Countries granting citizenship to descendants require a complete chain of civil-status documents tracing the lineage from ancestor to applicant - birth, marriage, and death certificates at each generation.

For Italy every civil-status document must be an apostilled original with a certified Italian translation. Documents are not returned after submission to the Italian consulate. Order originals in multiples before submitting.

Italy's 2025–2026 jure sanguinis changes- new eligibility restrictions and per-consulate annual caps mean applicants must verify current eligibility before spending on document preparation. The document costs - notarization, apostille fees, translations - can reach several thousand dollars across a multi-generation chain.

For Portugal, Spain, and Ireland: confirm document requirements with the relevant consulate. Requirements differ by country and sometimes by how far back the lineage runs.

Korea E-2/EPIK standard package:

• Apostilled RCMP fingerprint-based criminal record check (issued within 6 months of visa application) - via GAC on the original
• Apostilled notarized copy of a bachelor's degree or higher - via relevant provincial authority

For UAE, Saudi Arabia, and other non-Hague teaching markets:

• Same documents, but through authentication plus embassy attestation
• Contact the recruiting organization for the specific destination's requirements

Core document package:

• Apostilled long-form birth certificate
• Apostilled single-status proof (statement in lieu + notarized single-status declaration)
• Apostilled divorce certificate if previously married
• Apostilled death certificate of deceased spouse if widowed
• Certified translation of each document where required

Confirm the full list with the specific municipality or registry where the marriage will be registered. Requirements vary not just by country but sometimes by region within a country.

IRCC does not apostille foreign documents for Canadian immigration applicants. It requires applicants to submit foreign documents apostilled by the country that issued them.

Common Canadian documents submitted for foreign immigration applications: apostilled RCMP check, apostilled Canadian birth certificate, apostilled citizenship certificate. PR cards cannot themselves be apostilled - contact the specific receiving authority about acceptable proof-of-status formats.

Apostilled diploma or transcript from Canadian postsecondary institution; sometimes an apostilled birth certificate. Ontario postsecondary credentials issued since January 2019 go directly to ODS without notarization. For other provinces or older credentials, allow notarization time.

Both the sending and receiving countries require apostilled civil documents. Canadian outgoing adoption files include: apostilled birth certificates, court orders, home-study documents, and background checks (RCMP fingerprint-based process). Incoming adoption files require the sending country to apostille its own records through its own authority - this cannot be done in Canada.

Powers of attorney for real-estate transactions abroad are the most common legal document in this category. An Ontario or provincial notary prepares the POA, the notarized original goes to the relevant provincial authority or GAC, and the apostille is issued. Confirm the POA format accepted in the destination country before drafting - some European countries have specific wording requirements.

Common documents required: apostilled birth and marriage certificates (proof of relationship), apostilled death certificates, court-issued probate documents. Each is apostilled separately. Italian inheritance proceedings, for example, require apostilled birth and death certificates for both the deceased and the heirs, each with Italian translations.