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Canada's Central Authority for Hague child abduction cases

A Central Authority is the official government office that processes child-return applications under the 1980 Hague Convention — free of charge. Canada is different from most countries: it has a federal Central Authority and a separate Central Authority for each province and territory. Your case is normally handled by the Central Authority of the province or territory where your child habitually lived.

Federal Central Authority

Provincial & territorial Central Authorities

Each of Canada's provinces and territories has its own Central Authority for these cases: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and Yukon. Contact the one for the province or territory where your child normally lived. The complete, current list with individual contacts is maintained on the official HCCH page linked above; if you are unsure which applies, the federal office can point you to the right one.

What to include in your first contact

• Where your child normally lived (province and country).
• When and where the child was taken, and to which country if known.
• What custody or parenting arrangement exists (attach any order).
• Your contact details and the languages you speak.

You do not need everything perfect to make first contact — the Central Authority will tell you exactly what to send, and through which secure channel. Do not include your child's photos or passport numbers in a first email; provide those only when officially requested.

What the Central Authority does (and doesn't)

It helps locate the child, encourages voluntary return where possible, and transmits your return application to the Central Authority in the country where your child now is. It does not act as your personal lawyer or decide custody — a Hague return decides where custody is litigated (the child's home country), not who wins custody.