Hague Convention Apostille Countries
In the 1961 Hague Convention countries, there were not many in the beginning. Many countries have since joined the Apostille Convention. Here is a detailed list of Hague convention apostille countries as of 2025.
Apostille Convention member countries
A.
Albania, Azerbaijan, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria
B
Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Burundi
C
Cape Verde, Canada, Chile, China People’s Republic Of (including Hongkong), Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus and the Czech Republic
D
Denmark, Dominica, and the Dominican Republic
E
Ecuador, El Salvador, and Estonia, Eswatini
F
Fiji, Finland, and France
G
Georgia, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala and Guyana
H
Honduras and Hungary
I
Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, and Italy
J
Japan and Jamaica
K
Kazakhstan, Kosova, and Krygystan
L
Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania and Luxembourg
M
Malta, Malawi, Macau, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro and Morocco
N
Namibia, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Niue, North Macedonia, New Zealand, Norway
O
Oman
P
Poland, Portugal, Philippines, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru
R
Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda
S
Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Grenadines, Saint Vincent, Samoa, Saotome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Singapore, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Suriname, Swaziland
T
Tajikistan, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey
U
Ukraine, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan
V
Vanuatu, Venezuela.
What is an Apostille?
An apostille is a stamped, official certificate that confirms the legitimacy of a document for use abroad. Public documents attest to the authenticity of seals and signatures.
The apostille stamp is applied to the back of the request. An apostille is issued by the leading authority in the country where the document was issued. An apostille certificate can be issued for any UK document.
Apostilles authenticate public documents, simplifying the process of international document certification and eliminating the need to further legalise documents in countries that are signatories to the Hague Convention.
The process has made it easy for individuals and businesses to meet international legal requirements. It serves as a universally recognised seal of approval, ensuring that a document issued in one country is accepted in another without further authentication.
The Hague Apostille Convention
The Hague Apostille Convention, held in 1961, simplifies the process of authenticating documents for international use. Many countries were signatories to the Hague Convention. The United Kingdom joined the Hague Convention in October 1961.
For countries not part of the Hague Convention, document attestation is required to validate the document through multiple government and embassy channels before it can be officially accepted abroad.
Apostille Your UK Documents for Use in Hague Convention Countries
To get your UK documents recognised in Hague convention apostille countries, you must have them apostilled through the Legalisation Office under the FCDO.
- Submit the UK apostille documents to the Legalisation Office of the FCDO.
- FCDO Verifies authenticity: Checks whether the signatures, stamps, or seals on a document match their records.
- Attaches an apostille: If the document matches their records, the Legalisation Office will attach an apostille on the back of the requested document.
The documents may be submitted for traditional apostilling by post, courier, or through an authorised company that utilises its expertise to facilitate the procedure.
How can the Helpline Group in the UK be of assistance?
The Helpline Group in the UK, a pioneer in providing apostille services, helps applicants obtain their documents apostilled or attested in the UK hassle-free.
With over 25 years of experience, more than 300 experts, and a global presence, we ensure the expeditious legalisation of your documents and reliable apostille services in the UK.