Official Canadian Documents for Use in France: How to Get Them Authenticated and Legalized
Canada and France have deep historical ties, and it's no surprise that over 7 million Canadians speak French. Whether for vacation, employment, or emigration, France is a popular destination for Canadians. If you are a Canadian individual or business, or you have Canadian documents that need to be used in France, you may need to use birth certificates, police checks, marriage certificates, powers of attorney, and affidavits. However, these documents cannot simply be presented in the format they were issued. They must go through a process of validation to prove their authenticity. Here's what you need to know about Canadian documents for use in France.
Authentication and Legalization: The Canadian Equivalent of Apostille in France
To make your Canadian documents valid for use in France, they need to be verified by two bodies: Global Affairs Canada (authentication) and the consulate at the embassy of France (legalization). While Global Affairs Canada is in Ottawa, French consulates are located in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Quebec City, and Moncton. If you have Canadian documents for use in any French territories, such as Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint-Martin, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Reunion island, Mayotte, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, and Wallis and Futuna, they will require legalization at a French consulate.
However, there's a catch. Global Affairs Canada takes up to 15+ business days to authenticate documents. The French consulates also have their own requirements, fees, and processing times, which change frequently. Additionally, the French consulate where your documents will need to be legalized will depend on where they were issued. All of these factors can make the process time-consuming and costly.
Canadian Authentication and Legalization Services: Global Document Solutions
To avoid the stress and costs of the authentication and legalization process, many Canadians choose the convenient and affordable alternative: Global Document Solutions. Global Document Solutions has been providing authentication and legalization services for 30 years, and has helped tens of thousands of Canadian businesses and individuals with their foreign affairs. The processes they've developed have become industry standards, and they continue to be the best provider of the authentication and legalization service.
Their commitment to service quality and attention to every detail has gained recognition from both Global Affairs Canada and every embassy within Ottawa and dozens more across Canada. Their strong relationships with their staff have allowed them to stay up-to-date on their changing policies, requirements, and fees, resulting in an unparalleled level of service to their clients. Their service guarantee ensures your Canadian documents will be valid for use in France.
When you use their services, you get your own personal agent to help you prepare your documents, answer your questions, address your concerns, and give you detailed updates at every step of the process. They can assist you in French as well. Upon completion, they can ship your documents anywhere in the world they need to go through one of their many shipping partners.
Canadian Documents You Need for Use in France
Canadian birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, divorce certificates, and powers of attorney are a few documents you may require for your personal affairs in France. Birth certificates, marriage certificates, and death certificates are issued by the province where the life event occurred. Divorce certificates and judgments are issued by the court at which the divorce was finalized. Powers of attorney can be drafted by yourself or by a lawyer, but they need to be notarized by either a lawyer or notary public to be valid for authentication at Global Affairs Canada.
Canadian RCMP Police Check for Use in France
Another Canadian document commonly requested for use in France is a police check. Local police checks issued across Canada will need to be notarized by a lawyer or notary public before they can be authenticated at Global Affairs Canada and legalized at the embassy of France. However, locally issued police checks are not always accepted by requesting parties in foreign countries, as they are usually based only on name and date of birth, which means there's a chance they are not an accurate representation of a person's true criminal history.
That's why many Canadians choose to get an RCMP police check instead. The RCMP is Canada's leading law enforcement authority, similar to Interpol. Police checks issued by the RCMP are more thorough, draw from a larger database, and are based on fingerprints as well. Furthermore, RCMP police checks contain signatures that are recognized by Global Affairs Canada, making them valid for authentication upon issuance.
Trust the Experts: Global Document Solutions
The authentication and legalization process can be difficult and time-consuming, which is why it's best to trust the experts. Global Document Solutions has service centers across Canada, including Vancouver, Victoria, Surrey, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, North York, Mississauga, Montreal and Halifax. If you live near one of these service centers, you can save yourself a trip to the post office and shipping costs by using one of their service centers. Your documents will receive free priority shipping via FedEx to their head office in Ottawa for processing. However, make sure to call their head office before using their service centers to ensure they can accept your documents for processing.
Upon completion, you can choose to pick up your documents from any of their service centers across Canada free of charge, or have them shipped anywhere in the world at an additional cost. With Global Document Solutions on your side, you have nothing to worry about.
Conclusion Global Document Solutions Is Here To Help You!
Getting your Canadian documents ready for use in France can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be. Trust the experts at Global Document Solutions to help you navigate the authentication and legalization process with ease. From birth certificates to police checks, they can ensure your Canadian documents are valid for use in France. Contact them today to get started.
