Apostille Act 2020

Apostille Act 2020

2020 REVISED EDITION

This revised edition incorporates all amendments up to and including 1 December 2021 and comes into operation on 31 December 2021

An Act to give effect to the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, done at the Hague on 5 October 1961, and for connected purposes.

[20 January 2021: Section 21(2) ;

16 September 2021: Except section 21(2) ]

PART 1

PRELIMINARY

Short title

1.  This Act is the Apostille Act 2020.

Interpretation

2.  In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —

“Convention” means the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents, done at the Hague on 5 October 1961, the English text of which is set out in the First Schedule;

“Convention State” means a State Party to the Convention other than Singapore, but does not include —

(a) any State Party that objected to Singapore’s accession to the Convention; and

(b) any State Party whose accession to the Convention Singapore objected to;

“Model Certificate” means the model certificate set out in the Annex to the Convention.

Purpose

3.—(1)  The purpose of this Act is to give effect to the Convention.

(2)  Part 2 —

(a) exempts foreign public documents (as defined in that Part) from any requirement of legalisation; and

(b) provides for the effect of certificates issued under the Convention and facilitates (but does not require) their use.

(3)  Part 3 provides for certificates to be issued under the Convention for Singapore public documents (as defined in that Part).

Act binds Government

4.  This Act binds the Government.