The routing table above covers where issued documents go. When a document has been notarized, the routing rules change - and this is where most failed submissions originate.

The rules differ significantly depending on which province the notarization happened in.

These go to that province's competent authority - regardless of where the original document was issued.

Example: a Manitoba-issued document notarized by an Ontario notary goes to ODS in Toronto, not to Global Affairs Canada.

These provincial authorities can only process the notarized document if the original was also issued in that province.

A document issued in Nova Scotia and notarized in BC falls into a gap: BC will not process it (original not from BC), and GAC may return it (notarized in a province with its own competent authority). This is a real failure case, not a theoretical one.

Manitoba, Nova Scotia, NB, PEI, Newfoundland, NWT, Nunavut, Yukon - notarizations from these go to Global Affairs Canada.

Plan the notarization before booking a notary. If your document is from a non-authority province and you want the faster Ontario ODS route, use an Ontario notary to certify the copy. If you want the federal route, notarize in a non-authority province and submit to GAC.

When the correct route is unclear, use GAC's free triage portal. It asks a few questions about your document and tells you where to send it. It takes under two minutes.