Apostilles or Legalizations: Which Do You Need?

Determining which you'll need - apostille or legalization

To find out which countries are party to the Apostille Convention or who will soon be party to it, you can go to the Status Table in the Apostille Section of the Hague Conference website, www.hcch.net. The table looks like this:

When using this table, there are a few things you'll need to watch out for:

• Both the country where the public document was issued and the country where it will be used must be party to the Apostille Convention.
• The convention applies to both members and non-members of the Hague Conference. The status table distinguishes between these two types of members; however, both types are party to the Apostille Convention.
• Countries can only receive or issue apostilles after their date of entry.
• If one of the countries has acceded to the convention, the other country may also have objected. If so, you may not be able to use an apostille for your situation.

If you find that the Apostille Convention does not apply to your situation, you may need to contact the embassy or a consulate of the country where the documents will be used.