At a Glance
| Used for | Family reunification + citizenship |
| Document type | BC Vital Statistics marriage certificate (original) |
| Apostille issuer | BC Authentication Program (provincial) |
| Cost | $20 + courier if desired |
| Total timeline | 3–5 weeks |
| Notarization needed? | No |
Before You Start
The apostille punches a hole in your original. The authentication certificate gets physically riveted to the document. If you want to keep an undamaged original, order a duplicate from
BC Vital Statistics (~$50–75) before sending yours in. You'll need to decide whether this matters to you.
Step-by-Step
Go to the B.C. Document Authentication Request form. Fill in:
- Your name, email, phone
- Return mailing address
- Document type: BC Vital Statistics Documents
- Name on document (your married name)
- Destination country: Hungary
- Any special return instructions (courier, etc.)
You can pay the $20 fee online here with Visa, Mastercard, Amex, or debit.
Print and sign the completed form.
Include:
- Signed, dated request form (printed from step 1)
- Original marriage certificate (not a photocopy)
- Payment if not paid online — cheque or money order payable to "Minister of Finance" ($20)
- Prepaid courier label if you want tracked return (optional — UPS, FedEx, or Purolator; must be an electronic label, not handwritten)
Without a prepaid courier label, they return via regular Canada Post with no tracking. Given the Canada Post delays they're warning about, courier return is worth the extra cost.
Ministry of Attorney General
OIC Administration Office
Attention: BC Authentication Program
1001 Douglas Street
Victoria, BC V8W 2C5
They recommend courier over Canada Post due to ongoing mail delays.
2–4 weeks, not including mail time. They send email updates on progress.
Your original marriage certificate comes back with the apostille certificate riveted to it. Since Hungary is an Apostille Convention member, no further embassy legalization is needed.
Same as the other documents: OFFI in Hungary, or a sworn Hungarian translator.
Contact