Notarizing documents in foreign languages

Do you have a document in a foreign language that you need notarized? If you need to use a notarized document outside of Canada it is important that you follow the right steps to avoid delay.

Step 1 - Ensuring the notary can understand the document

If your document is in a foreign language, we recommend preparing an English translation. This will allow the notary to verify the contents of the document with you and ensure that they are signing off on the document in the proper way.

You can have the document translated by a certified translator, however if you are proficient in the language you may opt to translate the document yourself. If you opt to translate your own document, most notaries will require you to sign a declaration stating that you are proficient in the foreign language and that you translated the document to the best of your abilities.

Moto Noto has prepared a free statutory declaration that you can use if you translate your own document. You can find the free statutory declaration here.

One of the best ways to translate a document can be do to it paragraph by paragraph. For example, if I am translating an English document into French, the translated version might look like this:

I authorize my brother to sell my house in France.

J'autorise mon frère à vendre ma maison en France.

However in some cases, the country which requires the document may insist on the final signed document being unaltered without an English translation.

When the time comes to sign, the notary will have you sign the statutory declaration which states that the translation is a true translation.

Step 2 - Signing the foreign document

If a document is intended to be used outside Alberta, the law in that country must be followed. Other countries may require different formalities.

Very often other countries require that the documents be completed by a Notary Public rather than a Commissioner for Oaths. In some cases, other countries require different coloured seals, for example a red seal or a gold seal.

It is important that you provide this information to the notary before signing as we are not versed in the requirements for each country.

Based on any special requirements, after you have signed the statutory declaration, the notary will sign the foreign document with you.

Step 3 - Authentication/Legalization

Documents sworn and signed before a Canadian notary public are not usually acceptable in other countries. To make them acceptable, they will often require a certificate of authentication. Even some American documents require certificate of authentications.

Certificates of authentication can be obtained from the Provincial government. Generally speaking, an official of the Deputy Provincial Secretary's Office, will review the notary’s signature and seal and provide a certificate authenticating that the notary public is a legitimate notary with power to sign.

To obtain a certificate of authentication, you must pay the fee online and send proof of payment along with the original notarized document to the provincial government.

The fee for a certificate of authentication from the Provincial government is $10.00.

The mailing address for provincial document authentication is

Deputy Provincial Secretary’s Office
Room 111, Bowker Building
9833 109 Street
Edmonton, Alberta  T5K 2E8

Once the province receives your fee and document they will mail back the certificate of authentication and the original document. Generally speaking this process takes 1-2 weeks.

More information about the document authentication process can be found here.

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