up your original document in Ottawa or Toronto, prepare and file it with Official Documents Services, and return the finished document to you. The Apostille certificate itself is issued by Official Documents Services, not by us, and that office sets its own fee and processing time. If your document has to be notarized first, that is a separate service.
Related services you may need:
What to bring
Requirements to bring with you
Please ensure you have the following items when you visit.
- 01The original document, ready to file (if it must be notarized first, that is a separate service)
- 02The destination country and, if known, the receiving authority
- 03Any instructions from the receiving party about Apostille or authentication
- 04A pickup address in Ottawa or Toronto (other locations are quoted)
How our apostille service works
Straightforward process. Most appointments completed in minutes once we're face to face.
- 1
Book Online
Tell us how many documents need an apostille and which country they are for, and choose a time of day. The destination decides whether a document needs an Apostille or authentication and legalization. We call you to confirm the pickup.
- 2
We Pick It Up
We collect your original documents in Ottawa or Toronto. The $60 handling fee covers pickup and return in Ottawa; for another location we confirm the cost with you before we come.
- 3
We File It with Official Documents Services
We prepare your submission and file it with Ontario’s Official Documents Services, which issues the Apostille for a Hague Convention country, or the authentication for any other country. Its government fee is added to your order.
- 4
Returned to You
When Official Documents Services returns the document, we bring it back to you, or ship it if you need it sent. A country outside the Convention still needs legalization at its embassy or consulate after this step.
Is This For You?
Who Needs This Service
This service is commonly needed by the following groups.
- 01
People Marrying Abroad
Single status declarations and supporting documents usually need notarization plus an Apostille or authentication before a foreign registry will accept them.
- 02
Workers & Students Overseas
Diplomas, transcripts, and police checks used for jobs or study abroad are often asked for as a notarized copy that is then apostilled or authenticated — check the receiver’s list first, since some want the original apostilled directly.
- 03
International Property Buyers
Powers of attorney and declarations for property purchased in another country must be notarized and authenticated for foreign use.
- 04
Businesses Expanding Abroad
Corporate documents for foreign registration or contracts often need a notarial seal followed by authentication or an Apostille.
- 05
Families with Foreign Filings
Inheritance, pension, and civil-status documents destined for another country routinely need this notarization-and-authentication chain.
What's Included
- We pick up your document in Ottawa or Toronto
- We file it with Ontario’s Official Documents Services
- Apostille for Hague Convention countries, authentication for the rest
- Destination check before anything is filed
- The finished document returned to you
- Optional same-day rush pickup and drop-off
- Book and pay online
Common Uses
- Documents for Hague Convention countries (Apostille)
- Documents for non-Hague countries (authentication + legalization)
- Powers of attorney for use abroad
- Notarized copies headed overseas
- Educational and professional credentials for foreign use
- Single status declarations to marry abroad
- Corporate documents for foreign registration
- Affidavits and declarations for foreign authorities
Pro tips before your visit
Quick tips to make your appointment go smoothly.
Know the Destination First
Hague Convention countries take an Apostille; others need authentication plus embassy legalization. The destination country decides the path — tell us when you book.
Ask the Receiving Party
Foreign authorities sometimes have specific wording or format requirements. Confirm what they need before you book, so the right document is filed.
Have the Original Ready
We file the original document you hand us. If it must be notarized first, have that done before the pickup: it is a separate service.
Plan for Processing Time
Authentication and Apostille processing takes time at the government level. Start early: rush speeds up our pickup and filing, not the government’s queue.
Where it gets done
Apostille & Authentication: where and how it gets done
We handle the filing for you. You do not come to an office: we pick your document up and bring it back.
- Pickup and return
- We collect your original document in Ottawa or Toronto and bring it back when it is done. The $60 handling fee covers Ottawa; Toronto and other locations are confirmed with you before we come.
- Filed with
- Ontario’s Official Documents Services, which issues the Apostille for a Hague Convention country, or the authentication for any other country.
- Hours
- Open 7 days a week, 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM, including Saturday and Sunday.
Transparent pricing
From $119 + HST. Every fee shown before you pay.
Priced per document, plus a handling fee for pickup and return. The Official Documents Services government fee and HST are added on top.
Paid online when you book: HST plus a small card processing fee, shown in full before you pay. The handling fee is charged once per booking, not per document.
See all our notary fees, HST and card fee includedPricing details
- $119
Apostille / authentication — first document
We pick it up, file it with Official Documents Services and return it
- $39
Each additional document
In the same submission
- $60
Handling fee (pickup and return)
Once per booking, in Ottawa
- +$100
Rush: same-day pickup and drop-off
Optional, on top of the handling fee; Official Documents Services sets its own processing time
- Quoted
Toronto, other locations, or return shipping
Confirmed with you before we come; shipping at actual cost
- Additional
ODS government fee
Set by Ontario: $16 per notarized document, $32 per Ontario government or court document or Ontario public college or university credential
- Additional
HST
Where applicable
Ready when you are. Same-day slots available 7 days a week.
The Apostille certificate or authentication is issued by Ontario’s Official Documents Services (Global Affairs Canada handles federal documents), not by us: we pick up, file and return your document. The ODS government fee and HST are added to our fee. Notarization is a separate service and is not part of this price. Official Documents Services sets its own processing time, and any embassy legalization is handled by that country’s consulate.
FAQs
Common questions about apostille & authentication
If your question is not here, .
Read more on the blog
Practical guides written for the same kinds of clients we see in person. Free to read, no signup.
- 0114 min read
How to Apostille a Document in Ontario: The Full Process
How to apostille a document in Ontario — what changed when Canada joined the Hague Convention, which office issues the apostille, what a notary does first, and how Ottawa applicants step through.
- 029 min read
How to Apostille an Ontario Birth or Marriage Certificate
An Ontario birth, marriage or death certificate is apostilled as the original, with no notary step: which ServiceOntario certificate to order, how Official Documents Services issues the apostille, what it costs, and the mistakes that send people back to the start.
- 039 min read
How to Apostille a Degree, Diploma or Transcript in Ontario
Two routes to an apostille on an Ontario degree, diploma or transcript: the original, for credentials from an Ontario public college or university issued since January 1, 2019, or a notarial certified true copy for everything else. Fees, steps, and the documents Ontario will not authenticate.
- 0412 min read
Does a Power of Attorney Need to Be Notarized in Ontario?
Not for use in Ontario: two qualified witnesses make a power of attorney valid. Using it in another country is different. The apostille office only accepts a notary's signature and seal, so a POA going abroad has to be notarized first.
- 0512 min read
Document Attestation in Canada: What It Means and How It Works
Employers, universities and embassies abroad call it attestation. In Canada the steps have other names: a notarized copy or signature, a certificate from Official Documents Services or Global Affairs Canada, and for some countries an embassy stamp. Which one you need depends on the destination.
- 068 min read
Apostille vs Notarization: What's the Difference?
Understand the difference between apostille and notarization for international documents. Learn which one you need and how to get documents authenticated for use abroad.
Related services
View All ServicesMarrying abroad? The single status affidavit a foreign registry asks for is notarized first, then apostilled.
Some documents can be apostilled as a notarial certified copy instead of the original; the copy is certified on this page.
Private documents such as letters, consents and declarations are notarized before Official Documents Services will apostille them.
A power of attorney for use abroad is usually notarized and then apostilled.
Book today
Ready to book your apostille & authentication?
From $119 + HST, plus a $60 handling fee for pickup and return and the ODS government fee. Book online; we call you to confirm the pickup.
Apostille & Authentication
From $119 + HST · +$60 handling