Countries Switching to Apostille: Dates
Moving target
Countries Switching From Legalisation to Apostille
The Apostille Convention gains members most years, and each accession deletes the embassy stage for that destination on a specific date. If your file straddles one of these dates, the route you started may not be the route you should finish.
Dates to plan around
How to decide when you are near a date
- Work out when the document will actually be presented, not when you start.
- If presentation falls after the date, an apostille is normally correct, cheaper and faster.
- If it falls before, use legalisation.
- When it is close, ask the receiving authority in the destination country which they will accept. They are the ones who decide, not the mission.
- Documents legalised before the switch stay valid. Nothing needs redoing.
Requirements on this page were last checked against official sources on .
Questions people actually ask
What happens to a document I already had legalised?
Nothing. It stays validly legalised. The change applies to documents processed after the entry-into-force date.
Should I wait for the date and get an apostille instead?
If your deadline allows it, usually yes: an apostille removes the embassy stage, which is normally the slowest and most expensive link. If the document is needed before the date, use legalisation.
Will the embassy still legalise documents after the date?
Many stop, some continue for a transitional period. Because practice varies, confirm with the receiving authority in the destination country rather than with the mission alone.
This guide is published by a private document processing service. It is not legal advice and we are not a government agency. Requirements change without notice, so confirm anything critical with the mission before you post documents.
