Global Apostille Canada / Destinations / Germany
Germany: apostille and legalization from Canada
Apostille only · no embassy stage
Most files for Germany are about work and study: degrees for recognition and a work visa or EU Blue Card, criminal record checks, and documents for a marriage at a German registry office. Germany is a party to the Apostille Convention, so one Canadian apostille is accepted directly, with no embassy stage.
The route your document takes
The Hague Apostille Convention applies to this destination (Germany). A single apostille from the Canadian competent authority is enough, with no embassy stage.
- TranslationCertified translation into the language your destination requires. Depends on your document
- NotarizationA notary or commissioner certifies the copy, the signature or the translator's affidavit. Depends on your document
- ApostilleThe competent Canadian authority issues the apostille certificate. Always
- LegalizationEmbassy or consular stamp, for destinations outside the Hague Convention. Not required
This is a preliminary route, not a legal opinion. Convention membership and embassy requirements change; we confirm the exact chain for your file in writing before any work starts.
What people usually send
The documents we most often prepare for this destination. If yours is not here, it is almost certainly still something we handle.
- University degrees and transcripts
- Criminal record checks
- Birth and marriage certificates
- Affidavits of single status for marriage
- Corporate documents
Worth knowing
German offices generally want a translation by a translator sworn in Germany (beeidigter Übersetzer). Apostille the original first, so the translation covers the apostille as well.
Where is your document from?
The authority that issues the apostille depends on the province the document was issued in, not on where you live.
- Own apostille office
- Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan
- Every other province and territory
- Global Affairs Canada, Ottawa