Enforcing Canadian Documents in Mexico
What you should know to make valid foreign documents in Mexico
Enforcing Canadian Documents in Mexico
If you are doing business or travelling to Mexico, you may need proof of authentication for public documents issued in Canada.
According to the Canadian government, more than 1.8 million Canadian travelled to Mexico in 2022. An increasing number of them need to make their official documents, e.g. passport, certificate of birth and corporate document, to be considered valid by Mexican authorities.
As general rule legal documents issued in accordance with foreign law shall be considered valid within Mexico if some formalities are observed, including:
- If legal proof is provided that the documents were granted according to the laws of the country in which they happened;
- If the documents were authenticated by a competent public authority; for documents issued in Ontario, you should contact Ontario Document Services,
- The documents must be legalized by the adequate Mexican Consulate; in Ontario, you should contact the Consulate General of Mexico in Toronto.
- A Spanish translation by an official translator in Mexico must be enclosed,
- If international treaties or international reciprocity were observed.
What is the difference between authentication and apostille?
An apostille is an authentication of public documents utilized by countries that are signatories of the Hague Apostille Convention, Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation of Foreign Public Documents.
Canada is not a signatory of the Hague Apostille Convention and therefore does not fall within its requirements. Canada at this time will not issue an apostille. Instead, Canadians are required to provide a Certificate of Authentication.
Please bear in mind that in some cases Federal and State regulation must be followed; therefore, having a proper guidance will save you time and headaches.Since 2014 we have been assisting Canadians to enforce legal documents in Mexico, including birth certificates and powers of attorneys.
Should you have any questions or comments please do not hesitate to book a consultation now.