20: Convention of 18 March 1970 on the Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil or Commercial Matters
Entry into force: 7-X-1972
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Last update:
6-V-2025
Number of Contracting Parties to this Convention: 68
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 | 16-VII-2010 | A* | 14-IX-2010 | 1 | D 33,35 | ||
| Andorra | 26-IV-2017 | A* | 25-VI-2017 | 2 | D,Res 2,4,8,15-17,21,23 | ||
| Argentina | 8-V-1987 | A* | 7-VII-1987 | 1 | D,Res 23,33 | ||
| Armenia | 27-VI-2012 | A* | 26-VIII-2012 | 1 | D,Res 4,8,16,17,18,23 | ||
| Australia | 23-X-1992 | A* | 22-XII-1992 | 3 | D,Res 8,15,16,23,33,40 | ||
| Bahrain | 13-III-2025 | A* | 12-V-2025 | 1 | Res 4 | ||
| Barbados | 5-III-1981 | A* | 4-V-1981 | 1 | |||
| Belarus | 7-VIII-2001 | A* | 6-X-2001 | 2 | D,Res 4,8,16,17,18 | ||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 16-VI-2008 | A* | 15-VIII-2008 | 1 | |||
| Brazil | 9-IV-2014 | A* | 8-VI-2014 | 1 | D,Res 4,8,23,33 | ||
| Bulgaria | 23-XI-1999 | A* | 22-I-2000 | 2 | D,Res 4,16,17,18,19,8,11,2 | ||
| China | 8-XII-1997 | A* | 6-II-1998 | 4 | D,N,Res 4,16,23,33 | ||
| Colombia | 13-I-2012 | A* | 13-III-2012 | 1 | |||
| Costa Rica | 16-III-2016 | A* | 15-V-2016 | 1 | |||
| Croatia | 1-X-2009 | A* | 30-XI-2009 | 1 | D,Res 4,8,15,16,18,23 | ||
| Cyprus | 13-I-1983 | A* | 14-III-1983 | 3 | D,Res 8,18,23,33 | ||
| Czech Republic | 28-VI-1993 | Su | 1-I-1993 | 2 | D 16,18,40 | ||
| Denmark | 18-IV-1972 | 20-VI-1972 | R | 7-X-1972 | 2 | D,Res 4,8,15,16,17,23,27 | |
| El Salvador | 19-I-2023 | A* | 20-III-2023 | 1 | D,Res 4, 15-22 | ||
| Estonia | 2-II-1996 | A* | 2-IV-1996 | 2 | D 8,11,23 | ||
| Finland | 9-III-1976 | 7-IV-1976 | R | 6-VI-1976 | 2 | D,Res 4,8,16,17,23,35 | |
| France | 24-VIII-1972 | 7-VIII-1974 | R | 6-X-1974 | 1 | 2 | D,Res 4,16,17,23 |
| Georgia | 31-V-2021 | A* | 30-VII-2021 | 1 | D,Res 2, 8, 9, 33 | ||
| Germany | 18-III-1970 | 27-IV-1979 | R | 26-VI-1979 | 2 | D,Res 4,8,16,23,35 | |
| Greece | 18-I-2005 | 18-I-2005 | R | 19-III-2005 | 2 | D,Res 4,8,15,16,17,23,35 | |
| Hungary | 13-VII-2004 | A* | 11-IX-2004 | 2 | D,Res 2,4,8,15,16,17,18,23 | ||
| Iceland | 10-XI-2008 | A* | 9-I-2009 | 1 | D,Res 4,8,15,23 | ||
| India | 7-II-2007 | A* | 8-IV-2007 | 3 | D 4,8,16,17,18,23 | ||
| Israel | 11-XI-1977 | 19-VII-1979 | R | 17-IX-1979 | 2 | D 2,8,16,17 | |
| Italy | 6-II-1975 | 22-VI-1982 | R | 21-VIII-1982 | 2 | D 2,8,18,23,35 | |
| Kazakhstan | 26-IX-2016 | A* | 25-XI-2016 | 2 | D,Res 4, 15-18, 23, 27, 33 | ||
| Kuwait | 8-V-2002 | A* | 7-VII-2002 | 1 | |||
| Latvia | 28-III-1995 | A* | 27-V-1995 | 2 | D 4,8,16,17 | ||
| Liechtenstein | 12-XI-2008 | A* | 11-I-2009 | 1 | D 4,8,11,15-18,23 | ||
| Lithuania | 2-VIII-2000 | A* | 1-X-2000 | 2 | D,Res 4,8,16,17,23 | ||
| Luxembourg | 2-V-1975 | 26-VII-1977 | R | 24-IX-1977 | 2 | D,Res 4,16,17,23 | |
| Malta | 24-II-2011 | A* | 25-IV-2011 | 2 | Res 4 | ||
| Mexico | 27-VII-1989 | A* | 25-IX-1989 | 1 | D,Res 4,17,18,23,27,32 | ||
| Monaco | 17-I-1986 | A* | 18-III-1986 | 2 | D,Res 4,16,17,23 | ||
| Montenegro | 16-I-2012 | A* | 16-III-2012 | 2 | D,Res 23,33 | ||
| Morocco | 24-III-2011 | A* | 23-V-2011 | 1 | |||
| Netherlands | 8-IV-1981 | R | 7-VI-1981 | 1 | 3 | D,Res 4,8,11,14,16,17,23,2 | |
| Nicaragua | 27-II-2019 | A* | 28-IV-2019 | 1 | Res,DC Art 4(2) | ||
| North Macedonia | 19-III-2009 | A* | 18-V-2009 | D 4,8,23 | |||
| Norway | 18-III-1970 | 3-VIII-1972 | R | 7-X-1972 | 3 | D,Res 4,15,23 | |
| Paraguay | 23-VI-2023 | A* | 22-VIII-2023 | 1 | D,Res 4, 8, 23, 33 | ||
| Philippines | 6-V-2025 | A* | 5-VII-2025 | 1 | D,Res 4, 23 | ||
| Poland | 13-II-1996 | A* | 13-IV-1996 | 3 | Res 8,23,33 | ||
| Portugal | 18-III-1970 | 12-III-1975 | R | 11-V-1975 | 2 | D,Res 4,15,23 | |
| Republic of Korea | 14-XII-2009 | A* | 12-II-2010 | 2 | D,Res 4,8,16,17,23,33 | ||
| Romania | 21-VIII-2003 | A* | 20-X-2003 | 2 | D,Res 8,16,17,18,19,21,23 | ||
| Russian Federation | 1-V-2001 | A* | 30-VI-2001 | D 42 | |||
| Serbia | 2-VII-2010 | A* | 31-VIII-2010 | 3 | D 4,8,16,17,18,35 | ||
| Seychelles | 7-I-2004 | A* | 7-III-2004 | 2 | D 23 | ||
| Singapore | 27-X-1978 | A* | 26-XII-1978 | 1 | D,Res 4,23 | ||
| Slovakia | 15-III-1993 | Su | 1-I-1993 | 2 | D 16,18,40 | ||
| Slovenia | 18-IX-2000 | A* | 17-XI-2000 | 1 | |||
| South Africa | 8-VII-1997 | A* | 6-IX-1997 | 3 | D,Res 4,15,16,17,23 | ||
| Spain | 21-X-1976 | 22-V-1987 | R | 21-VII-1987 | 2 | D,Res 4,8,16,17,23 | |
| Sri Lanka | 31-VIII-2000 | A* | 30-X-2000 | 1 | D,Res 4,8,23,33 | ||
| Sweden | 21-IV-1975 | 2-V-1975 | R | 1-VII-1975 | 1 | D 4,8,15,23 | |
| Switzerland | 21-V-1985 | 2-XI-1994 | R | 1-I-1995 | 3 | D,Res 1,2,4,8,15,16,17,23, | |
| Türkiye | 13-XII-2000 | 13-VIII-2004 | R | 12-X-2004 | 2 | D,Res 4,16,17,23 | |
| Ukraine | 1-II-2001 | A* | 1-IV-2001 | 2 | D,Res 4,8,16,17,18,19,23 | ||
| United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 18-III-1970 | 16-VII-1976 | R | 14-IX-1976 | 8 | 3 | D,N,Res 8,18,23,27,33 |
| United States of America | 27-VII-1970 | 8-VIII-1972 | R | 7-X-1972 | 3 | 3 | D 4,8,16,17,18 |
| Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) | 1-XI-1993 | A* | 31-XII-1993 | 1 | D,Res 4,23 | ||
| Viet Nam | 4-III-2020 | A* | 3-V-2020 | 1 | D 2, 4, 23, 33 |
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;
5) EXT = Extensions of application
6) Authorities per Convention = Designation of Authorities
7) Res/D/N/DC = Reservations, declarations, notifications or depositary communications