12: Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents

Entry into force: 24-I-1965


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Last update: 29-VII-2024
Number of Contracting Parties to this Convention: 127
The expression “Contracting Party” covers both cases in which the Convention has, and cases in which the Convention has not yet, entered into force for that Party following the deposit of its instrument of ratification, accession, acceptance or approval (see column EIF in the chart).


Contracting Parties and Signatories to this Convention that are also Members of the HCCH (i.e., the Organisation) are in bold; Contracting Parties and Signatories that are not Members of the HCCH are in italics.

Contracting Party S 1 R/A/S2 Type3 EIF4 EXT5 Auth6 Res/D/N/DC7
Albania 3-IX-2003 A 9-V-2004 1
Andorra 15-IV-1996 A 31-XII-1996 1
Antigua and Barbuda 1-V-1985 Su 1-XI-1981 1
Argentina 8-V-1987 A 18-II-1988 1 D 13
Armenia 19-XI-1993 A 14-VIII-1994 1
Australia 11-VII-1994 A 16-III-1995 1 D 13
Austria 5-X-1961 14-XI-1967 R 13-I-1968 1 D
Azerbaijan 13-V-2004 A** 2-III-2005 1
Bahamas 30-IV-1976 Su 10-VII-1973 1
Bahrain 10-IV-2013 A 31-XII-2013 1 D 7
Bangladesh 29-VII-2024 A** 30-III-2025 1
Barbados 11-VIII-1995 Su 30-XI-1966 1
Belarus 16-VI-1992 Su 31-V-1992 1
Belgium 10-III-1970 11-XII-1975 R 9-II-1976 1
Belize 17-VII-1992 A 11-IV-1993 1
Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 6-IX-2017 A 7-V-2018 1
Bosnia and Herzegovina 23-VIII-1993 Su 6-III-1992 1 D
Botswana 16-IX-1968 Su 30-IX-1966 1
Brazil 2-XII-2015 A 14-VIII-2016 1 D 13
Brunei Darussalam 23-II-1987 A 3-XII-1987 1
Bulgaria 1-VIII-2000 A 29-IV-2001 1
Burundi 10-VI-2014 A** 13-II-2015 1
Cabo Verde 7-V-2009 A 13-II-2010 1
Canada 12-V-2023 A 11-I-2024 1
Chile 16-XII-2015 A 30-VIII-2016 1
China 8-III-2023 A** 7-XI-2023 3 D
Colombia 27-IV-2000 A 30-I-2001 1 D
Cook Islands 13-VII-2004 A 30-IV-2005 1
Costa Rica 6-IV-2011 A 14-XII-2011 1
Croatia 23-IV-1993 Su 8-X-1991 1
Cyprus 26-VII-1972 A 30-IV-1973 1
Czech Republic 23-VI-1998 A 16-III-1999 1
Denmark 20-X-2006 30-X-2006 R 29-XII-2006 1 1 D
Dominica 22-X-2002 Su 3-XI-1978 1
Dominican Republic 12-XII-2008 A** 30-VIII-2009 1
Ecuador 2-VII-2004 A 2-IV-2005 1 D
El Salvador 14-IX-1995 A 31-V-1996 1
Estonia 11-XII-2000 A 30-IX-2001 1 D
Eswatini 3-VII-1978 Su 6-IX-1968 1
Fiji 29-III-1971 Su 10-X-1970 1
Finland 13-III-1962 27-VI-1985 R 26-VIII-1985 1 D
France 9-X-1961 25-XI-1964 R 24-I-1965 1 D
Georgia 21-VIII-2006 A 14-V-2007 1 D
Germany 5-X-1961 15-XII-1965 R 13-II-1966 1 D,N
Greece 5-X-1961 19-III-1985 R 18-V-1985 1
Grenada 17-VII-2001 A 7-IV-2002 1
Guatemala 19-I-2017 A 18-IX-2017 1 D
Guyana 30-VII-2018 A 18-IV-2019 1
Honduras 20-I-2004 A 30-IX-2004 1
Hungary 18-IV-1972 A 18-I-1973 1 D 13
Iceland 7-IX-2004 28-IX-2004 R 27-XI-2004 1
India 26-X-2004 A** 14-VII-2005 1
Indonesia 5-X-2021 A 4-VI-2022 1 D 1
Ireland 29-X-1996 8-I-1999 R 9-III-1999 1
Israel 11-XI-1977 A 14-VIII-1978 1
Italy 15-XII-1961 13-XII-1977 R 11-II-1978 1
Jamaica 2-XI-2020 A 3-VII-2021 1
Japan 12-III-1970 28-V-1970 R 27-VII-1970 1
Kazakhstan 5-IV-2000 A 30-I-2001 1 D
Kosovo 6-XI-2015 A** 14-VII-2016 1 D,DC
Kyrgyzstan 15-XI-2010 A** 31-VII-2011 1
Latvia 11-V-1995 A 30-I-1996 1 D
Lesotho 24-IV-1972 Su 4-X-1966 1
Liberia 24-V-1995 A** 8-II-1996 1
Liechtenstein 18-IV-1962 19-VII-1972 R 17-IX-1972 1
Lithuania 5-XI-1996 A 19-VII-1997 1 D
Luxembourg 5-X-1961 4-IV-1979 R 3-VI-1979 1
Malawi 24-II-1967 A 2-XII-1967 1
Malta 12-VI-1967 A 3-III-1968 1
Marshall Islands 18-XI-1991 A 14-VIII-1992 1
Mauritius 20-XII-1968 Su 12-III-1968 1
Mexico 1-XII-1994 A 14-VIII-1995 1
Monaco 24-IV-2002 A 31-XII-2002 1
Mongolia 2-IV-2009 A** 31-XII-2009 1
Montenegro 30-I-2007 Su 3-VI-2006 1
Morocco 27-XI-2015 A** 14-VIII-2016 1
Namibia 25-IV-2000 A 30-I-2001 1
Netherlands 30-XI-1962 9-VIII-1965 R 8-X-1965 4 1 D
New Zealand 7-II-2001 A 22-XI-2001 1 D 13
Nicaragua 7-IX-2012 A 14-V-2013 1
Niue 10-VI-1998 A 2-III-1999 1
North Macedonia 20-IX-1993 Su 17-XI-1991 1
Norway 30-V-1983 30-V-1983 R 29-VII-1983 1
Oman 12-V-2011 A 30-I-2012 1 D 1
Pakistan 8-VII-2022 A** 9-III-2023 1 D,N
Palau 17-X-2019 A 23-VI-2020 1
Panama 30-X-1990 A 4-VIII-1991 1
Paraguay 10-XII-2013 A 30-VIII-2014 1
Peru 13-I-2010 A** 30-IX-2010 1
Philippines 12-IX-2018 A** 14-V-2019 1 D 4, 5
Poland 19-XI-2004 A 14-VIII-2005 1 D
Portugal 20-VIII-1965 6-XII-1968 R 4-II-1969 1 D 13
Republic of Korea 25-X-2006 A 14-VII-2007 1
Republic of Moldova 19-VI-2006 A** 16-III-2007 1
Romania 7-VI-2000 A 16-III-2001 1 D
Russian Federation 4-IX-1991 Su 31-V-1992 1 D,N 15
Rwanda 6-X-2023 A** 5-VI-2024 1 D
Saint Kitts and Nevis 26-II-1994 A 14-XII-1994 1
Saint Lucia 5-XII-2001 A 31-VII-2002 1
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2-V-2002 Su 27-X-1979 1
Samoa 18-I-1999 A 13-IX-1999 1
San Marino 26-V-1994 A 13-II-1995 1
Sao Tome and Principe 19-XII-2007 A 13-IX-2008 1
Saudi Arabia 8-IV-2022 A 7-XII-2022 1
Senegal 13-VII-2022 A** 23-III-2023 1
Serbia 26-IV-2001 Su 27-IV-1992 1 D
Seychelles 9-VI-1978 A 31-III-1979 1
Singapore 18-I-2021 A 16-IX-2021 1
Slovakia 6-VI-2001 A 18-II-2002 1
Slovenia 8-VI-1992 Su 25-VI-1991 1
South Africa 3-VIII-1994 A 30-IV-1995 1
Spain 21-X-1976 27-VII-1978 R 25-IX-1978 1 D
Suriname 29-X-1976 Su 25-XI-1975 1
Sweden 2-III-1999 2-III-1999 R 1-V-1999 1
Switzerland 5-X-1961 10-I-1973 R 11-III-1973 1 D 6
Tajikistan 20-II-2015 A** 31-X-2015 1
Tonga 28-X-1971 Su 4-VI-1970 1 D
Trinidad and Tobago 28-X-1999 A 14-VII-2000 1
Tunisia 10-VII-2017 A** 30-III-2018 1
Türkiye 8-V-1962 31-VII-1985 R 29-IX-1985 1
Ukraine 2-IV-2003 A 22-XII-2003 1 D
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 19-X-1961 21-VIII-1964 R 24-I-1965 13 1 D 13
United States of America 24-XII-1980 A 15-X-1981 1 D
Uruguay 9-II-2012 A 14-X-2012 1
Uzbekistan 25-VII-2011 A** 15-IV-2012 1
Vanuatu 1-VIII-2008 Su 30-VII-1980 1
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 1-VII-1998 A 16-III-1999 1

1) S = Signature
2) R/A/Su = Ratification, Accession or Succession
3) Type = R: Ratification;

A: Accession;
A*: Accession giving rise to an acceptance procedure; click on A* for details of acceptances of the accession;
AEU: Accession by the European Union
AEU*: State bound as a result of the accession by the European Union
A**: Objection
C: Continuation;
Su: Succession;
Den: Denunciation;

4) EIF = Entry into force
5) EXT = Extensions of application
6) Authorities per Convention = Designation of Authorities
7) Res/D/N/DC = Reservations, declarations, notifications or depositary communications