Notarials

The Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver can notarize documents to be used in the Philippines. The document will be notarized in the form of an Acknowledgment or Jurat as the case may be. For this service, personal appearance of the signatory/ies at the Philippine Consulate and signing of the document/s in the presence of the Consular Officer are required.

Notarial services provided by the Consulate do not include the drafting or preparation of the document/s to be notarized. Applicant/s availing of this service are responsible in the preparation and printing of their own document/s. Applicants are also responsible in photocopying their IDs and documents as the Consulate do not provide photocopying services.

As the Consular Officer in this case performs the functions of a notary public, there is NO need to have the document notarized separately by a local notary public before submitting it to the Consulate for notarization.

Samples of documents that may be notarized at the Consulate include Special Power of Attorney, General Power of Attorney, Deed of Donation, Contract to Sell, Deed of Absolute Sale, Extrajudicial Settlement of Estate, Affidavits, Bank Forms, and Insurance Forms.

Core Requirements:

1. Confirmed appointment

2. Personal appearance of the signatory/ies

3. Original unsigned document/s to be notarized (plus one copy for the Consulate’s records)

• The name/s of the signatory/ies in the document/s must be consistent with the name in the Passport or IDs to be presented

4. Original and valid Passport or two government-issued IDs of the signatory/ies

5. Photocopies of the valid Passport or two government-issued IDs of the signatories to be attached to the document/s for notarization

• The number of photocopies should correspond with the number of documents to be notarized and an additional copy for the Consulate’s records)

6. Payment of fees in Canadian dollars

• Regular processing  – CAD38.75 for each document or copy/ies
  • Release by mail and requires submission of a self-addressed Expresspost envelope or Canada Post registered mail
  • Processing is between 3 – 4 working days and does not include mailing delivery time
• Expedite Processing – plus CAD 15.50 for each document or copy/ies
  • No need for submission of self-addressed envelope
  • Documents processed between 9AM – 12NN will be available for pick-up between 3PM – 4PM on the same day
  • Documents processed between 1PM – 3PM will be available for pick up on the next working day
• Availment of expedited processing is subject to the number of documents to be notarized and availability of manpower/resources

Additional Requirements

In addition to the core requirements listed above, applicants for notarization of the following documents are required to submit additional requirements listed below:

 For Affidavit of Consent and Support and Parental Travel Permit

1. Passport of the parents plus two (2) photocopies

2. Birth Certificate of the child/ren plus two (2) photocopies

3. Two (2) photocopies of the passport of the child/ren

4. Two (2) photocopies of the passport of the accompanying adult

For Affidavit of One and the Same Person

1. Original and 2 photocopies of supporting documents bearing the two different names or entries of the applicant (ex. Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, government-issued IDs, old records, school records etc.)

For Joint Affidavit of Two Disinterested Persons

1. Personal appearance of the affiants (two disinterested persons) at the Consulate along with the core requirements.

2. Original and two (2) photocopies of supporting documents bearing the name and birth details of the person subject of the affidavit (ex. valid Passport, Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, government-issued IDs, old records, school records etc.)

For Affidavit of Denial (NBI)

1. Two photocopies of the notice from NBI listing the alleged cases in the Philippines

The Philippines and Canada are now parties to the HCCH 1961 or Apostille Convention. Thus, public documents with Apostille certificate issued by Competent Authorities are given legal effect in both countries.

Beginning 11 January 2024 public documents with an Apostille certificate issued by the Competent Authorities designated by the Government of Canada will no longer require authentication by the Philippine Embassy or Consulates General for use in the Philippines. Once apostilled, the public document is ready for use in the Philippines.

Examples of public documents are Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates, academic credentials, export and corporate records, notarized documents and others.

For public documents issued or notarized in the following provinces, applicants are advised to visit the following websites:

British Columbia

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/government-id/guide-to-the-authentication-of-documents

Yukon

https://www.international.gc.ca/gac-amc/about-a_propos/services/authentication-authentification/apostille-convention.aspx?lang=eng

The Northwest Territories

https://www.international.gc.ca/gac-amc/about-a_propos/services/authentication-authentification/apostille-convention.aspx?lang=eng

For information on PSA-issued documents and other e-apostille related information, please refer to the DFA-Office of Consulate Affairs’ official Apostille website: https://www.apostille.gov.ph/

The Consulate may issue documents certifying that the applicant/s personally appeared and proved his/her/their identity/ies at the Consulate (for SSS, GSIS, Philippine government offices, etc.), or that the applicant/s renewed his/her/their Philippine passport/s at the Consulate (for immigration purposes).

For Certification regarding passport renewal, there is no need to secure an online appointment. HOWEVER, the application must be filed on the same day that the passport was submitted for renewal at the Consulate.

Requirements:

For Certification on Personal Appearance at the Consulate:

• Confirmed appointment
• Application Form
• Original Passport
• Two (2) government-issued IDs showing current address
• Two (2) photocopies of passport and government-issued IDs
• A self-addressed Canada Post registered mail or Xpresspost envelope (except for Expedite Processing).

For Certification regarding Passport Renewal:

• No need for confirmed appointment for Notarial services but must be filed on the same day of the passport renewal
• Application Form
• Cancelled Philippine passport;
• Original receipt of passport renewal issued by the Consulate;
• Two (2) photocopies of the cancelled Philippine passport and original receipt; and

Processing Time:

Regular Processing is between four (4) to five (5) working days excluding mail delivery-time. For the release of their consularized documents, clients must submit a self-addressed Canada Post registered mail or XpressPost envelope.

Expedited processing (same or next working day pick up) may be accommodated subject to the availability of resources and manpower. Documents submitted between 9AM to 12NN shall be released for pick-up by the applicant or his/her representative between 3PM – 4PM on the same day. Applications submitted between from 1PM onwards shall be available for pick up on the next working day.

The Consulate is NOT RESPONSIBLE for delays or loss of documents mailed, or for any other matters related to the contents of the documents submitted for consular notarization.

CERTIFICATE OF LEGAL CAPACITY TO CONTRACT MARRIAGE (for Canadian citizens who will get married in the Philippines)

 For foreign nationals who wish to get married in the Philippines, a Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage will be required before a marriage license can be issued by the Local Civil Registrar’s Office. But unlike the Philippines, Canada does not maintain a central registry of marriages, therefore it cannot issue a Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage or any other form of certification that a Canadian citizen is legally capable of entering a marriage. Instead, the Embassy of Canada in the Philippines can prepare a Statement in Lieu of Certificate of Non-Impediment to Marriage Abroad.

Applicants are also encouraged to visit the Local Civil Registrar’s Office where the application for marriage license will be filed and inquire as to the sufficiency of the document you will submit.

 Please click here for information on the procedure for applying for a Statement in Lieu of Certificate of Non-Impediment to Marriage Abroad at the Embassy of Canada in Manila.

Effective 01 June 2018, the Bureau of Animal Industry of the Philippines will be requiring all pet dogs and cats to be provided a radio-frequency identification (RFID) / microchip as mandatory requirement for entry into the Philippines. Dogs and cats imported without the required identification and requirements will be declined entry and returned to its origin. All costs incurred will be shouldered by the importer.

In addition, all pet health certificate should be issued ten (10) days before entry to the Philippines, instead of the previously allowed 30 days.

Requirements

1. Import permit issued by the Philippines’ Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI)

2. Canadian Health Certificate issued by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFAI) or CFIA-accredited veterinarian

3. Mandatory identification of pet dog or cat with ISO compliant microchip /RFID

 Procedures:

 1. To obtain import permit from the Philippines’s Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI)

• Go to BAI – Pet Animals Importation Importer Registration – click here and fill out the form. Applicant will be asked for a Username (email) and Password, which will be used to check the status of the application.
• Guide to obtain a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) clearance – click here
• To check the status of the application, log in at intercommerce.com.ph click here using your Username and Password. If approved, click the reference number which will show a 3-page SPS permit. Print the SPS permit and present this at the quarantine station at the airport in the Philippines together with the health certificate.
• For the updated Vaccination Records, the following will be needed:
  • DOGS – rabies vaccination and vaccination against distemper, leptospirosis, parvovirus, adenovirus type 2
  • CATS – rabies vaccination and vaccination against herpes, calicivirus, panleukopenia and feline leukemia

2. To obtain health certificate from CFIA or CFIA-accredited veterinarian

• Secure a health certificate for each pet from a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) or CFIA-accredited veterinarian. Please click here for more information on the procedure.
• The health certificate should be dated within 10 days before the date of arrival in the Philippines. The health certificate should certify that the animal is free from, and has not been recently exposed to, any dangerous or communicable disease, and that it has been given anti-rabies and other required inoculations.

3. On the Mandatory Identification of pet dog or cat with ISO compliant microchip / RFID (radio-frequency identification)

• The microchip number indicated in the import permit application submitted to BAI-Philippines and in the health certificate issued by the CFIA or CFIA-accredited veterinarian should match the microchip number implanted in the animal.

A Consular Mortuary Certificate (CMC) is required for the shipment of human remains or for carrying or shipping cremated remains to the Philippines. Documents for the shipment of human remains or cremated remains may be submitted in person (with confirmed appointment) or by mail.

Requirements for Shipment of Human Remains (Original and 2 photocopies of each)

1. Death Certificate issued by the Vital Statistics Agency

2. Embalmer’s Certificate stating that:

• the human remains have been properly embalmed and;
• placed in a hermetically sealed (airtight and waterproof) casket

3. Mortuary Certificate stating that the casket contains only the body of the deceased

4. Medical Certification of Death or Certification from the attending physician indicating the cause of death

5. Certification from the relevant health authority stating that the body of the deceased is not infectious and that the area was free of any epidemics of communicable disease.

6. Burial or transport permit issued by the local provincial office

7. Photocopy of the passport of the deceased

8. Flight itinerary (including domestic flight to the Philippines)

9. Letter regarding the details of the Receiving Funeral Home in the Philippines which shall include:

• Name of the Receiving Funeral Home;
• Address of the Receiving Funeral Home;
• Name of the Receiving Funeral Home’s Representative; and
• Contact Details of the Receiving Funeral Home’s Representative

10. Fee of CAD36.25 cash if submitted in person; or money order or bank draft if submitted by mail

11. If the deceased was a Filipino citizen at the time of death, a Report of Death (ROD) should also be filed. A separate fee of CAD36.25 is also required for the ROD. Please click here for the requirements for ROD.

Requirements for Shipment or Carrying of Cremated Remains (Original and 2 photocopies)

1. Death Certificate issued by the Vital Statistics Agency

2. Medical Certification of Death or Certification from the attending physician indicating the cause of death

3. Cremation Certificate

4. Certification from the Crematorium or Funeral Home stating that:

• the remains have been properly cremated
• the cremated remains are placed in a hermetically sealed urn or similar container
• the urn contains only the ashes of the deceased

5. Photocopy of the passport of the deceased

6. Flight itinerary (including domestic flight to the Philippines)

7. Fee of CAD36.25 cash if submitted in person; or money order or bank draft if submitted by mail

8. If the deceased was a Filipino citizen at the time of death, a Report of Death (ROD) should also be filed. A separate fee of CAD36.25 is also required for the ROD. Please click here for the requirements for ROD.

Processing Time:

Processing of Consular Mortuary Certificate take

The Consulate will Applicants are advised to bring the original documents upon their travel to the Philippines for possible inspection by the relevant Philippine authorities.