Many applicants were born outside Canada and need foreign documents apostilled for Spain. Canadian authorities cannot apostille foreign-issued documents; they only process Canadian documents or those notarized by Canadian-commissioned notaries.

Options for foreign documents:

• Hague Convention countries: Obtain an apostille from your birth country’s competent authority. The Hague Conference maintains a full list at hcch.net.
• Non-Hague countries: Traditional legalization through the foreign country’s embassy, either in Spain or Canada, may be required.

Naturalized Canadians often need both the Canadian RCMP check (through GAC) and a foreign birth certificate apostille simultaneously. Plan for different timelines, as foreign authorities may take longer than Canadian authorities.