Apostille countries 2026: all 130 parties, their dates and every objection

An apostille is the certificate described in Article 4 of the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, which abolished embassy legalisation for public documents moving between its parties.

It is a square box of ten numbered entries, on paper attached to the document or as a signed PDF. The title "Apostille" and the Convention's name in French must appear on it; the rest can be in the issuing country's language. Every one ever issued is logged in a register by the authority that issued it, so the receiving side can confirm it.

What an apostille proves, and what it doesn't

Which documents qualify

Article 1 covers court documents, administrative documents (a certificate of incorporation or good standing from a registry is one), notarial acts, and official certificates placed on private documents, such as a notary's certificate on a signed power of attorney. It excludes two groups: documents executed by diplomats or consuls, and administrative documents dealing directly with commercial or customs operations, such as certificates of origin. A private company document, like board minutes or a certificate of incumbency signed by a director or agent, becomes eligible once a notary certifies the signature; the apostille then sits on the notary's certificate.

Choose where the document was issued and where it will be used. The answer uses the HCCH status table, the objections in force and the territory extensions; it updates as you change either country.

The answer is a reading of the Convention and the HCCH notices as on 13 November 2026. Under Article 3, the receiving country can also drop the requirement by its own law, practice or a treaty, so the authority that asked for the document always has the last word.

All 130 Contracting Parties from the HCCH status table (last update 30 June 2026), plus the 19 territories they have extended it to, each with its own date. "Joined" is the date the instrument was deposited; "In force" is when apostilles started to work. Sort any column, search, or filter.

The Convention came into force on 24 January 1965 between the first ratifying states. Its biggest decades were the 1990s and 2000s, when newly independent states and Latin America joined. Since 2020 it has picked up large economies that used to require legalisation for everything.

Joined since 2020

• PalauIn force 23 June 2020
• JamaicaIn force 3 July 2021
• SingaporeIn force 16 September 2021
• IndonesiaIn force 4 June 2022
• Saudi ArabiaIn force 7 December 2022
• PakistanIn force 9 March 2023
• SenegalIn force 23 March 2023
• China (mainland)In force 7 November 2023
• CanadaIn force 11 January 2024
• RwandaIn force 5 June 2024
• BangladeshIn force 30 March 2025
• AlgeriaIn force 9 July 2026
• Viet NamIn force 11 September 2026
• ThailandIn force from 28 February 2027

Article 12 gives every party six months to object when a new state accedes. An objection means the Convention never comes into force between the objecting state and the newcomer, so documents between them still need legalisation, even though both appear on every list of apostille countries. Objections can be withdrawn later, and many have been.

Germany has 17 objections in effect, more than any other party. Kosovo's accession has objections from 29 states still in effect, most from states that don't recognise it; China's declaration that the Convention doesn't apply with states it doesn't recognise has the same effect for the mainland.

The steps are the same everywhere. First, get the document from the registry in certified form: a certificate of good standing, a certified copy of the articles, a certified register extract. Second, if it's a private document such as a resolution or an incumbency certificate, a local notary certifies the signature. Third, the competent authority below adds the apostille. Fees are the government's, as published; where none is published, we quote it before you order.

Each company search guide explains which certificate to order before the apostille. If a bank is asking, our guide to the certificate of incumbency covers the document banks ask for most, and who signs it in each country.

The electronic Apostille Programme (e-APP) started in 2006 and has two parts. An e-Apostille is an apostille issued and signed digitally, usually as a PDF bound to an electronic document. An e-Register is an online register where anyone holding an apostille can confirm that it was really issued. The Hague Conference's notice on the acceptance of e-Apostilles is plain: an e-Apostille is as valid as a paper one and can't be refused simply because it's electronic.

Several US states ran e-Apostille pilots that ended on 30 September 2025; the HCCH chart notes that e-Apostilles issued during those pilots are valid.

The three words describe different steps, done by different people, and they often happen one after another on the same document.

The UAE line follows the route the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs runs through its attestation service at UAE embassies and consulates abroad: the issuing country's own authentication first, then the UAE mission there. Germany authenticates through designated federal and state offices, so who gives the first stamp depends on the document.

66 UN member states haven't joined, along with Taiwan. They include most of the Gulf (the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait; Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia have joined), Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, Malaysia, Iran, Iraq and Taiwan. Documents going into or out of them are legalised, and each embassy sets its own rules, fees and waiting times.

Within the EU, Regulation 2016/1191 goes further than the Convention for civil-status documents such as birth, marriage, residence and clean criminal record certificates, which need no apostille between member states. Company documents aren't covered, so an apostille is still the norm for them inside the EU.