What does “parties to the Convention” mean?
The official term is “Contracting Parties”, which is not the same as membership of the HCCH. The HCCH status table, last updated on 30 June 2026, lists 130 states and territorial participants under the Convention of 5 October 1961.
That total also includes acceding states for which the Convention has not yet entered into force. A name in the table alone therefore does not mean that a document can immediately follow the Apostille route.
When does the Apostille route apply between two countries?
The Apostille route normally applies when the document is a public act, the Convention is in force for both the state of origin and the destination, and no relevant objection affects the bilateral relationship. The HCCH competent-authority directory identifies the authority that issues Apostilles in each country.
A bilateral treaty, an EU regime or a specific exemption may remove the Apostille requirement for certain documents. If the Convention does not apply, the route may involve other certifications or diplomatic and consular legalisation.
Countries where the Convention is in force on 27 August 2026
The list below contains the 128 parties from the official table for which the Convention is already in force on that date. It is arranged for quick reference; the current official relationship between the country of origin and the country of use remains decisive for each document.
Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize.
Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burundi, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus.
Czechia, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana.
Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia.
Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands.
New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niue, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Rwanda.
Samoa, San Marino, São Tomé & Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & Grenadines.
Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela.
Acceding countries with a future entry-into-force date
Viet Nam is a Contracting Party, but the Convention enters into force for it on 11 September 2026. Thailand acceded on 30 June 2026 and its entry into force is scheduled for 28 February 2027.
Until the relevant date, documents from or for those countries do not automatically use the Apostille route merely because the state appears in the status table. The applicable procedure follows the date on which the document will be used.
Territorial scope, objections and the competent authority
Some Contracting Parties have territorial extensions, separate dates or declarations. China illustrates why the place of issue and use matters: the historical application to Hong Kong and Macao and the later entry into force for China require a precise current check.
The Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs guidance complements the international table with the Bulgarian regime. The original, issuer, type of act and receiving authority determine the competent office and order of certifications.
Apostille, translation and legalisation are separate steps
An Apostille authenticates the origin of a public act, the capacity of the signer and the seal or stamp. It neither translates the document nor certifies the truth of the facts stated in it.
Document legalisation may include preliminary certifications, an Apostille or a consular route depending on the countries. The document translation is prepared separately for the language and requirements of the recipient.
Assessment and coordination by La Fit Trans
La Fit Trans reviews a legible copy, the issuer, the countries in the route and the recipient’s requirements. The service can combine administrative filing, collection, translation, required certifications and delivery in one traceable order.
The legalisation price depends on the authority, official or consular fees, translation and delivery. An online order supports a preliminary assessment before the stage at which the original is required is confirmed.