Global Affairs Canada operates the Authentication Services Section in Ottawa. This is the federal competent authority for the Convention and Canada's national contact point with the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH).

• Documents issued by the federal government: RCMP criminal record checks, citizenship certificates, Confirmations of Permanent Residence, Records of Landing,
• Federal Court documents, and records from federal departments
• Documents from the eight provinces and territories without their own designated authority

• No in-person counter.
• Mail and drop-off counters are available.
• For drop off: Global Affairs Canada’s Distribution Centre: 2421 Lancaster Road, Ottawa, Ontario
• For mail Send to: Authentication Services Section, 2421 Lancaster Road, Ottawa, ON K1B 4L5, Canada
• Include: completed authentication request form, the original document(s), and a prepaid return envelope or courier label. Without a return method, GAC mails documents back by untracked Canada Post.

Free. The GAC does not charge for apostille issuance. Your costs are notarization (if required), certified translation (if the document is not in English or French), and courier both ways.

GAC publishes a live "now processing" date on its website showing the date of submissions currently being worked. As of mid-2026, processing runs approximately 20 business days from receipt. Add 5 to 10 business days for mailing each direction. Total end-to-end: roughly four to six weeks from the day you post the package.

That figure fluctuates during peak periods. No guarantee is given on the stated timeline.

GAC does not offer expedited processing as a standard option. Priority processing is reserved for exceptional circumstances outside the applicant's control where no alternative exists. It is not a paid lane. If your deadline requires faster processing than the queue allows, the only lawful option is Ontario ODS in-person (if your document qualifies) or earlier planning.

On request, GAC can forward authenticated documents directly to a foreign embassy or high commission in Ottawa for legalization. This is useful for non-Hague destinations. Embassy fees are paid directly to the embassy - not through GAC.

Unlike Ontario ODS, GAC does not have a blanket wet-ink requirement. Contact the Authentication Services Section directly before sending a digital or electronically signed document. The treatment depends on the document type.

The mail-only format combined with a 4-to-6-week timeline is the primary complaint, particularly from applicants on visa or immigration deadlines. The second most common issue: sending a document to GAC that belongs to a provincial authority. GAC returns those unprocessed after the queue reaches them - weeks later.

Using a third-party service does not change GAC's processing timeline. The queue is the same regardless of who submits.