Details

N.B.
The purpose of National Organs is the communication between the Members and the HCCH’s Permanent Bureau (Secretariat). They are not intended for communications with the public. Members of the public are kindly asked not to direct enquiries regarding a particular Convention to the National Organ.

Questions concerning a specific Convention may be directed to a Central or Competent Authority designated by a State for a particular Convention. The details of those authorities are available on the webpage relating to the specific Convention. If legal advice is required, assistance from a qualified lawyer may be necessary. 

The Permanent Bureau does not respond to legal queries from private persons or legal practitioners concerning the operation of the various Hague Conventions.

N.B.: Information on the Hague Conventions the application of which had been extended by the United Kingdom and Portugal to the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao, respectively, may be found in the status table for the relevant Conventions under "China (People's Republic of)".

Conventions in force for Hong Kong: 

• Convention of 5 October 1961 on the Conflicts of Laws Relating to the Form of Testamentary Dispositions
• Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents
• Convention of 15 November 1965 on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters
  
• Convention of 1 June 1970 on the Recognition of Divorces and Legal Separations
• Convention of 18 March 1970 on the Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil or Commercial Matters
• Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction
• Convention of 1 July 1985 on the Law Applicable to Trusts and on their Recognition
• Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption
  

Conventions in force for Macao:

• Convention of 1 March 1954 on Civil Procedure
• Convention of 24 October 1956 on the Law Applicable to Maintenance Obligations in Respect of Children
• Convention of 15 April 1958 on the Recognition and Enforcement of Decisions Relating to Maintenance Obligations in Respect of Children
• Convention of 5 October 1961 concerning the Powers of Authorities and the Law Applicable in Respect of the Protection of Minors
• Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents
• Convention of 15 November 1965 on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters
  
• Convention of 18 March 1970 on the Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil or Commercial Matters
  
• Convention of 25 October 1980 on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction
• Convention of 29 May 1993 on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption
  

For Conventions to which the People's Republic of China is a Contracting State, please see below: