The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has joined the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (Apostille Convention) as part of its efforts to streamline legal procedures and enhance the business environment. The Council of Ministers approved the accession to the convention through Decision No. (277) dated 24/05/1443H, and the accession instrument was officially deposited with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the designated authority managing the convention. The convention came into effect in the Kingdom on December 7, 2022.
Apostille Convention and Its Importance
The Apostille Convention is one of the Hague Conventions on Private International Law, signed on October 5, 1961, with the aim of eliminating the requirement for consular legalization of official documents between member states. The convention provides a standardized and simplified mechanism for recognizing official documents, requiring only a single authentication stamp known as an “Apostille Certificate,” which eliminates the need for multiple certifications from different entities.
Today, the convention includes over 120 countries and has become one of the most widely used international agreements in the legal field. Millions of Apostille certificates are issued annually to facilitate international transactions across various sectors, including judiciary, trade, investment, and education.
This agreement aims to simplify the authentication process for official documents, ensuring that member states recognize each other’s public documents without the need for lengthy certification procedures. Some of the key types of documents covered under the convention include:
- Judicial and administrative documents
- Notarial acts
- Official certificates such as birth, marriage, and death certificates
- Declarations, visas, and signature authentications
Impact of the Apostille Convention in Saudi Arabia
The implementation of the Apostille Convention in Saudi Arabia has provided several benefits, including:
- Reducing administrative and financial burdens associated with document authentication
- Facilitating legal and commercial exchanges with other member states
- Enhancing international trust in Saudi documents
- Eliminating the need for consular authentication, reducing the time required for completing international procedures
Apostille Mechanism in Saudi Arabia
The authority responsible for issuing Apostille certificates in Saudi Arabia is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The process has been digitally integrated to streamline the application and issuance of certificates. The authentication process includes the following steps:
- Submitting the document to the relevant authority through electronic channels or authorized offices
- Issuing an Apostille Certificate that includes official verification details, such as the issuing country, signatory’s name, official capacity, and seal type
- Using the certificate as legal proof of document authenticity in any member state, without the need for further authentication
Apostille Convention and Saudi Vision 2030
Saudi Arabia’s accession to the Apostille Convention aligns with its legal reforms aimed at enhancing the business environment and improving administrative systems in accordance with Vision 2030. This step facilitates the movement of investments and international trade, strengthening the Kingdom’s ability to attract foreign investors and companies by eliminating bureaucratic barriers related to document authentication.
By joining this convention, Saudi Arabia has taken a significant step towards modernizing its legal system, improving the efficiency of international document authentication, and aligning its regulatory framework with international standards.