Canadians who move internationally with regularity - diplomatic families, international business executives, long-term expats, international educators - accumulate apostilled documents over time. Organized record-keeping reduces cost and time on future requests.

Maintain a simple log with these fields for each apostilled document:

• Document name and type
• Province of issue
• Date of original document
• Authority that issued the apostille
• Apostille certificate number
• Date apostille was issued
• Destination the apostille was used for
• Current physical location of the document

When a foreign authority asks for verification of a past apostille, the certificate number and issuing authority are all that is needed for the online register check. Without a record, re-verifying means tracking down the original package.

Before sending any apostilled document internationally, scan or photograph the complete set - the apostille, the document, and any accompanying translations or certifications. Store copies in a cloud service accessible from any location.

Italy, for example, keeps original apostilled documents submitted for citizenship applications. Portugal and Spain sometimes do as well, depending on the filing. Note which originals were submitted and not returned. When you need the same document apostilled for a different purpose, you must order a fresh original from the Vital Statistics office - having a record of which originals were surrendered prevents unnecessary searches.

The apostille does not expire. The underlying document may. Criminal record checks, financial statements, and some official letters have recency requirements set by receiving institutions. Maintain a separate note of any validity windows that applied to documents you submitted, so you know when a fresh check or statement will be needed for future applications.