Countries That Accept the Apostille

The countries concerned are listed below:

• Albania (apostille)
• Andorra
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Argentina
• Armenia (apostille)
• Aruba
• Australia
• Azerbaijan (apostille)
• The Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belgium (apostille)
• Belize
• Belarus (apostille)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina (apostille)
• Botswana
• Brunei Darussalam
• Bulgaria (apostille)
• Cyprus (apostille)
• Cook Islands
• Montenegro
• Czech Republic (apostille)
• Denmark
• Dominica
• Dominican Republic
• Ecuador
• Estonia (apostille)
• Fiji
• Finland
• France (apostille)
• Greece (apostille)
• Grenada
• Georgia (apostille)
• The Netherlands and the former Netherlands Antilles
• Honduras
• Hong Kong
• Croatia (apostille)
• India
• Ireland
• Iceland
• Israel
• Japan
• Republic of South Africa
• Cape Verde
• Kazakhstan
• Colombia
• Republic of Korea
• Lesotho
• Liberia
• Lithuania (apostille)
• Latvia (apostille)
• Luxembourg
• Liechtenstein
• Macao
• North Macedonia
• Hungary (apostille)
• Malawi
• Malta
• Marshall Islands
• Mauritius
• Mexico
• Moldova (apostille)
• Monaco
• Mongolia (apostille)
• Namibia
• Germany
• Niue
• Norway
• New Zealand (except Tokelau)
• Panama
• Peru
• Poland (apostille)
• Portugal (apostille)
• Austria (apostille)
• Romania (apostille)
• Russian Federation (apostille)
• El Salvador
• Samoa
• San Marino
• Seychelles
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• USA / United States of America
• Republic of Serbia (apostille)
• Saint Lucia
• Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
• Saint Kitts and Nevis
• São Tomé and Príncipe
• Eswatini (formerly Swaziland)
• Suriname
• Spain (apostille)
• Switzerland (apostille)
• Sweden
• Italy (apostille)
• Tonga
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Turkey (apostille)
• Ukraine (apostille)
• Vanuatu
• United Kingdom
• Venezuela

How to use the list of apostille countries

The list above is a practical starting point when you need to use a document outside the country where it was issued. If the destination country is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention of 5 October 1961, a single apostille issued by the competent authority in the country of origin is normally all that is required. If it is not, the document will usually have to go through the longer process of legalisation, often called superlegalisation, involving several authorities and the embassy or consulate of the destination country.

Why the list keeps changing

New states accede to the Convention from time to time, and an accession only takes effect after a set period. In addition, an existing Contracting State may object to a new member, in which case the apostille does not operate between those two countries. For this reason, a list on any website can only ever be a guide. Before you submit important documents, it is always worth confirming the current position for the specific pair of countries involved, and we are happy to do this for you.

What the apostille does and does not cover

An apostille confirms the authenticity of the signature on a public document, the capacity in which the signatory acted and, where relevant, the seal or stamp it bears. It does not confirm that the content of the document is correct. The receiving authority may also have its own requirements, such as a certified translation, a recently issued original or a particular format, so an apostille alone does not always guarantee acceptance.

Documents commonly apostilled

• Birth, marriage and death certificates
• Diplomas, transcripts and other educational documents
• Criminal record certificates
• Company documents such as register extracts and articles of association
• Powers of attorney and other notarial acts

Not sure whether your destination country accepts the apostille, or which authority should issue it? Contact us with details of your document and where it will be used, and we will recommend the right procedure.