Apostille & Authentication Country Guide
Preparing documents for use abroad? Start with your destination, document type and the receiving authority’s written requirements.
Apostille or authentication?
An apostille certifies the signature or seal on an eligible public document where the Convention applies. Other destinations may require authentication and embassy or consular legalization. Certification does not verify the document’s contents or guarantee acceptance.
Prepare your documents
Massachusetts records and eligible notarized documents follow the Massachusetts route. Federal documents follow the federal route; do not notarize an original federal record. Tell us the issuing authority, destination, deadline and any translation requirements before sending documents.
Find your destination
Search or expand the lists below. Effective dates, objections and territorial coverage can change the route. Thailand’s Convention entry into force is scheduled for February 28, 2027; it remains in review below. Reviewed October 14, 2026.
Official sources: HCCH status table · Massachusetts apostilles · U.S. Department of State
Apostille Convention countries (128) Albania • Algeria • Andorra • Antigua and Barbuda • Argentina • Armenia • Australia • Austria • Azerbaijan • Bahamas • Bahrain • Bangladesh • Barbados • Belarus • Belgium • Belize • Bolivia • Bosnia and Herzegovina • Botswana • Brazil • Brunei • Bulgaria • Burundi • Cabo Verde • Canada • Chile • China • Colombia • Cook Islands • Costa Rica • Croatia • Cyprus • Czechia • Denmark • Dominica • Dominican Republic • Ecuador • El Salvador • Estonia • Eswatini • Fiji • Finland • France • Georgia • Germany • Greece • Grenada • Guatemala • Guyana • Honduras • Hungary • Iceland • India • Indonesia • Ireland • Israel • Italy • Jamaica • Japan • Kazakhstan • Kosovo • Kyrgyzstan • Latvia • Lesotho • Liberia • Liechtenstein • Lithuania • Luxembourg • Malawi • Malta • Marshall Islands • Mauritius • Mexico • Moldova • Monaco • Mongolia • Montenegro • Morocco • Namibia • Netherlands • New Zealand • Nicaragua • Niue • North Macedonia • Norway • Oman • Pakistan • Palau • Panama • Paraguay • Peru • Philippines • Poland • Portugal • Romania • Russia • Rwanda • Saint Kitts and Nevis • Saint Lucia • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines • Samoa • San Marino • Sao Tome and Principe • Saudi Arabia • Senegal • Serbia • Seychelles • Singapore • Slovakia • Slovenia • South Africa • South Korea • Spain • Suriname • Sweden • Switzerland • Tajikistan • Tonga • Trinidad and Tobago • Tunisia • Türkiye • Ukraine • United Kingdom • Uruguay • Uzbekistan • Vanuatu • Venezuela • Vietnam
Authentication / legalization review (70) Afghanistan • Angola • Benin • Bhutan • Burkina Faso • Cambodia • Cameroon • Central African Republic • Chad • Comoros • Congo (Republic of the) • Congo (Democratic Republic of the) • Côte d’Ivoire • Cuba • Djibouti • Egypt • Equatorial Guinea • Eritrea • Ethiopia • Gabon • Gambia • Ghana • Guinea • Guinea-Bissau • Haiti • Holy See • Iran • Iraq • Jordan • Kenya • Kiribati • Kuwait • Laos • Lebanon • Libya • Madagascar • Malaysia • Maldives • Mali • Mauritania • Micronesia • Mozambique • Myanmar • Nauru • Nepal • Niger • Nigeria • North Korea • Palestine • Papua New Guinea • Qatar • Sierra Leone • Solomon Islands • Somalia • South Sudan • Sri Lanka • Sudan • Syria • Taiwan • Tanzania • Thailand (effective February 28, 2027 — pending) • Timor-Leste • Togo • Turkmenistan • Tuvalu • Uganda • United Arab Emirates • Yemen • Zambia • Zimbabwe