What is the Apostille Convention?
The Apostille Convention, formally The Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 (Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents), is an international treaty by the Hague Conference on Private International Law. Also known as the Convention de La Haye du 5 Octobre 1961 or Apostille Treaty, it simplifies certifying public documents for use across member countries. Before the convention, legalizing documents internationally required complex, multi-step verifications. The Apostille Convention replaced this with a single Apostille certificate, authenticating documents among signatories. For example, an Apostille issued in South Africa is valid in Japan if both are members. In South Africa, an Apostille is equivalent to notarization by a notary public. This guide details the Apostille Convention’s member countries and the process for legalizing documents in non-member countries.Member Countries of the Apostille Convention
As of May 2025, the Apostille Convention comprises 83 members, including 82 states and 1 Regional Economic Integration Organization. South Africa is a member, alongside:- Albania
- Andorra
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Bulgaria
- Burundi
- Cape Verde
- Chile
- Colombia
- Cook Islands
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Iceland
- India
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Kosovo
- Kyrgyzstan
- Latvia
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macau
- Macedonia
- Malawi
- Malta
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Mongolia
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Namibia
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Niue
- Norway
- Oman
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
Connected States of the Hague Conference
An additional 68 states are linked to other Hague Conventions, having signed, ratified, or acceded to them, or are in the process of joining. These include:- Antigua and Barbuda
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Bolivia
- Botswana
- Brunei Darussalam
- Burundi
- Cabo Verde
- Cambodia
- Colombia
- Cook Islands
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Cuba
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- El Salvador
- Fiji
- Gabon
- Ghana
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Haiti
- Holy See
- Honduras
- Iraq
- Jamaica
- Kenya
- Kosovo
- Kuwait
- Lebanon
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Liechtenstein
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Mali
- Marshall Islands
- Mongolia
- Namibia
- Nepal
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Niue
- Pakistan
- Rwanda
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- San Marino
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- Swaziland
- Tajikistan
- Thailand
- Togo
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Zimbabwe
Legalizing Documents for Non-Member Countries
For countries not part of the Hague Conference, South African documents cannot use an Apostille. Instead, they require legalization through steps like verification by state authorities or the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, followed by Embassy or Consulate attestation. The process varies by document type, origin, and destination country requirements. For expert assistance, contact our team.
