Legalising a document using an Apostille

The Finnish authorities may ask you to legalise a foreign document. This should be done in the country where the document was issued.

If the country in question has signed the Hague Convention of 1961, the document can be legalised using an Apostille. For more information about Apostille certificates and the authorities that issue them, visit theHague Conventions website.

Apostille in Canada

The documents and certificates that have been issued in Canada intended for use in Finland must be legalized by Apostille authentication by Canadian authorities. During the legalization process, an Apostille is attached to the document.

For provincial documents, such as birth, marriage, divorce, and death certificates, the Apostille authentication is generally carried out byprovincial authorities.

Documents issued by the federal government, such as Canadian citizenship certificate, are Apostille authenticated byGlobal Affairs Canada.

A certificate issued by a local notary public (notarization) is not an Apostille authentication. Finnish missions do not have authority to issue Apostille authentication.

An Apostille certificate for a Finnish document for use abroad can be obtained in Finland from Digital and Population Data Services Agency.