Canada and the Netherlands at a glance
- Stamp
- Apostille, Hague Convention in force for Canada since 11 January 2024
- Issued by
- Global Affairs Canada (Ottawa) apostilles federal documents and documents from provinces that lack their own apostille authority
- Language
- English, accepted as it is
- Register
- Corporations Canada for federal corporations, and the provincial registries (for example the Ontario Business Registry) for provincial corporations
- Tax treaty
- Signed 1986, in force 1987 (Rijksoverheid, 1 October 2026)
- EU trade
- Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, 2017
- In the Netherlands
- 290 companies controlled from Canada in 2024, 250 in 2021 (+16%), about 18,000 jobs, €8.1 billion turnover, 1.5% of all 19,995 foreign-controlled companies (CBS, 9 October 2026)
- Moving here
- Residence permit needed
Documents from Canada
Passport copy, certified by a notary in Canada.
Proof of address in Canada, at most three months old.
Power of attorney. Sign the power of attorney before a Canadian notary public (in Quebec: a notaire).
Ownership statement, one page from us.
The apostille. Global Affairs Canada (Ottawa) apostilles federal documents and documents from provinces that lack their own apostille authority. You apply by mail. The apostille is free and takes about 20 working days. Documents notarised in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec or Saskatchewan are apostilled by that province’s own apostille office. In Ontario, this can be done in person on the same day.
Good to know. Canada joined the Apostille Convention in January 2024. You may still find the embassy procedure in older guides. Send the document to the right authority. For example, a document notarised in Ontario and submitted to the federal authority is refused. In Quebec, a power of attorney is called a mandate.
If a company from Canada becomes a shareholder
Register extract, at most three months old: Corporations Canada for federal corporations, and the provincial registries (for example the Ontario Business Registry) for provincial corporations. Order a Certificate of Status or Certificate of Compliance. Plus articles, signing authority and ownership chart.
Trade between Canada and the EU
In 2025, Canada was the 12th largest goods trading partner of the European Union (EU), with 1.8% of the EU's total external trade in goods. Trade in goods reached €81.5 billion in 2025, up from €46.3 billion in 2016.
The EU is Canada's second-largest trading partner, after the United States, with 7.9% of Canada's total trade in goods in 2024. EU exports of goods to Canada grew from €29.6 billion in 2016 to €48.8 billion in 2025.
Trade in services reached €49 billion in 2025, compared to €25.6 billion in 2016. In 2025, Canada was the EU's 11th largest services trading partner.
The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the EU and Canada entered into force provisionally on 21 September 2017. By 2024, it had abolished 99% of tariff lines. In March 2026, the two sides launched negotiations for a Digital Trade Agreement.
Import duties: Access2Markets.
Sources: European Commission [1].
Your next step from Canada
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