Canada Embassy Attestation: Why an Apostille Replaced It on 11 January 2024
Canada embassy attestation is the phrase everybody still types into Google, but it stopped being the right answer on 11 January 2024, the day the Hague Apostille Convention came into force for Canada. Indian documents for Canada now carry an MEA apostille instead.
So Canada embassy attestation, as a separate stamp, no longer exists. INFINITYGRO handles the apostille that replaced it, and the Notary and SDM stages before it, from our Delhi office. We will also tell you, without charge, when your Canadian application does not need legalisation at all, which is more often than most agents admit.
- Canada embassy attestation replaced by apostille from 11 January 2024
- No High Commission stamp is required on Indian documents any more
- We say plainly when IRCC or an ECA body does not need an apostille
- Every charge set out in writing before we start
What does an Indian document actually need for Canada?
Quick answer Last updated 8 October 2026
Canada accepts the Hague apostille, so Canada embassy attestation is not a separate stage. An Indian public document for Canada is notarised, attested by a Sub-Divisional Magistrate in Delhi and then given a numbered apostille by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. Nothing afterwards goes to a Canada embassy or consulate.
- Hague Apostille Convention
- Canada is a contracting party
- Correct route from India
- Notary → Sub-Divisional Magistrate → MEA apostille
- Is an apostille accepted?
- Yes — it is the complete legalisation
- Is an embassy stamp needed?
- No — no Canada mission stamp is required
- Who issues the stamp
- Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India
- Handled by INFINITYGRO
- Notary, SDM and MEA stages, from our Delhi office
Canada embassy attestation: what Canada actually requires in 2026
Canada does not require embassy or High Commission attestation on Indian documents. The Hague Apostille Convention entered into force for Canada on 11 January 2024, so a single MEA apostille from the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi is now the complete legalisation chain.
Before that date Indian documents did go to the Canadian mission for consular legalisation, which is why so many pages, agents and even some university websites still describe that route. If anyone quotes you for a Canadian High Commission stamp today, ask them when they last checked.
One more thing worth knowing: Canada has a High Commission in New Delhi rather than an embassy, because both countries are Commonwealth members. The word embassy in the search box is habit, not a mistake worth worrying about.
Convention membership is published by the Hague Conference on Private International Law, and the entry-into-force date for Canada is a matter of record there. Check the status table linked below if you want to see it for yourself.
The route an Indian document takes for Canada
Three stages, all of them in India, and none of them at a Canadian office, which is what people now mean when they ask about Canada embassy attestation. Where your file starts depends on the kind of document and on what the receiving body in Canada has asked for. Everything Canada embassy attestation involves is in those stages and nowhere else.
Notary or State authentication, then the MEA apostille
The whole chain finishes in New Delhi.
- Arranged by you
University, board or State authentication, only where asked
Some Canadian regulators and a few universities want the degree verified or State-authenticated before the Ministry sees it. Most do not. Ask in writing before you pay for this stage, because it is the slowest and often the most expensive part.
- Handled by INFINITYGRO
Notary Public and SDM attestation in Delhi
For the fast-track route a Notary Public in Delhi enters and seals the document, and a Sub-Divisional Magistrate attests the notary's signature. That is the clearance the Ministry looks for.
- Handled by INFINITYGRO
MEA apostille
The Ministry of External Affairs applies a numbered apostille sticker with a QR code to the reverse of the document. For Canada, that is the end of the chain. Nothing goes to the High Commission afterwards.
Typically needed for: Provincial regulators and licensing bodies, Canadian universities that ask for legalised transcripts, marriage registration, adoption, property and court matters, and powers of attorney.
Get the Canada embassy attestation requirement in writing first
Canadian requirements vary more by receiving body than by document. A provincial nursing or engineering regulator, a university admissions office, a family court and the immigration department all want different things, and only one of them is likely to want an apostille. Get the requirement in writing from whoever is asking, then decide.
Personal, educational, commercial: three different chains for Canada
Before anything is stamped, your document has to be classified, because India runs three separate chains and they are not interchangeable. Personal records, educational records and company paperwork each start in a different place and meet only at the Ministry. This is the part of Canada embassy attestation that nobody explains properly, so we have set all three out side by side.
Personal and non-educational records
The records that follow a person rather than a career. Because they come from registrars and police authorities, no institutional verification sits behind them, and that makes this the most predictable of the three chains.
What is in this group
- Marriage certificate
- Birth certificate
- Divorce decree
- Death certificate
- Police Clearance Certificate
- Adoption deed
- Personal Power of Attorney
- Medical fitness certificate
- Single status certificate
- Affidavit
The route
- Notarisation in Delhi. A Notary Public examines the original, enters it in the register and seals it. Skip this and the next counter will refuse the file outright.Handled by INFINITYGRO
- SDM, the fast-track option. Chosen over the issuing State's own department because it is quicker, happens in Delhi and satisfies the Ministry for nearly every destination.Handled by INFINITYGRO
- Alternative: State Home Department. Where the receiving authority specifically demands it, the General Administration Department or Regional Attestation Centre of the issuing State attests instead of an SDM. This runs in that State, on its timetable, and you arrange it.Arranged by you
- At the MEA counter in New Delhi. The signature beneath is matched against specimen records and the Ministry's sticker goes on, which is what Canada will ultimately read. Public submission closed in 2012.Handled by INFINITYGRO
- Canada accepts the apostille, and the chain ends there. The Ministry applies a numbered sticker with a QR code to the reverse. Nothing afterwards goes to a Canada mission, which is why Canada embassy attestation is really apostille work.Final stage
Degrees, diplomas, marksheets and transcripts
Educational records are the slowest category in Canada embassy attestation, and the reason is always the same: the State or university stage, where it is demanded, runs on somebody else's timetable rather than ours.
What is in this group
- Degree certificate
- Diploma certificate
- Transcripts
- Marksheets
- 12th certificate
- 10th certificate
- Provisional degree
- Nursing certificate
- ITI / trade certificate
- Migration certificate
- Bonafide certificate
- Character certificate
The route
- Notary Public, in Delhi. A Notary enters the document in the register and applies a seal and signature. Nothing can move further up the chain without it.Handled by INFINITYGRO
- SDM, the fast-track option. Chosen over the issuing State's own department because it is quicker, happens in Delhi and satisfies the Ministry for nearly every destination.Handled by INFINITYGRO
- Alternative: HRD authentication. Some universities and professional councils abroad will only accept a certificate authenticated by the issuing State's Higher Education Department, typically preceded by university verification. That whole branch is organised by you, in the relevant State.Arranged by you
- Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi. For a Canada file the MEA verifies the State-level or Chamber signature and applies its own sticker. Since 2012 the Ministry has not accepted documents directly from the public, which is why a registered agency lodges it.Handled by INFINITYGRO
- Canada accepts the apostille, and the chain ends there. The Ministry applies a numbered sticker with a QR code to the reverse. Nothing afterwards goes to a Canada mission, which is why Canada embassy attestation is really apostille work.Final stage
Company, trade and export paperwork
Trade and corporate documents skip the civil administration entirely and go through the Chamber of Commerce instead. Mixing the two chains is the single most common error in commercial Canada embassy attestation files.
What is in this group
- Certificate of Incorporation
- Memorandum of Association (MOA)
- Articles of Association (AOA)
- Board Resolution
- Commercial invoice
- Certificate of Origin
- Packing list
- Power of Attorney
- Distribution agreement
- Memorandum of Understanding
- Free Sale Certificate
- GMP certificate
- Price list
- Bill of Lading
- Trade licence
- Partnership deed
- Certificate of Analysis
- Letter of Authority
- Company registration certificate
- Export documents
The route
- Attestation by a recognised Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber verifies the issuing company and seals the paperwork. Commercial documents start here, not with a Notary, and never pass through an SDM.Handled by INFINITYGRO
- Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi. For a Canada file the MEA verifies the State-level or Chamber signature and applies its own sticker. Since 2012 the Ministry has not accepted documents directly from the public, which is why a registered agency lodges it.Handled by INFINITYGRO
- Canada accepts the apostille, and the chain ends there. The Ministry applies a numbered sticker with a QR code to the reverse. Nothing afterwards goes to a Canada mission, which is why Canada embassy attestation is really apostille work.Final stage
Send a photograph if there is any doubt. Choosing the wrong chain is the one error in Canada embassy attestation that cannot be corrected halfway through, and it is also the easiest to avoid.
A closer look at each document
What Canada embassy attestation involves depends far more on who is receiving the document than on what the document is. These are the patterns we see week after week. Processing is the same throughout Canada embassy attestation; the receiving body is what varies.
Degree certificate apostille for Canada
A degree certificate apostille for Canada is usually requested by a provincial regulator, a professional body or occasionally a university, not by the immigration department. The MEA apostille is applied to the original degree, and the transcripts normally travel with it.
Regulators and universitiesDiploma, ITI and trade certificates
Polytechnic diplomas and ITI trade certificates follow the same apostille route. Skilled trades bodies in the provinces often ask for the certificate alongside a transcript of the course content, so send both together.
Technical qualificationsBirth certificate apostille for Canada
A birth certificate apostille for Canada comes up in family sponsorship, dependant applications, school admission for children and estate matters. The original issued by the municipal or registrar's office is apostilled; a hospital-issued slip is not acceptable.
Family and sponsorship filesMarriage certificate apostille for Canada
A marriage certificate apostille for Canada is wanted for spousal sponsorship, for registering a foreign marriage and for name-change and property matters. Send the certificate issued by the registrar, not the ceremony or temple record.
Spousal sponsorshipPolice Clearance Certificate
An Indian Police Clearance Certificate is normally uploaded to IRCC as a scan and does not need an apostille. Where a provincial employer or a licensing body asks for a legalised copy, the PCC is apostilled exactly like any other public document.
PCCCommercial and company documents
Invoices, certificates of origin, board resolutions and company documents need a Chamber of Commerce step before the Ministry. The apostille follows, and nothing is required from the High Commission.
Chamber of Commerce firstWhat actually moves the cost of Canada embassy attestation
Canada embassy attestation fees are a smaller number than they used to be, because Canada is an apostille country and files for Canada are among the cheaper ones we handle: there is no embassy charge at the end. What still moves the figure is this.
1No embassy stage
The single biggest saving. A Canadian file stops at the Ministry, so you pay nothing to a foreign mission, unlike a UAE, Qatar or Kuwait file.
2Whether State authentication is needed
If a regulator insists on State HRD authentication first, that is a separate process you arrange and pay for directly, and it adds weeks as well as money.
3How many documents travel together
A degree, transcripts, a birth certificate and a marriage certificate sent in one envelope share the journey instead of paying for four.
4Courier and collection
Tracked courier both ways from another State costs more than dropping documents at the Delhi office and collecting them.
5Urgency
A genuine deadline that needs a file moved ahead of the normal queue is priced differently from a routine one.
Both the degree certificate fees page and the diploma certificate fees page set the charges out stage by stage. For your particular set, a photograph on WhatsApp brings a written quote back.
Canada embassy attestation: who actually asks for a stamp, and who does not
This is where most money is wasted, so it is worth being blunt. Indians sending documents to Canada fall into four groups, and only two of them need anything legalised.
Immigration applications. Study permits, work permits and Express Entry are filed online with scanned documents. The immigration department does not ordinarily ask for an apostille, and paying for one before anybody has requested it is money gone.
Credential assessment. The designated organisations that issue an Educational Credential Assessment want academic records sent to them directly by the issuing university, in a sealed envelope or through a verified digital channel. An apostille on your personal copy does not satisfy that requirement and is not a substitute for it.
Provincial regulators and licensing bodies. This is where apostilles are genuinely needed. Nursing, engineering, pharmacy, teaching and accountancy regulators in the provinces frequently ask for legalised originals, and their lists are specific.
Legal, family and property matters. Registering a marriage, sponsoring a spouse or parent, adoption, estate work, a power of attorney for property in India: these ordinarily need apostilled documents, and courts are strict about originals.
Send us the request you received and we will tell you which of the four you are in. If the honest answer is that you do not need us, you will be told that.
What is not included in Canada embassy attestation work
Being clear about the edges of the job saves arguments later, so here is what sits outside a Canada embassy attestation quote from us.
Not part of the quote
- University or board verification. We do not apply to universities, State boards or ITIs on your behalf.
- State-level HRD and home department stages. These happen in the issuing State, on their timetable, and you pay them directly.
- Educational Credential Assessment and credential evaluation. Those bodies deal with your university directly and charge their own fees.
- Visa and permit charges. These go to the mission or online portal processing your application, never through us.
- Lost, torn or laminated originals. A replacement has to come from the issuing authority before anything else can start.
Treat any promise to shortcut a government stage with suspicion, whoever makes it. We are a private service and the decisions belong to the Ministry and the receiving office.
What to put in the envelope
Once the Canada embassy attestation route is settled, this is the set that starts the work. Send everything in one envelope rather than in instalments. These are what Canada embassy attestation needs before a single counter is approached.
- The original document, flat and unlaminated
- Transcripts or consolidated marksheets, where a regulator or university asked for them
- The written requirement from the Canadian body, which decides the route
- A passport copy, photo page and address page
- The signed authorisation letter, from the template we email
- Return address and mobile number, unless you are collecting
The HRD attestation guide walks through the State stage, and common mistakes during certificate apostille lists the errors we see most often.
Office:
C – 5 A/2 New Ashok Nagar, Delhi – 110096, IndiaWorking hours: Monday to Saturday, 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM (Sunday closed)
Looking for the Canada embassy address? Here it is
High Commission of Canada
New Delhi
- Address
- 7/8 Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021
- Telephone
- +91 11 4178 2000
- Other posts in India
- Canada also has Consulates General in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chandigarh. Global Affairs Canada has announced that in-person operations at those three posts are temporarily suspended, with consular services directed to New Delhi.
This mission does not attest or legalise Indian documents. Because Canada is an Apostille Convention country, the apostille is issued by the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi and the chain ends there. We publish these details because people ask for them, and they are useful for visa and other consular enquiries — but do not take your documents here expecting a stamp.
Canada embassy attestation, question by question
What people actually ring up and ask about Canada embassy attestation.
Do I still need Canadian High Commission attestation in 2026?
No. The Hague Apostille Convention came into force for Canada on 11 January 2024, and from that date Canada accepts apostilles instead of consular legalisation. An MEA apostille on your Indian document is the complete chain. Any quotation that still includes a High Commission stamp is working from pre-2024 information.
My Canadian university says documents must be attested. What do they mean?
Almost always they mean the apostille, or sometimes just a notarised copy, because the wording on university pages is often older than the rule. Ask the admissions office to say in writing whether they want an apostille, a notarised copy, or documents sent directly by your Indian university. Those are three different things and only one of them is our job.
Does IRCC need my degree apostilled for a study permit or Express Entry?
Ordinarily not. Immigration applications are filed online with scans, and the credential assessment organisations want records sent to them by the issuing university rather than legalised copies carried by you. Apostilles come in for provincial regulators, courts, marriage registration and property matters. Do not pay for one until somebody has asked for it in writing.
I am sponsoring my spouse. Which documents get apostilled?
Usually the marriage certificate issued by the registrar, and often birth certificates for any children. Send the registrar's certificate rather than a ceremony record, and check whether the provincial office wants the transcripts of any name change as well. We apostille the originals and return them by tracked courier with a scan sent first.
What does Canada embassy attestation cost now that it is an apostille?
Less than it used to, because the mission stage has gone. You pay the Ministry's fixed statutory charge per document, the notary and SDM stages, our handling and the courier. There is no foreign mission fee at the end at all. Send a photograph of the document and we will quote the whole thing in writing.
Is an apostille on an Indian document valid in Quebec as well?
Yes. The Convention applies throughout Canada, including Quebec, which issues its own apostilles for Quebec documents. Quebec bodies may additionally want a French translation, so ask the receiving office whether a certified translation is expected alongside the apostilled original.
Find out whether your Canadian file needs anything at all
Canada embassy attestation, an apostille or nothing at all: send a photograph of the document and the request you received. You will get a straight answer on whether an apostille is needed, what it costs and how long it takes.
+91-8595558517Disclaimer: INFINITYGRO facilitates documents; it does not issue them. The Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, is the sole issuer of apostilles and attestations, and legalisation, where it applies, is done by the relevant mission. State authentication and university verification are outside our scope. Requirements and fees change over time, so check the current position with the body receiving your document.