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: 23-VI-2023
Number of Contracting Parties to this Convention: 66
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
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
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;

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