Consular Services

NOTARIAL AND OTHER LEGAL SERVICES

Notarization through the Consulate

Any individual who is to execute an affidavit, Special Power of Attorney, General Power of Attorney, Affidavit, Certification, Deed of Donation, Deed of Sale, Extra-judicial Settlement of Estate and other legal documents, which are to be used in the Philippines and require notarization by the Consulate General must appear in person and sign the documents at the Consulate General. The document will be notarized by the Consular Officer in the form of an Acknowledgment or Jurat, as the case may be.

Procedures and Requirements

  1. An appointment is required for notarization except for seniors, persons with disabilities and pregnant women. Book an appointment through the following link: https://dfaincanada.com/tor/appointment/
  2. During your appointment, bring the original document/s for notarization together with the original and photocopy/ies of any valid IDs for each set of document/s.
    • You may use your own form or one provided by the concerned Philippine agency. Templates for Affidavits and Special Power of Attorney may be downloaded here Please note that the Consulate does not draft documents such as SPAs/Affidavits on behalf of the applicants
    • Bring another set of the document/s with the photocopy/ies of valid ID/s for each set of documents for the Consulate's file
    • Acceptable valid IDs are: Philippine passport (for Filipino citizens), Canadian citizenship card or Canadian passport (for Canadian citizens), Driver's License, Permanent Residence Card and Ontario Photo Card. For documents pertaining to properties, extrajudicial settlement of the estate, court cases, contracts/agreements and bank-related transactions, a valid passport is advised.
    • All individuals who will sign the document must appear in person during the appointment.
  3. Upon arrival at the Consulate, get a number for the queue and wait for your number to be called.
  4. Once your number is called, present your documents to the Consular Officer. The Consular Officer will check your documents and will ask you to sign the document/s once all are in order.
  5. The consular officer will ask you to proceed to the cashier to pay the fee of CAD$36.25 per set of document. Applicants can pay in cash or money order/bank draft payable to the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto (personal cheques are not accepted). Alternatively, applicants can opt to pay electronically using credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
  6. The duly notarized document will be released after two (2) working days.
  7. For mailing/delivery of the notarized documents, the applicant must provide a self-addressed/stamped mailing envelope, preferably an XPRESSPOST from Canada Post with tracking numbers for tracking purposes.

The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto no longer affixes red satin ribbons on its authenticated/notarized documents, pursuant to instructions from the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Authentication and Apostille Convention

The Apostille Convention entered into force in Canada on January 11, 2024. The Convention abolishes the traditional authentication certificate with a single Apostille certificate issued by the Competent Authority designated by the member country. Hence, public documents with Apostille Certificates are accepted in the Philippines without the need for authentication by the nearest Philippine Embassy or Consulate General.

Documents Acceptable for Apostille

  • Public documents issued by the Government of Canada such as Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates, Death Certificates, academic credentials, export permits and Corporations Canada documents. Some public documents may require notarization before submitting them for Apostille.
  • Private documents (such as SPA and Affidavits) notarized by a duly commissioned Canadian notary public and certified by provincial competent authorities. This applies to individuals who are unable to appear in person at the Consulate General to have their documents notarized.

Where to send your documents for Apostille (Competent authorities who can authenticate and issue Apostille Certificates):

The Philippine Consulate General will continue to issue certificates of authentication to public documents authenticated in Ontario (Official Document Services) and Manitoba (Companies Office) before 11 January 2024.

NBI Clearance

  1. Secure an NBI clearance application form (NBI Form no. 5) from the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto by booking an appointment here. (Please bring the original and copy of passport and 2x2 colored photo taken within three (3) months) or send a letter requesting for the form with a return self-addressed/stamped envelope so the Consulate can mail the NBI form. Kindly indicate the applicant’s citizenship for the issuance of the proper form.
  2. For applicants who can not come to the Consulate:
    Applicants must accomplish the form and their fingerprints taken at any nearest RCMP station or RCMP-accredited fingerprinting office and request for the calling card of the officer who took the fingerprint impression.
  3. The following requirements should be submitted to the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto:
    • Duly-accomplished NBI form No. 5 with 2x2 colored photo taken within three (3) months;
    • The business card of the officer who took your fingerprint impressions;
    • A photocopy of your valid passport;
    • Return Expresspost envelope;
    • NBI Payment fee of CAD$36.25. Applicants can pay in cash or money order/bank draft payable to the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto (personal cheques are not accepted). Alternatively, applicants can opt to pay electronically using credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
  4. Register online at https://clearance.nbi.gov.ph/. New applicants are required to sign up and to sign in to apply for a clearance where a reference number will appear. Take note of the reference number as this will serve as the NBI’s code in the retrieval of the applicant’s data and status of application.
  5. Send the authenticated NBI Form no. 5 to the NBI office in the Philippines via international courier of the applicant’s choice. Send the NBI clearance application and the other requirements (extra ID photos and copies of valid passport & another valid ID) directly to the Philippines to:

    Mailed Clearance Section,
    3rd Floor, NBI Bldg.,
    UN Avenue, Ermita, Manila 1000

  6. Include payment of 155 Philippine pesos application fee, either in cash or in the form of an international bank draft or international postal money order which is negotiable in the Philippines, payable to the NBI Director. The following are accredited banks: Philippine National Bank (PNB); HSBC; ANZ Bank; Metrobank; and Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI). Applicant must also send a self-addressed envelope from their preferred international courier. Note: Another option aside from sending Pesos 155 in cash would be to send the equivalent amount in US Dollars (about US$ 4).
  7. Applicant's NBI clearance certificate will be mailed to them directly from NBI-Manila using Philippine post or the applicant’s return envelope.
  8. Applicants may also send the requirements to their authorized representative in the Philippines to apply for the NBI clearance certificate on applicant’s behalf at the NBI Main Office in Manila. In this case, applicant does not need to send a self-addressed return envelope but must provide an authorization letter for their representative to apply on applicant's behalf. If applying for the NBI clearance through a Philippine representative, applicant's NBI clearance certificate will be released to their representative, who will then have to send it to applicant abroad.
Applicants may also visit the NBI website for important advisories/announcements regarding the NBI clearance application at www.nbi.gov.ph

Please note that there is no need to request and accomplish the NBI Form No. 5 and your fingerprints taken, if you have your old NBI clearance issued from 2014 to present, and no correction in your name, place and date of birth. You may directly send your original NBI clearance, copies of your valid passport and another valid ID, one 2x2 photo with white background and a letter of authorization to your authorized representative in the Philippines for onward submission/filing to the NBI office in Ermita, Manila.


REQUIREMENTS FOR BRINGING PETS (Dogs and Cats) TO THE PHILIPPINES

  1. Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance (SPSIC) – the application for SPSIC may be done by the client/applicant ONLINE at the InterCommerce Network Services (INS), the Bureau of Animal Industry’s authorized service provider, through its website http://www.intercommerce.com.ph/registrationbai.asp

    2. Client will log in using their registered email address and password at http://www.intercommerce.com.ph/home.asp for the status of their application and printing of their SPSIC.

    For inquiries/queries, the Bureau of Animal Industry may be contacted at telephone no. +632 8528 2240 or email baiquarantineph@gmail.com and nvqsd@bai.gov.ph

    BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City. Tel No: +632.920.0816
  2. Veterinary Health Certificate for the Export of Dogs and Cats to the Philippines (Please refer to https://inspection.canada.ca/DAM/DAM-animals-animaux/STAGING/text-texte/ha3010phil_1520259449707_eng.pdf)

    3. ⇒ The Veterinary Health Certificate for the Export of Dogs and Cats to the Philippines should be authenticated/Apostilled by the Ministry of Government Services/ Official Documents Services (ODS) for those in Ontario and by the Global Affairs Canada (gac) for those in Manitoba. There is no need for authentication by the Philippine Consulate.

    - Secure a health certificate for each pet from a duly licensed veterinarian or from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The health certificate should be issued 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. The SPSIC and the authenticated International Health Certificate must be presented at the airport upon the arrival at the Philippines.

CERTIFICATE OF DRIVING EXPERIENCE

For those already in Canada now, how to claim a Driver’s Licence Card and Certificate of Driving from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in the Philippines by an Authorized Representative of an Individual residing/working outside the Philippines:

  • Prepare a Special Power of Attorney (SPA) authorizing a representative in the Philippines to do the following:
    1. Claim the Driver’s Licence Card from the Land Transportation Office (LTO);
    2. Request for a Certificate of Driving from the LTO Main Branch (only);
    3. Submit the Certificate of Driving from LTO to the Department of Foreign Affairs for authentication;
    4. Claim the authenticated Certificate of Driving from the DFA;
  • Photocopies of valid IDs bearing the signatures and photos of the owner of the SPA and the authorized representative should be attached to the SPA
  • The SPA should be notarized by the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto
  • The duly notarized SPA should be sent to the representative in the Philippines
  • The representative in the Philippines to present the notarized SPA to the LTO and DFA. Photocopies are required for submission to the said agencies.

    • Photocopies are required for submission to the said agencies.

    Upon receipt of the authenticated certificate of driving from the DFA in the Philippines with Apostille Certificate, there is no longer a need for it to be authenticated by the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto.

    Page Last Updated: August 19 2024 15:13:51