International Judicial Assistance, Notarial Services and Authentication of Documents

DISCLAIMER: THE INFORMATION IN THIS SITE RELATING TO THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS OF SPECIFIC FOREIGN COUNTRIES IS PROVIDED FOR GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY AND MAY NOT BE TOTALLY ACCURATE IN A PARTICULAR CASE. QUESTIONS INVOLVING INTERPRETATION OF SPECIFIC FOREIGN LAWS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO FOREIGN COUNSEL.

This is an official U.S. Government source. Inclusion of non-U.S. Government links does not imply endorsement of contents.

Country-Specific Information
Service of Process Abroad
Obtaining Evidence Abroad
Enforcement of Judgments
Travel Abroad for Judicial Assistance Purposes
Notarial and Authentication Services
Criminal Matters
Family Law and Child Protection Issues
Property, Tourist, Trade and Commercial Complaints, Foreign Claims
Foreign Attorneys
Other Links

COUNTRY-SPECIFIC INFORMATION

• Australia
• Belgium
• Taking Depositions in Brazil
• Canada
• China
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• El Salvador
• Fiji
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Honduras
• Hong Kong, S.A.R., China
• Indonesia
• Ireland
• Israel
• Service of Documents in Israel
• Italy
• Obtaining Evidence in Japan
• Service of Process in Japan
• Jordan
• Luxembourg
• Malaysia
• Mexico
• The Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Service of Documents in Pakistan
• Philippines
• Portugal
• Russia (update in progress)
• Singapore
• Slovak Republic
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Taiwan
• Thailand
• United Kingdom

GENERAL INFORMATION

SERVICE OF PROCESS ABROAD

• U.S. Department of State Circular: Service of Process Abroad: General Overview
• U.S. Department of State Circular: Preparation of Letters Rogatory
• Service Provisions of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA), 28 USC 1608, for service on a foreign state, political subdivision, agency or instrumentality
• Checklist for Plaintiffs- Service of Process upon a Foreign State
• Prohibition against service of process by consular officers: 22 CFR 92.85
• Consular responsibility for serving subpoeneas: 22 CFR 92.86
• Consular procedures for service of subpoeneas: 22 CFR 92.88

Treaties on Service of Documents

Hague Convention of the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extra-Judicial Documents in Civil and Commercial Matters

• U.S. Department of State Circular on Operations of the Hague Service Convention
• Hague Service Convention Text
• Hague Service Convention Explanatory Report
• Hague Service Convention Bibliography

Inter-American (Service) Convention on Letters Rogatory and Additional Protocol

• U.S. Department of State Circular on Operations of the Inter-American Convention
• Link to Treaty Text on the Organization of American States (OAS) web site (1975)
• Link to Additional Protocol to Inter-American Convention on Letters Rogatory on the Organization of American States (OAS) web site (1975)

OBTAINING EVIDENCE ABROAD

• U.S. Department of State Circular: Obtaining Evidence Abroad: General Overview
• U.S. Department of State Circular: Preparation of Letters Rogatory

Treaties on Obtaining Evidence Abroad

Hague Convention on Obtaining Evidence Abroad in Civil and Commercial Matters

• U.S. Department of State Circular on Hague Evidence Convention Operations
• Hague Evidence Convention Text
• Hague Evidence Convention Explanatory Report
• Hague Evidence Convention Bibliography
• Hague Evidence Convention Country Status Report
• Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Treaties

ENFORCEMENT OF JUDGMENTS

• U.S. Department of State Information: Enforcement of Judgments

TRAVEL ABROAD FOR JUDICIAL ASSISTANCE PURPOSES

• Host Country Clearance - Travel of Government Officials
• Travel Warnings, Public Announcements and Consular Information Sheets

Treaties on Authentication/Legalization of Documents

Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirements for Legalization of Foreign Public Documents

• U.S. Department of State Circular: Hague Legalization Convention Operations
• Legalization Text Treaty
• Legalization Convention Apostille Certificate
• Legalization Convention Explanatory Report
• Legalization Convention Country Status Report
• Legalization Convention Country Status Report

CRIMINAL MATTERS

• Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Treaties (MLATs)
• U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney's Manual
• Prisoner Transfer Treaties
• Consular Notification and Access
• National Criminal Justice Reference Service: Anti-Crime Training and Technical Assistance Program
• National Criminal Justice Reference Service: International Resources
• National Institute of Justice, International Center, U.N. Activities: Crime Prevention Program
• National Institute of Justice, International Center
• Federal Law Crime and Justice

FAMILY LAW AND CHILD PROTECTION ISSUES

Child Protection Services

Child Support Enforcement

• U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Child Support Recovery Act
• Passport Restrictions for Child Support
• International Child Support Enforcement
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): A Caseworker's Guide to Child Support Enforcement and Military Personnel
• Uniform Inter-State Family Support Act (1996)

Marriage and Divorce

• For information on Marriage and Divorce Abroad, go to the Services for American Citizens Abroad page.
• Parental Child Abduction
• International Adoption
• U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office - Forced Marriage: Your Rights Abroad
• U.K. Home Office - Forced Marriage: A Choice by Right

• U.S. State Department's Office of Global Affairs - Trafficking in Women and Children
• U.S. Department of Justice, Violence Against Women Office
• U.S. DOJ, Violence Against Women Office - Laws and Regulations
• Steps Taken to Stop the Trafficking in Women and Children - January 2000
• President's Interagency Council on Women
• Executive Memorandum: March 11, 1998 - Steps to Combat Violence Against Women and Trafficking in Women and Girls
• Violence Against Women

Child Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation

• U.S. Department of Justice, Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section
• U.S. Department of Justice, International Aspects of Child Exploitation

• Fact Sheet on Child Labor

Other Children's Issues

• Refugee Children
• Children in Armed Conflict
• FBI: A Parent's Guide to Internet Safety
• FBI Director, Congressional Statement: Child Pornography, 1997
• Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime - Child Sexual Exploitation: Improving Investigations and Protecting Victims - A Blueprint for Action
• Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime - Breaking the Cycle of Violence: Recommendations to Improve the Criminal Justice Response to Child Victims and Witnesses
• Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime - Children Exposed to Violence: Criminal Justice Resources

Treaties in Progress and International Initiatives

• Hague Convention of October 19, 1996 on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Cooperation in Respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children: Project Objectives

Other Family Related Issues

• Hague Convention on the International Protection of Adults: Status

Other Family Related Links

• U.S. State Department's Office of the Legal Adviser for Private International Law: Family Law
• Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime - Improving the Police Response to Domestic Elder Abuse

FOREIGN ATTORNEYS

• Retaining a Foreign Attorney
• Prohibition against recommending attorneys: 22 CFR 92.82

U.S. Embassies Abroad - Lists of Attorneys

• Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory
• Other Useful Judicial Links

• Australia: New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory
• Australia: Northern Terrritory, South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania
• Australia: Queensland
• Australia: Western Australia
• Austria
• Bangladesh
• Belgium
• Belize
• Botswana
• Brazil
• Bulgaria
• Burkina Faso
• Chad
• China
• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• Côte d'Ivoire
• Estonia
• Ethiopia
• France
• Georgia
• Germany
• Greece
• Guatemala
• Guyana
• Honduras
• Hungary
• Calcutta, India
• Chennai, India
• Mumbai, India
• New Delhi, India
• Ireland
• Tel Aviv, Israel
• Italy - Attorneys in Rome
• Italy - Legal Advisors in Rome
• Italy - Attorneys in Florence
• Italy - Attorneys and Notaries in Milan
• Italy - Attorneys in Naples
• Jamaica
• Japan
• Fukuoka, Japan
• Seoul, Korea
• Lebanon
• Macedonia
• Malaysia
• Malta
• Mexico
• Ciudad Juarez, Mexico
• Guadalajara, Mexico
• Moldova
• Morocco
• Nepal
• Netherlands Antilles (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, St. Maarten)
• Nicaragua
• New Zealand
• Poland
• Portugal and the Azores
• Philippines
• Yekaterinburg, Russia
• Saudi Arabia
• Singapore
• Spain
• Sudan
• Syria
• Switzerland
• Taiwan
• Thailand
• Turkey
• Turkmenistan
• Venezuela
• Vietnam

OTHER LINKS

DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR SPECIFIC TREATY LINKS

• Vienna Convention on Consular Relations
• Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations

TREATY DATABASES

U.S. Department of State

• Treaties in Force
• Current Treaty Actions

• Treaty Actions
• Office of the Legal Adviser for Private International Law
• Office of the Legal Adviser

U.S. House and Senate

• Government Printing Office
• Library of Congress

International Organizations

• United Nations under Databases/Treaties
• Hague Conference on Private International Law
• U.S. Department of State Circular on Operations of the Inter-American Convention
• Link to Treaty Text on the Organization of American States (OAS) web site (1975)
• Link to Additional Protocol to Inter-American Convention on Letters Rogatory on the Organization of American States (OAS) web site (1975)
• Council of Europe (COE) under Texts/Treaties, COE press releases including treaty action
• United Nations Commission on International Trade Law

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

• Foreign Claims Settlement Commission
• Office for Victims of Crime

PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS

• American Society for International Law (ASIL)
• ASIL Guide to Electronic Resources for International Law
• Center for Comparative and Foreign Law Studies

• European Union Law
• Council of Europe
• European Union
• OAS Department of Legal Cooperation and Information

NOTARIAL AND AUTHENTICATIONS LINKS

• Department of State Authentications Office
• American Society of Notaries
• National Notary Association
• United States Notary Association