🇨🇦 Canada·1961 Hague Convention·Code: CA-FED · Seat: Ottawa, ON
Global Affairs Canada (federal) Document Apostilles for Mexico
If your document was issued or signed in Global Affairs Canada (federal), the apostille comes from Global Affairs Canada (GAC). We prepare the submission, follow it up and arrange the translation by a perito so you can file it in Mexico without leaving the country.
This is the office’s own timeline; international shipping and translation are on top of it.
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What to know about Global Affairs Canada (federal)
Details about this authority that prevent rejections and wasted trips:
Point 1
Canada has applied the Apostille Convention since 11 January 2024. Before that, a Canadian document had to be legalized at a Mexican consulate; now an apostille is enough.
Point 2
Global Affairs Canada apostilles federal documents, including the RCMP criminal record certificate, and those of provinces and territories without their own office, such as Manitoba, the Atlantic provinces and the northern territories.
Point 3
Documents from Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Quebec do not go to Ottawa: they are apostilled in their own province.
Point 4
An RCMP certificate based on electronically submitted fingerprints usually takes 1–2 weeks. From Mexico, prints are taken on the paper C-216C form, and courier time adds to that.
Point 5
GAC charges no fee for the apostille, but its queue is long: 20–25 business days. If your procedure in Mexico has a deadline, this is the step to start first.
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Vital records (CA-FED)
Not applicable for federal level (Provincial Vital Statistics bureaus handle births/marriages)
Location: Global Affairs Canada JLAC, 125 Sussex Dr, Ottawa, ON
Note: Birth and marriage records in Canada are provincial. GAC only apostilles records from provinces and territories that have no apostille authority of their own.
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Notaries public (CA-FED)
Requirements for powers of attorney, affidavits and certified copies signed in Global Affairs Canada (federal):
A document notarized in Manitoba, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador or the territories is apostilled by GAC.
Documents signed before a notary in Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan or Quebec are apostilled by that province, not Ottawa.
Send the RCMP certificate in the original form issued by the RCMP; do not notarize or photocopy it for the apostille.
Documents
Global Affairs Canada (federal) documents often apostilled for Mexico
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RCMP criminal record certificate (fingerprint-based)
Apostille: Global Affairs Canada (GAC)
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Documents from Government of Canada departments
Apostille: Global Affairs Canada (GAC)
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Judgments and documents from federal courts
Apostille: Global Affairs Canada (GAC)
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Records and notarial documents from provinces and territories without their own authority
Apostille: Global Affairs Canada (GAC)
How we do it
Your Global Affairs Canada (federal) paperwork, step by step
You do not have to queue or ship documents to another country on your own. We tell you which copy you need, send it to the authority, receive the apostille and arrange the translation for the Mexican office.
1
Fingerprints on the C-216C form
For the RCMP certificate, your prints are taken on the Canadian form and sent to the RCMP, directly or through an accredited company.
2
Receive the original certificate
Check that your details match your passport, and do not staple, punch or laminate it.
3
Apostille in Ottawa
The original goes to Global Affairs Canada (Authentication Services, JLAC); allow 20–25 business days.
4
Certified translation in Mexico
A perito traductor translates the certificate and the apostille from English or French.
5
Use it while it is valid
Most offices in Mexico accept background checks no more than 3–6 months old.
Shall we start with your document?
We handle shipping to Global Affairs Canada (GAC), the government fees and the translation by a perito.
🔒 Orders are placed securely on our main booking site: fbibackgroundcheck.co.uk
🏛️ Offices in Mexico where Global Affairs Canada (federal) documents are filed
With the apostille and a translation by a perito, Global Affairs Canada (federal) documents are usually filed with:
Employers in Mexico asking Canadian staff for a criminal record checkInternational schools and organizations working with childrenINM: does not usually ask for a criminal record check for temporary or permanent residency; confirm for your caseRegistro Civil: records of Canadians from the Atlantic provinces or the territoriesNotarios públicos and courts: Canadian federal documents in acts and proceedings in Mexico
Frequently asked questions
Questions about Global Affairs Canada (federal) apostilles
What people ask us about documents from Global Affairs Canada (federal):
Does my Canadian document still need legalization at the Mexican consulate?
Not if it is apostilled. Since 11 January 2024 Canada issues apostilles and Mexico recognizes them without consular legalization. Documents legalized before that date remain valid.
Who apostilles the RCMP criminal record certificate?
Global Affairs Canada in Ottawa. Even if you live in Ontario or British Columbia, the RCMP certificate is federal and the province does not apostille it.
I am from Manitoba. Where do I apostille my birth certificate?
At Global Affairs Canada, because Manitoba has no apostille authority of its own. The same applies to the Atlantic provinces and the territories.
Can I have my RCMP fingerprints taken in Mexico?
Yes. The prints are taken on the C-216C form and sent to Canada. The certificate takes longer than with electronic prints taken in Canada, because of shipping and intake time.
Is your document from a state or province that is not listed? We handle it too. Write to us →
Working to a deadline?
Free review of your Global Affairs Canada (federal) document
We check that your document is the right version, tell you if a prior step is needed (such as county certification) and send you the timeline and a quote before you pay.