Convention of 15 November 1965 on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters

General Detail

General Information

  1. Type: Convention
  2. Date of signature:
  3. Place of signature: The Hague, The Netherlands
  4. Depositary:
  5. Date of entry into force: 10/02/1969

Category

Dispute resolution

Sub category

Judicial cooperation

Groups

HCCH

What is it about?

The 1965 Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters was adopted under the auspices of the Hague Conference. It creates means to ensure that the judicial and extrajudicial documents to be served abroad are brought to the notice of the addressee in sufficient time. For that purpose the Convention improves the organization of mutual judicial assistance. It simplifies and expedites the procedure in codifying service of process by international registered mail and by agent and providing for service of process by a Central Authority. Each Member State has to designate a Central Authority that is responsible for service requests from other Member States and has to proceed in conformity with the provisions of the present Convention. The annexes to the Convention provide forms for the uniform handling of service requests and summaries of the documents to be served.

Why is it relevant?

By determining the proper institutions to address service requests, the process is streamlined and dealt with in a timely more efficient manner.

Additional Information

The present Convention, along with the 1970 Convention on the Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil or Commercial Matters and the 1980 Convention on International Access to Justice, covers all the main aspects relating to international cooperation in civil and commercial proceedings, as covered by the 1905 and 1954 Conventions Relating to Civil Procedure, which the Conventions of 1965, 1970 and 1980 were intended to replace.

  • Convention Relating to Civil Procedure (The Hague, 17 July 1905)
  • Convention Relating to Civil Procedure (The Hague, 01 March 1954)
  • Convention on the Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil or Commercial Matters (The Hague, 18 May 1970)
  • Convention on International Access to Justice (The Hague, 25 October 1980)

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Country ratifications
CountryRatification date
Albania01/11/2006
Antigua and Barbuda20/05/1970
Argentina02/11/2001
Armenia27/06/2012
Australia15/03/2010
Bahamas17/06/1997
Barbados10/02/1969
Belarus06/06/1997
Belgium19/11/1970
Belize08/09/2009
Bosnia and Herzegovina16/06/2008
Botswana10/02/1969
Bulgaria23/11/1999
Canada26/09/1988
China06/05/1991
Colombia10/04/2013
Costa Rica16/03/2016
Croatia28/02/2006
Cyprus01/06/1983
Czech Republic23/09/1981
Denmark02/08/1969
Egypt12/12/1968
Estonia02/02/1996
Finland11/09/1969
France03/07/1972
Germany27/04/1979
Greece20/07/1983
Hungary13/07/2004
Iceland10/11/2008
India23/11/2006
Ireland05/04/1994
Israel14/08/1972
Italy25/11/1981
Japan28/05/1970
Kazakhstan15/10/2015
Kuwait21/11/2002
Latvia28/03/1995
Lithuania02/08/2000
Luxembourg09/07/1975
Macedonia (The former Yugoslav Republic of)23/12/2008
Malawi24/04/1972
Malta24/02/2011
Mexico02/11/1999
Moldova04/07/2012
Monaco01/03/2007
Montenegro16/01/2012
Morocco24/03/2011
Netherlands03/11/1975
Norway02/08/1969
Pakistan07/12/1988
Poland13/02/1996
Portugal27/12/1973
Republic of Korea31/07/2000
Romania21/08/2003
Russian Federation01/05/2001
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines27/10/1979
San Marino15/04/2002
Serbia02/07/2010
Seychelles18/11/1980
Slovakia23/09/1981
Slovenia18/09/2000
Spain04/06/1987
Sri Lanka15/05/2001
Sweden02/08/1969
Switzerland02/11/1994
Turkey28/02/1972
Ukraine15/11/2001
United Kingdom17/11/1967
United States of America24/08/1967
Venezuela29/10/1993
Viet Nam16/03/2016
Treaties analysis
YearRatifications
19672
19681
19697
19703
19724
19731
19752
19792
19801
19813
19832
19871
19882
19913
19931
19942
19951
19962
19972
19992
20003
20014
20022
20031
20041
20063
20071
20083
20091
20102
20112
20123
20131
20151
20162
Total74
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