What happened
The Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents entered into force for Canada on 11 January 2024. Canadian public documents bound for other member countries can now be authenticated with a single apostille certificate.
Who issues it
For Ontario documents, apostilles are issued by Official Documents Services; Global Affairs Canada issues apostilles federally. The apostille attaches to the public document, or to a notarial certificate on it.
Why it matters
The change removes, for member countries, the multi-step chain of authentication followed by embassy or consular legalization — a meaningful simplification for anyone sending Ontario documents abroad.
General information only — not legal advice. Confirm any regulatory change against its primary source before relying on it.