Cooperation Agreement Between Notaries in France and Quebec

If you are a Quebec national in France or a French national in Quebec and you need to sign a legal document in your home country, you can do so without travelling overseas through a power of attorney that authorizes someone to sign on your behalf. The cooperation agreement between notaries in France and Quebec facilitates and accelerates the legal process for those who would otherwise have to resort to the legalization or apostil formality, usually required to authenticate documents with foreign authorities.

Follow these steps if you are French, live in Quebec and need to give a person in France power of attorney to sign a legal document on your behalf:

  1. 1

    request the services of a French notary

    First, you must request the services of a French notary in order for them to execute an act in France. You must also authorize a person in France to sign the main act on your behalf by means of a power of attorney. To do so, you must agree with the French notary on the terms of the notarial act (date, professional fees, etc.).

  2. 2

    the scope of the power of attorney

    The French notary explains to you the scope of the power of attorney and the scope of the act it will conclude. The notary then draws up the draft act as well as the power of attorney and invites you to make an appointment with a Quebec notary to sign the power of attorney act.

  3. 3

    contact a Quebec notary

    You must then contact a Quebec notary and agree with them on the signature terms for the power of attorney (date, professional fees, etc.). Then, you must send to the French notary the coordinates of the Quebec notary and vice versa.

Do I have to be domiciled in Quebec to benefit from these accommodations?

No. For an authentic power of attorney, if the act is executed in Quebec, the Quebec notary can act even if the mandator is domiciled outside Quebec.

Steps to take if you are from Quebec, live in France and need to give a person in Quebec power of attorney to sign a legal document on your behalf, or if you need to sign a Quebec legal document in France.

  1. 1

    request the services of a Quebec notary
    1. First, you must request the services of a Quebec notary in order for them to execute an act in Quebec. To do so, you must agree with the Quebec notary on the terms of the notarial act (date, professional fees, etc.). You can then choose to:
      • Authorize a person in Quebec to sign the main act on your behalf by means of a power of attorney, or
      • Sign the Quebec notarial act yourself, which will be forwarded to the French notary.
  2. 2

    the scope of the power of attorney

    The Quebec notary explains to you the scope of the power of attorney and the scope of the act it will conclude. The notary then draws up the draft act and the power of attorney, when appropriate, and invites you to make an appointment with a French notary for signature.

  3. 3

    contact a French notary

    You must then contact a French notary and agree with them on the signature terms (date, professional fees, etc.). Then, you must send to the Quebec notary the coordinates of the French notary and vice versa.


What to do in case of difficulty
? In the event of any difficulty relating to the application of the agreement, Quebec and French notaries are first invited to try to resolve it between themselves. If the difficulty persists, they will have to contact the persons designated by their respective professional order to find a solution that suits the parties.

You have questions?
If you wish to obtain explanations regarding your file, you must contact your notary.