Submitting your Documents for Authentication

Note that all authentication requests must be sent by mail or by courier to the B.C. Authentication Program at the Order in Council (OIC) Administration Office. Rush, walk-in, drop off and while-you-wait services are not available.

On this page:

1. Determine what steps are needed
2. Prepare your document(s)
3. Prepare the request form
   • Applicant contact information
   • Return mailing address
   • Document(s) to be authenticated
   • Review information
   • Choose a payment option
   • Print, sign and date the completed request form
4. Provide the authentication fee
5. Mail or courier your completed package to us

 

1. Determine what steps are needed for your document(s):

Contact the embassy or consulate to determine exactly what is needed in the destination country. Only documents for use outside of Canada are authenticated.

Read all information on this website before submitting any documents for authentication. For example, does your document need to be translated and/or notarized before authentication?

If documents must be notarized, email BCAuthentication@gov.bc.ca to find out which B.C. Notaries Public (B.C. lawyers or B.C. non-lawyers) are already on file with us.

2. Prepare your document(s):

Follow all of the instructions on Preparing your Documents for Authentication, including:

• If your document is over 40 pages in length, you must contact us before submitting the document for authentication.
• If a document does not require authentication, do not send it to us with your package, unless instructions on this website direct you to do so. We do not need to see your identification or supporting documents if they are not for authentication.

If you are submitting multiple documents for authentication:

• Clearly organize each document (staple or clip pages together) to show how they should be processed.
• The number, document type, first and last name on document, and destination country for each document is required and must match what is listed on your request form.
• You can enter a maximum of 20 documents per request form. They will be authenticated separately and returned in a single return envelope. Please complete a new request form for each return envelope. 
• If you are submitting more than 20 documents for authentication, please complete a new form for each set of 20.

 

3. Prepare a B.C. Document Authentication Request form:

​All authentication requests sent to our office must include a printed, signed and dated request form (the old cover letter is no longer accepted).

Complete the B.C. Document Authentication Request form online:

• Use a desktop/laptop computer (do not use a mobile device/phone)
• Upgrade your web browser to the most recent version

  Internet Explorer is not supported. Please use other browsers, such as Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari.

  Required fields are marked with a red asterisk* and must be completed before proceeding to the next section of the form.

  Do not close the browser until you have completed and printed the entire form. Changes you have made will not be saved if you close the browser.

You will need to supply the following information:

1. Applicant Contact Information

• Confirm that you are acting on your own behalf, on someone else's behalf, or both
• Applicant name, email address and phone number

2. Return Mailing Address

   If your authenticated document needs to be sent directly to a different address, you must provide the name, address and return mailing instructions (see Return Mail Service).

   Note that you are solely responsible for ensuring that the recipient will accept the document by mail.

• Name and return mailing address
• Special Return Mail Service instructions (if applicable):
  If you would like documents returned by courier to your address or a different address, please follow all instructions on Return Mail Service.
  Clearly indicate any other special requests here, such as requesting that your document be authenticated separately from its translation in a notarized set.

3. Document(s) to be Authenticated

   This information is required and must match each document that you submit for authentication. If submitting multiple documents for authentication, please follow these instructions. 

• Document type: see Preparing your Documents for Authentication for how to identify the document type you are submitting
• First and last name on document
• Destination country: where the document will be used outside Canada, after authentication in B.C. (The destination country cannot be "Canada")

4. Review Information

​Make sure that all information is entered correctly, and that your documents are organized to match the documents listed in your request form.

4. Choose a Payment Option

• Pay Online with Mastercard, Debit Mastercard, Visa, Visa Debit, or American Express, or
• Mail Fees with Document/s: Accepted mail-in payment types are money order, bank draft, personal cheque or business cheque (made payable to the Minister of Finance)

  If you select “Pay Online”, you will be automatically redirected to online payment. After submitting your online payment, you will be prompted to print your completed form.

6. Print, sign and date your completed request form. Include this signed and dated request form with your document(s) for authentication.

 

4. Provide the authentication fee ($20 per document):

• Your completed request form will show the total amount of the authentication fee for the document(s) you listed in the form.
• If you paid online, the request form is your confirmation of online payment. Your credit card statement will include the text "Province of BC - Document Authentication".
• If you did not pay online, include the authentication fee ($20 per document) with your signed and dated request form and document(s) for authentication. See Document Authentication Fee for information on accepted payment types.
   

5. Send your completed package to our office by mail or courier with:
   1. The signed and dated request form
   2. Document(s)
   3. Payment (if you did not pay online)