Hague Apostille Convention
Also called 1961 convention · apostille convention · hague convention 1961
Definition
The Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, which replaced consular legalization with a single apostille among its parties.
Context
Whether a destination is a party determines the whole authentication path. The HCCH status table is the authoritative register, including the date the Convention entered into force for each state — which is what distinguishes current instructions from superseded ones.
Government sources
Where this term comes from.
- Full text — Apostille Convention (1961)
Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) · reviewed 2026-08-01
- Status Table — Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents
Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) · reviewed 2026-08-01
Related terms
- ApostilleA certificate issued under the 1961 Hague Convention that authenticates the origin of a public document so it can be recognized in any other Convention party without further legalization.
- LegalizationThe multi-step process by which a document is certified for use in a country that is not a party to the Apostille Convention, ending with certification by that country's embassy or consulate.
- Competent authorityThe body a Convention party designates to issue apostilles for documents originating within its jurisdiction.