The Hague Convention on Apostilles

What Is the Hague Convention?

The Hague Apostille Convention of 1961 is an international treaty that simplifies the process of legalizing public documents for use in other countries. Instead of requiring full embassy or consulate legalization, member countries accept a single certificate known as an apostille issued by the appropriate government authority.

Why the Hague Convention Matters?

If you're sending documents abroad for business, legal, academic, or personal reasons, the country receiving them will determine how they must be authenticated.

  • Hague Convention Members: Only an apostille is required.

  • Non-Member Countries: Documents must be legalized through additional steps, including U.S. Department of State and embassy certification.

Knowing whether your destination is a Hague member is the first step in making sure your paperwork is accepted internationally, without delays or rejections.

Hague Convention Members

If the country where your documents are going is listed below, only an apostille is required for official use.

  • Albania

  • Andorra

  • Antigua & Barbuda

  • Argentina

  • Armenia

  • Aruba

  • Australia

  • Austria

  • Azerbaijan

  • Bahamas

  • Bahrain

  • Barbados

  • Belarus

  • Belgium

  • Belize

  • Bolivia

  • Bosnia & Herzegovina

  • Botswana

  • Brazil

  • Brunei

  • Bulgaria

  • Burundi

  • Canada

  • Cape Verde

  • Chile

  • China

  • Colombia

  • Cook Islands

  • Costa Rica

  • Croatia

  • Cyprus

  • Czech Republic

  • Denmark

  • Dominica

  • Dominican Republic

  • Ecuador

  • El Salvador

  • Estonia

  • Fiji

  • Finland

  • France

  • French Guiana

  • Georgia

  • Germany

  • Greece

  • Grenada

  • Guatemala

  • Honduras

  • Hong Kong

  • Hungary

  • Iceland

  • India

  • Indonesia

  • Ireland

  • Israel

  • Italy

  • Jamaica

  • Japan

  • Kazakhstan

  • Kosovo

  • Kyrgyzstan

  • Latvia

  • Lesotho

  • Liberia

  • Liechtenstein

  • Lithuania

  • Luxemburgo

  • Macau

  • Macedonia

  • Malawi

  • Malta

  • Marshall Islands

  • Mauritius

  • Mexico

  • Moldova

  • Monaco

  • Mongolia

  • Montenegro

  • Morocco

  • Namibia

  • Netherlands

  • New Zealand

  • Nicaragua

  • Niue

  • Norway

  • Oman

  • Pakistan

  • Panama

  • Paraguay

  • Peru

  • Philippines

  • Poland

  • Portugal

  • Romania

  • Russia

  • Rwanda

  • Saint Kitts & Nevis

  • Saint Lucia

  • Saint Vincent & The Grenadine

  • Samoa

  • San Marino

  • Sao Tome & Principe

  • Saudi Arabia

  • Senegal

  • Serbia

  • Seychelles

  • Singapore

  • Slovakia

  • Slovenia

  • South Africa

  • South Korea

  • Spain

  • Suriname

  • Swaziland

  • Sweden

  • Switzerland

  • Tajikistan

  • Tonga

  • Trinidad & Tobago

  • Tunisia

  • Turkey

  • Ukraine

  • United Kingdom

  • United States

  • Uruguay

  • Uzbekistan

  • Vanuatu

  • Venezuela

Non-Hague Convention Members

Documents for non-Hague countries go through a multi-layered process that includes state authentication, federal certification, and embassy or consulate legalization.

  • Afghanistan

  • Algeria

  • Angola

  • Bangladesh

  • Benin

  • Burkina Faso

  • Burma, also known as Myanmar

  • Cambodia

  • Cameroon

  • Congo Democratic

  • Congo Republic

  • Cuba

  • Egypt

  • Eritrea

  • Ethiopia

  • Ghana

  • Guinea

  • Haiti

  • Iran

  • Iraq

  • Ivory Coast

  • Jordan

  • Kenya

  • Kuwait

  • Laos

  • Lebanon

  • Libya

  • Madagascar

  • Malaysia

  • Mali

  • Mauritania

  • Mozambique

  • Nepal

  • Niger

  • Nigeria

  • Palestine

  • Qatar

  • Sierra Leone

  • Sri Lanka

  • Sudan

  • Syria

  • Taiwan

  • Tanzania

  • Thailand

  • Togo

  • Turkmenistan

  • Uganda

  • United Arab Emirates

  • Vietnam

  • Yemen

  • Zambia

  • Zimbabwe

Trusted Apostille & Global Document Services

At Porchlight Group Apostille & Global Documents, we support businesses, legal professionals, academic institutions, and individuals in preparing documents for use overseas.

We help you:

  • Determine whether your destination country is a Hague member

  • Secure state and federal apostilles

  • Process embassy legalizations for non-Hague countries

  • Translate and notarize your documents as needed

Get Personalized Help!

Not sure what your country requires? Our team will review your document and destination at no cost.