Checker
Check two countriesDoes an apostille work between them?
Choose where the document was issued or signed and where it will be used. The checker tells you whether an apostille applies between the two countries, whether the Convention is not yet in force, or whether a different process applies.
Check a country pair
The rules
How the answer is worked out
- If either country is not a contracting party, an apostille does not apply. A different process applies.
- If the Convention is not yet in force for either country, it does not apply yet.
- If either country joined with an acceptance procedure, or a rule is recorded for the pair, check HCCH for that specific pair.
- Otherwise the apostille applies. It is issued in the country where the document was issued or signed.
An apostille only confirms the signature, the role of the person who signed and any seal or stamp on the document. It does not confirm what the document says. The office that receives the document decides what it accepts.
A private document, such as a power of attorney or a contract, is first signed in front of a notary public, and the apostille then goes on the notary’s certificate. A copy of a public document from another country is first certified by a notary public, then apostilled.
Reference
All verified countries at a glance
Status as recorded on 19 October 2026. Find both countries and apply the rules above.
| Country | Status | Entry into force | Acceptance procedure | Apostilles issued by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | No apostille | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Albania | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Algeria | Uses apostilles | Yes, check HCCH per pair | Not applicable | |
| Andorra | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Argentina | Uses apostilles | No | Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship (Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio Internacional y Culto), Legalisations Coordination, through the TAD online platform, Notarial Colleges of Argentina (Colegios de Escribanos), under an agreement with the Federal Council of Argentine Notaries (CFNA) | |
| Armenia | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Australia | Uses apostilles | No | Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) | |
| Austria | Uses apostilles | No | Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (Bundesministerium für europäische und internationale Angelegenheiten, BMEIA), Presidents of the civil courts of first instance (Präsidenten der Landesgerichte für Zivilrechtssachen), Provincial governors (Landeshauptmänner) and provincial governments (Ämter der Landesregierung) | |
| Azerbaijan | Uses apostilles | Yes, check HCCH per pair | Not applicable | |
| Bahamas | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Bahrain | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Bangladesh | Uses apostilles | Yes, check HCCH per pair | Not applicable | |
| Barbados | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Belarus | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Belgium | Uses apostilles | No | Legalisation Service of the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs (SPF Affaires étrangères / FOD Buitenlandse Zaken) | |
| Belize | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Bolivia | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Botswana | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Brazil | Uses apostilles | No | National Council of Justice (Conselho Nacional de Justiça, CNJ), with the notarial and registry offices (cartórios) authorised under the judiciary | |
| Brunei | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Bulgaria | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Burundi | Uses apostilles | Yes, check HCCH per pair | Not applicable | |
| Cabo Verde | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Canada | Uses apostilles | No | Global Affairs Canada, Authentication Services Section, Competent authority of Alberta, Competent authority of British Columbia, Competent authority of Ontario, Competent authority of Quebec, Competent authority of Saskatchewan | |
| Chile | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| China | Uses apostilles | Yes, check HCCH per pair | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Foreign Affairs Offices of Hebei, Shanxi, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Changchun, Harbin, Ningbo and Jinan | |
| Colombia | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Cook Islands | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Costa Rica | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Croatia | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Cyprus | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Czechia | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Denmark | Uses apostilles | No | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Legalisation Office (Udenrigsministeriets Legaliseringskontor) | |
| Dominica | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Dominican Republic | Uses apostilles | Yes, check HCCH per pair | Not applicable | |
| Ecuador | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Egypt | No apostille | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| El Salvador | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Estonia | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Eswatini | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Ethiopia | No apostille | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Fiji | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Finland | Uses apostilles | No | Digital and Population Data Services Agency (Digi- ja väestötietovirasto, DVV), notary public services | |
| France | Uses apostilles | No | Regional councils and interdepartmental chambers of notaries (conseils régionaux et chambres interdépartementales de notaires), Public prosecutor at the Court of Appeal of Nouméa (procureur général près la cour d'appel de Nouméa) | |
| Georgia | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Germany | Uses apostilles | No | Federal Office for Foreign Affairs (Bundesamt für Auswärtige Angelegenheiten, BfAA) | |
| Ghana | No apostille | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Greece | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Grenada | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Guatemala | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Guyana | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Honduras | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Hungary | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Iceland | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| India | Uses apostilles | Yes, check HCCH per pair | Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Consular, Passport and Visa Division | |
| Indonesia | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Iran | No apostille | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Iraq | No apostille | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Ireland | Uses apostilles | No | Department of Foreign Affairs, Authentications Unit (Dublin and Cork) | |
| Israel | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Italy | Uses apostilles | No | Public Prosecutor's Office at the Court (Procura della Repubblica presso il Tribunale) of the district where the document was issued, Prefecture, Territorial Government Office (Prefettura - Ufficio Territoriale del Governo) with territorial competence | |
| Jamaica | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Japan | Uses apostilles | No | Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Certification Section of the Center for Consular Services in Tokyo, and the Osaka Liaison Office | |
| Jordan | No apostille | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Kazakhstan | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Kenya | No apostille | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Kosovo | Uses apostilles | Yes, check HCCH per pair | Not applicable | |
| Kuwait | No apostille | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Kyrgyzstan | Uses apostilles | Yes, check HCCH per pair | Not applicable | |
| Latvia | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Lebanon | No apostille | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Lesotho | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Liberia | Uses apostilles | Yes, check HCCH per pair | Not applicable | |
| Libya | No apostille | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Liechtenstein | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Lithuania | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Luxembourg | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Malawi | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Malaysia | No apostille | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Malta | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Marshall Islands | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Mauritius | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Mexico | Uses apostilles | No | Ministry of the Interior (Secretaría de Gobernación, SEGOB), Directorate for Political Coordination with the Federal Powers (Dirección de Coordinación Política con los Poderes de la Unión), Secretariat of Government of each state (Secretaría de Gobierno de cada entidad federativa) | |
| Moldova | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Monaco | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Mongolia | Uses apostilles | Yes, check HCCH per pair | Not applicable | |
| Montenegro | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Morocco | Uses apostilles | Yes, check HCCH per pair | Not applicable | |
| Myanmar | No apostille | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Namibia | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Nepal | No apostille | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Netherlands | Uses apostilles | No | District courts (rechtbanken), at designated court locations | |
| New Zealand | Uses apostilles | No | Department of Internal Affairs, Authentication Unit (Te Tari Taiwhenua) | |
| Nicaragua | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Nigeria | No apostille | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Niue | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| North Macedonia | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Norway | Uses apostilles | No | County Governor (Statsforvalteren), one office per county | |
| Oman | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Pakistan | Uses apostilles | Yes, check HCCH per pair | Not applicable | |
| Palau | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Panama | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Paraguay | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Peru | Uses apostilles | Yes, check HCCH per pair | Not applicable | |
| Philippines | Uses apostilles | Yes, check HCCH per pair | Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Office of Consular Affairs, Authentication Division, and its consular offices | |
| Poland | Uses apostilles | No | Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Legalisation Section (Referat ds. Legalizacji), National Agency for Academic Exchange (Narodowa Agencja Wymiany Akademickiej, NAWA), Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Department of Art Education (Ministerstwo Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego), Ministry of National Education (Ministerstwo Edukacji Narodowej), school superintendents (kurator oświaty) and directors of regional examination boards | |
| Portugal | Uses apostilles | No | Prosecutor General's Office (Procuradoria-Geral da República), Apostille Service in Lisbon, Regional Deputy Prosecutor General's Office of Porto (Procuradoria-Geral Distrital do Porto), Regional Deputy Prosecutor General's Office of Coimbra (Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Coimbra), Regional Deputy Prosecutor General's Office of Évora (Procuradoria-Geral Distrital de Évora), Madeira County District Prosecutor's Office (Procuradoria da Comarca da Madeira), Funchal, Azores County District Prosecutor's Office (Procuradoria da Comarca dos Açores), Ponta Delgada | |
| Qatar | No apostille | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Romania | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Russia | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Rwanda | Uses apostilles | Yes, check HCCH per pair | Not applicable | |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Saint Lucia | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Samoa | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| San Marino | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Sao Tome and Principe | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Saudi Arabia | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Senegal | Uses apostilles | Yes, check HCCH per pair | Not applicable | |
| Serbia | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Seychelles | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Singapore | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Slovakia | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Slovenia | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| South Africa | Uses apostilles | No | Registrars of the High Court of South Africa (divisions in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Pietermaritzburg and Bloemfontein), Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), Legalisation Section, Pretoria | |
| South Korea | Uses apostilles | No | Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, National Court Administration, Overseas Koreans Agency (as of 16 May 2023) | |
| Spain | Uses apostilles | No | Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes (Ministerio de la Presidencia, Justicia y Relaciones con las Cortes) | |
| Sri Lanka | No apostille | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Suriname | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Sweden | Uses apostilles | No | Notary public, appointed by the County Administrative Board (länsstyrelsen) in each county | |
| Switzerland | Uses apostilles | No | Swiss Federal Chancellery, Legalisation Office (Schweizerische Bundeskanzlei, Legalisationsdienst), Cantonal authorities (such as the cantonal chancelleries or ID offices, one per canton) | |
| Tajikistan | Uses apostilles | Yes, check HCCH per pair | Not applicable | |
| Thailand | Joining soon | No | Not applicable | |
| Tonga | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Tunisia | Uses apostilles | Yes, check HCCH per pair | Not applicable | |
| Türkiye | Uses apostilles | No | Governors and district governors (valilikler and kaymakamlıklar), Presidencies of the Judicial Commissions (Adalet Komisyonu Başkanlıkları) at places with high criminal courts | |
| Ukraine | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| United Arab Emirates | No apostille | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| United Kingdom | Uses apostilles | No | Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Legalisation Office | |
| United States | Uses apostilles | No | U.S. Department of State, Office of Authentications | |
| Uruguay | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Uzbekistan | Uses apostilles | Yes, check HCCH per pair | Not applicable | |
| Vanuatu | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Venezuela | Uses apostilles | No | Not applicable | |
| Vietnam | Uses apostilles | Yes, check HCCH per pair | Not applicable |