Hague Convention Countries List 2025: Where is an Apostille Required and Where is Consular Legalization Needed?

The Hague Convention of 1961 now unites 129 countries that recognize the apostille — a simplified document legalization procedure. In 2024–2025, the list expanded significantly: Canada, China, Bangladesh, and other states joined. In this article, you will find the current list of member states, new members of the convention, and countries where consular legalization is still required.

What is the Hague Apostille Convention?

The Hague Convention abolishing the requirement of legalization for foreign public documents was signed on October 5, 1961, in The Hague (Netherlands). The main objective of the convention is to simplify the procedure for recognizing official documents issued in one member state for use in another member state.

Before the convention, documents required a complex consular legalization procedure: they had to be certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then by the consulate of the destination country. This took weeks and was expensive. The apostille replaced this procedure with a single stamp applied by a competent authority in the country of document issuance.

The apostille certifies the authenticity of the signature, the capacity in which the person signing the document acted, and the authenticity of the seal or stamp with which the document is secured. However, the apostille does not confirm the content of the document itself — only its legal force as an official document.

New Members of the Convention 2023–2025

🇨🇦 Canada — Historic Accession (January 11, 2024)

Canada became the 125th member of the Hague Convention on January 11, 2024. This was a historic event, as Canada was one of the last major developed nations not participating in the convention. Previously, Canadian documents required consular legalization for use abroad, which created significant inconvenience for immigrants, students, and businesses.

After Canada joined, the procedure was significantly simplified: Canadian documents (birth certificates, marriage certificates, diplomas, criminal record certificates) can now be used in any of the other 128 member states with a simple apostille. Each Canadian province has designated its own competent authorities for apostille, while federal documents are certified through Global Affairs Canada.

🇨🇳 China — The World's Second-Largest Economy in the Convention (November 7, 2023)

China joined the Hague Convention on November 7, 2023. This decision has enormous significance for international business and document exchange, given that China is the world's second-largest economy. Importantly, the convention applies to all of China, including Hong Kong (SAR) and Macau (SAR).

Before China joined, documents for use in this country required consular legalization at the Chinese embassy — a lengthy and expensive procedure. Now Russian documents with apostille are accepted directly in China, which is particularly important for business partners, students, and workers planning activities in China.

🇧🇩 Bangladesh (March 30, 2025)

Bangladesh joined the convention on March 30, 2025, depositing the instrument of accession on July 29, 2024. The country has implemented an electronic apostille system (e-Apostille), which accelerates document processing. The competent authority is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh.

🇩🇿 Algeria — Accession in 2026

Algeria signed accession documents on November 5, 2025, and the convention will enter into force for this country on July 9, 2026. This will open the North African market for simplified document exchange.

Complete List of Hague Convention Member States (129 Countries)

Below is the current complete list of countries belonging to the Hague Apostille Convention as of 2025. For all these countries, an apostille is sufficient — consular legalization is not required.

Countries WITHOUT Apostille: Where is Consular Legalization Required?

If the destination country is NOT a member of the Hague Convention, documents require consular legalization. This is a more complex and time-consuming procedure that includes certification by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the consulate of the destination country.

*Cuba has a special status and bilateral agreements with some countries that may simplify document recognition.

Special Cases and Nuances

🇨🇳 China: Mainland, Hong Kong, and Macau

After China joined the convention, it is important to understand the differences between regions. Hong Kong and Macau were already members of the convention through the United Kingdom and Portugal respectively. Now mainland China also accepts apostilles. However, documents between mainland China and Hong Kong/Macau now require an apostille, which was not previously the case.

🇧🇾 Russia's Bilateral Agreements

Russia has bilateral agreements with some CIS countries that may abolish the apostille requirement for certain types of documents. For example, the agreement with Belarus (Minsk Agreement) simplifies the recognition of certain documents between these countries. However, for third countries, the apostille is still required.

🇪🇺 European Union

Although all EU countries are members of the Hague Convention, additional agreements operate within the European Union (e.g., the Brussels Convention) that may simplify or abolish the apostille requirement for certain documents between EU member states. However, for documents from Russia to EU countries, the apostille remains mandatory.

📋 Competent Authorities in Russia

In Russia, the apostille is applied by different authorities depending on the document type:

• Ministry of Justice — documents issued by civil registry offices, notaries, courts
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs — documents from federal authorities
• Civil Registry Offices — birth, marriage, and death certificates
• Archive Authorities — archive certificates and copies

How to Check if an Apostille is Required?

Article updated: April 24, 2025. Data is based on information from the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH).