The Hague Convention

The Hague Convention

An Apostille Certificate issued by the Australian Government replaces the more expensive and cumbersome procedure of full Embassy or Consulate document legalisation.

It fast tracks the acceptance of Australian public documents for use in foreign countries.

Apostille is a Certificate issued by a government of a country, authenticating the signature and | or seal of a public official on a public document intended for use in another country.

It is commonly referred to in English as the legalisation of a public document for international use, in accordance with the terms of the “1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents.”

Public documents, including documents notarised by a Notary Public, which have been affixed or attached with an Apostille Certificate by the Australian Government, will be automatically accepted for legal use in foreign countries which are signatories to the Hague Convention.

The Australian Government ratified the Hague Convention on 9th August, 1994 and commenced issuing Apostille Certificates on the 16th March, 1995.

Many countries have still to adopt the Hague Apostille Convention, and those that have not insist on full document legalisation of Australian public documents at their Embassies or Consulates located in Australia or sometimes outside Australia.

There are approximately thirty (30) foreign countries that do not have Embassies or Consulates in Australia. Most of those countries have made arrangements with other countries represented here to assist them with the legalisation of Australian public documents required for use in their countries; otherwise, their Embassies or Consulates located in nearby countries assist.

As at 1st January, 2009, the following countries have agreed to participate in “The Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents”…

 

 

Albania American Samoa Andorra Anguilla Antigua & Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Bermuda Bosnia & Herzegovina Botswana British Antarctic Territory British Guyana British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Cayman Islands Colombia Comoros Islands Cook Islands Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic

Denmark Djibouti Dominica Ecuador El Salvador Estonia Falkland Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Germany Gibraltar Greece Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guernsey Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Japan Jersey Kazakhstan

Kiribati Korea (Republic of) Latvia Lesotho Liberia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Macedonia Malawi Malta Marshall Islands Mauritius Mexico Moldova Monaco Montserrat Mozambique Namibia Netherlands Antilles Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Niue (Savage Island) Northern Mariana Islands Norway Panama Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Reunion Island

Romania Russia Saint Vincent Samoa San Marino Serbia & Montenegro Seychelles Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands South Africa Spain St Georgia St Kitts & Nevis St Lucia Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Tonga Trinidad & Tobago Turkey Turks & Caicos Tuvalu Ukraine United Kingdom United States of America Venezuela Wallis & Futuna Yugoslavia

An Apostille Certificate is sufficient if your Australian public document is required to operate in any of the above participating Hague Convention countries.

Countries not appearing on this list require documents to be legalised by their Embassies or Consulates in Australia or elsewhere.