Q：
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What is Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents?
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A：
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The Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (hereinafter referred to as the Convention) is an important international treaty with the widest scope of application and the largest number of States parties under the framework of the Hague Conference on Private International Law, which aims to simplify the transnational circulation procedure of public documents, replace traditional consular certification with a more convenient means of certification, and promote international trade and personnel exchanges.
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Q：
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What is the core content of the Convention?
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The core content of the Convention can be summarized as "two in one", that is, the two consular certifications before the document leaves the country (commonly known as "double certification") are combined into a one-step certification relying on additional certificates. Specifically, it includes two aspects: The first is cancellation of consular accreditation between the States parties; The second is to replace the traditional consular certification with additional certificates to verify the authenticity of the seal and signature on the document.
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When will the Convention come into effect in China?
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The Convention will enter into force for China on November 7, 2023, and China will begin to issue additional certificates. Documents with additional certificate can be circulated and used among the contracting parties to the Convention, without the need for consular authentication from foreign embassies and consulates in China.
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How many States parties to the Convention?
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As of October 9, 2023, there are 125 States parties to the Convention, accounting for about three-fifths of the total number of countries and regions in the world, including the EU countries, the United States, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Germany, Australia, Russia and other major trading partners of China, as well as most of the countries jointly building the Belt and Road.
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What is an additional certificate (Apostille) ?
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An additional certificate is a verification certificate issued for a public instrument by the competent authority designated by the State issuing the instrument and has the fixed content required by the Convention. With an additional certificate attached, the document may be sent directly to the States Parties to the Convention for use without the need for traditional consular authentication.
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