Member countries of the Hague Convention of October 5, 1961
The Hague Convention of 1961 was concluded on October 5 by the Conference on Private International Law (PIL) member states. Any interested country can join it. The goal of the Hague Conventions is to rid PIL of formalism and bureaucracy.

At a meeting in 1961 in The Hague, an agreement was signed on legalizing foreign documents. It informs that all convention countries recognize official documents issued in other states as valid without mandatory consular legalization.

Significance of the 1961 Hague Convention
Until 1961, the document flow between countries was inconvenient. For documents to be recognized in another state, it was necessary to go through a lengthy procedure for approving papers at consulates. The new order saves a lot of money and time. Every year, more and more countries join the Hague Convention.

The adoption of the agreement significantly simplified the international document flow. Countries that have acceded to the convention and ratified the deals have pledged to accept documents created in other states without lengthy additional
procedures.

The countries participating in the conference decided that an apostille was put on the document to confirm the authority and signature of the sponsor.

What is an apostille?
Apostille is a unique square stamp containing the details of the established form. It must be put down at the top of the certified document. A typical logo includes a title in French: "Apostille (The Hague Convention of October 5, 1961)" and a list of the necessary information about the certified document.
The established stamp size is 9x9 cm. In other countries, it is not a square of the agreed-upon shape but a rectangular one, for example, in Russia.

Apostille carries information in one of the two official languages - French or English. Bilingual practice is also widespread when the language of the country that delivered it, and one of the official languages of the convention, is used. The stamp is placed either on the document or on a separate sheet that is attached to it. In recent years
the issue of introducing an electronic signature has been discussed. This is due to the expansion of electronic document management.

The stamp is put on the correspondence of government organizations and those subject to this country's jurisdiction, administrative and notarial documents, official notes, and visas. Apostille also certifies papers that a notary has not approved.

Any document marked with an apostille from one of the countries participating in the Hague Agreement must be accepted without restrictions in another country that has acceded to the agreement.

Recently joined countries: Republic of Kosovo, Morocco, Tajikistan, Uruguay,
Chile, Guatemala, Indonesia, Pakistan, Palau, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Tunisia,
Philippines, Jamaica.

Some countries that are not parties to the Hague Convention of October 5, 1961,
they still accept documents with the stamp " Apostille"
Sometimes in the case of accession of a new state to the Hague Convention of October 5, 1961
years, several countries participating in this convention do not recognize such acquisitions and,
accordingly, do not accept documents with the "Apostille" stamp from a newly acceded state. All participating countries recognize Russia's accession to the Hague Convention.

We strongly recommend that our customers find out all the requirements for registration
documents in advance. The most reliable source of information is the body to which
papers will be presented.