Hague Apostille Country List (2026)
The 129 countries where a U.S. apostille is accepted, the newest members, and how to confirm your destination before you file.
The Hague Apostille Convention country list
The Hague Apostille Convention is the treaty that makes an apostille work. As of 2026 it has 129 member countries, and if your destination is on the list, a single apostille is all your U.S. document needs, with no embassy step. If it is not on the list, you need the longer legalization route instead. This page lists the members, flags the newest additions, and shows you how to confirm any country.
Recent additions to the Convention
The Convention keeps growing, which is why an up-to-date list matters. Recent additions change the route for millions of people:
- China joined with effect from November 2023, replacing the old consulate legalization for most documents.
- Canada joined with effect from January 2024.
- Algeria takes effect in 2026.
- Viet Nam takes effect in September 2026, so until then it remains a legalization country.
Because membership changes, always confirm a borderline country before you file. The authoritative source is the Hague Conference on Private International Law, and we check it for every order. You can also just tell us the country and we will confirm it.
Hague Apostille Convention member countries (2026)
These are the member countries where a U.S. apostille is accepted. The list is grouped by region for easier scanning.
Europe
- Albania
- Andorra
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Russia
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
The Americas
- Argentina
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Honduras
- Mexico
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Suriname
- Trinidad and Tobago
- United States
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
Asia and the Pacific
- Australia
- Bahrain
- Brunei
- China
- Fiji
- India
- Indonesia
- Israel
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Marshall Islands
- Mongolia
- New Zealand
- Oman
- Philippines
- Samoa
- Saudi Arabia
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Tajikistan
- Tonga
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
Africa
- Botswana
- Burundi
- Cabo Verde
- Eswatini
- Lesotho
- Liberia
- Malawi
- Mauritius
- Morocco
- Namibia
- Rwanda
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Senegal
- Seychelles
- South Africa
- Tunisia
This list reflects 2026 membership and is grouped for readability. A few smaller territories and recent accessions are not shown individually. Always confirm your exact destination before filing, which we do for every order.
What to do once you find your country
If your country appears above, the process is simple. Your U.S. document is apostilled by the correct authority, a state Secretary of State for state documents or the U.S. Department of State for federal documents like the FBI report, and most countries then want a translation into the local language. There is no embassy step.
If your country does not appear above, you are headed for legalization, not an apostille. Major non-members include the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Egypt, Thailand and Taiwan. For those, see our guide to apostille and legalization for non-Hague countries.
What an apostille gets you in a member country
When your destination is on the member list, the benefit is concrete: a single apostille replaces the entire embassy chain. There is no consulate appointment, no embassy fee, and no Ministry of Foreign Affairs step. The receiving office accepts the apostille on sight because its government agreed, by treaty, to do so.
That is a meaningful saving in both time and money. A document for a member country can often be ready in days to a few weeks, while the same document for a non-member can take far longer and cost more in embassy fees. Membership is the difference between a one-step certificate and a multi-step process.
What members still expect, in almost every case, is a translation into the local language, and sometimes a recently issued underlying document. So even within the member list, plan for a translation step and check the recency rule, which we cover in our guide on whether apostilles expire.
China, Canada and the 2026 additions in context
Two recent accessions changed the landscape for a huge number of Americans. China joined with effect from November 2023, which means documents for work, study and family in China now take a simple apostille instead of the old, slow consulate legalization. For students and professionals headed to China, this was a major simplification.
Canada joined with effect from January 2024, bringing the largest U.S. trading partner into the apostille system for the first time. Cross-border family, business and study documents between the U.S. and Canada now follow the apostille route.
The momentum continues. Algeria takes effect in 2026 and Viet Nam in September 2026, so a document for Vietnam today still needs legalization, but the same document after September 2026 will take an apostille. Because the list moves, the date you file can change the process, which is why we verify membership for every order.
Member countries Americans send documents to most
Among the 129 members, a handful account for most of the documents we handle. Spain and Portugal dominate for residency and retirement visas. Italy is the leader for citizenship by descent. Mexico is constant for residency, marriage and business given the shared border, and Germany for work and study.
Beyond those, we regularly prepare apostilles for the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Greece, Brazil, Colombia, Australia, Japan, South Korea, India and the Philippines, all members. Each has its own translation expectations and document preferences, but all accept the apostille itself without an embassy step.
If you are headed to one of these, our country guides walk through the specific documents and translation rules, and you can start an order directly. If your destination is a smaller member not covered by a guide, tell us the country and we will confirm exactly what it needs.
What to do if your country is not a member
If your destination does not appear on the member list, you are headed for legalization rather than an apostille. The major non-members Americans deal with are the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, Thailand and Taiwan, along with several countries in Africa and parts of Asia.
For those, the document needs authentication followed by the destination country's embassy, and sometimes a Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation on arrival. It is a longer, multi-step process, and we cover it fully in our guide to apostille and legalization for non-Hague countries.
The one thing not to do is assume. Membership changes, country names and territories can be confusing, and a wrong guess costs weeks. Whether your destination is clearly a member, clearly not, or somewhere you are unsure, we confirm the current status before any document is filed.
Frequently asked questions
How many countries are in the Hague Apostille Convention?
As of 2026 there are 129 contracting parties to the Hague Apostille Convention, and the list continues to grow as new countries join.
Is China in the Hague Apostille Convention?
Yes. China joined with effect from November 2023, so most U.S. documents bound for China now need an apostille rather than consulate legalization.
Is Canada a Hague apostille country?
Yes. Canada joined with effect from January 2024, so U.S. documents for Canada are apostilled, not legalized.
How do I know if my country accepts an apostille?
Check whether it is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention. If it is, an apostille is accepted. If not, you need embassy legalization. We confirm any country for free before you order.
What if my country is not on the list?
You need the legalization route: federal authentication followed by the destination country's embassy, and sometimes a Ministry of Foreign Affairs step on arrival. We handle that chain.
Do all Hague countries accept the apostille the same way?
The apostille is universally accepted among members, but most countries also require a translation into the local language, and some have recency rules for the underlying document.
Is the UAE in the Hague Convention?
No. The United Arab Emirates is not a member, so documents need authentication and UAE embassy legalization, not an apostille.
Are Vietnam and Algeria Hague members?
Both are joining in 2026. Algeria takes effect in July 2026 and Vietnam in September 2026, so until those dates they remain legalization countries.
Where is the official list maintained?
The authoritative source is the Hague Conference on Private International Law status table. We check it for every order to confirm current membership.
Can you tell me the route for my exact country?
Yes. Tell us the destination and we confirm whether you need an apostille or full legalization, plus any translation, before you pay.
Headed to a Hague country? Start your apostille.
Send us your document for a free review, or start your order now. We confirm the right route, file with the correct authority, and return your apostille ready for use abroad.