Poland in Canada

Please note! Canada has announced its accession to the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (Journal of Laws of 2005, No. 112, item 938) as of January 11, 2024. 

On January 11, 2024, Canada implemented the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization of Foreign Public Documents.

From January 11, 2024, authenticated documents include a standard certificate called an apostille. The apostille eliminates steps required to get documents accepted in countries where the convention is in effect, including the legalization by a consular office of the country of destination. 

You can find more information in Apostille section. 

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Legalization is a certification that the document has been issued by a proper office - my means of legalization the consul certifies the authenticity of a signature and stamp/seal of a foreign official. This allows you to use a foreign official document in Poland.

Legalization applies to states non-members of the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents of 5 October 1961 (Journal of Laws of 2005, no. 112, item 938).

The consul can only legalize originals and official copies of documents. Photocopies and computer printouts cannot be legalized. The documents must be authenticated by the competent local authority before you present them to the consul. In most countries authentication is made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice or another central authority of the document's country of origin.

If a foreign authority requires legalisation of a Polish document, please read the information available on Polish MFA website.