Many Hamilton residents own property, manage inheritances or hold bank accounts in another country. When a foreign bank, notary, lawyer or land office sends you documents to sign, they often ask for your signature to be notarized in Canada, and sometimes for the document to be apostilled or authenticated as well.
Common documents
- powers of attorney allowing someone abroad to act for you;
- sale, purchase or transfer documents;
- bank forms and account authorizations;
- declarations required by foreign registries or tax offices.
A typical process
- Get instructions from the foreign lawyer, notary or institution: what needs to be signed, in what form, and whether an apostille or authentication is required.
- Arrange translation if the document is in a language you don’t read. You should understand what you are signing.
- Sign in front of a notary. We verify your identity, witness your signature and attach a notarial certificate.
- Apostille or authenticate, if required, before sending the document abroad.
What we can and can’t do
We notarize your signature and prepare the notarial certificate. We don’t draft foreign documents or advise on foreign law, taxes or property transactions. Please rely on professionals in the destination country for that advice.
Next steps
Documents notarized by an Ontario notary can generally be apostilled or authenticated by Ontario’s Official Documents Services. Our guide to what documents can be apostilled in Canada explains more.
Related reading
- What documents can be apostilled in Canada?
- Documents for countries that don’t accept apostilles
- Out-of-province real estate signings
- Power of attorney at a hospital or nursing home
Book with Crown Seal Notary
Crown Seal Notary serves Hamilton and the surrounding area seven days a week. In-office appointments are available at 21 King St W, 5th Floor, and our mobile service comes to your home, workplace, hospital or care home. To book, call 289-207-0851, email info@csnotary.org, or book online. You can also browse all of our services or read our FAQs.
Please note: Crown Seal Notary provides notarization and commissioning services only. We do not provide legal, immigration or financial advice, and we cannot tell you what to write in your document. If you are unsure which document you need, please check with the organization that asked for it or speak with a lawyer or licensed paralegal.
