Subject: e-APP Forum – Questions for Competent Authorities
From: "HCCH" <[email-masked]>
To: "HCCH" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 6 Sep 2024 15:40:44 +0300

Tähelepanu! Tegemist on välisvõrgust saabunud kirjaga.
Tundmatu saatja korral palume linke ja faile mitte avada.

Dear Sir / Madam,

The Permanent Bureau (PB) of the Hague Conference on Private International 
Law (HCCH) has the honour to contact your Competent Authority regarding the 
operation of the Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of 
Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (Apostille Convention) and the 
electronic Apostille Programme (e-APP).

In advance of the upcoming 13th International Forum on the e-APP, which will 
take place on 21 and 22 October 2024 in Astana, Kazakhstan, the PB is 
collecting key data in relation to the implementation and practical 
operation of the e-APP in Contracting Parties to the Apostille Convention. 
All the data collected will be used by the PB and will inform the 
discussions at the Astana Forum.

The PB is reaching out to States like yours which have implemented one or 
both components of the e-APP; issue e-Apostilles and / or operate an 
e-Register.

Accordingly, the PB would appreciate it if you could kindly provide it with 
some basic data on the operation of the e-APP in your State by, where 
appropriate, providing answers to three questions.

The questions are set out below and are also available at the following 
links:

English: 
http://assets.hcch.net/docs/a40791cb-291d-4e2a-98ad-8ceac31b98e3.pdf
French: 
http://assets.hcch.net/docs/ab480ea0-c149-49db-a695-a057963f076b.pdf

Spanish: 
http://assets.hcch.net/docs/8cabdcbb-673c-42ea-9fbb-78df3f4609fe.pdf

1.           How many e-Apostilles were issued by the Competent 
Authority[ies] of your State in the period between 1 January 2022 and 31 
December 2023?

(If your State implemented the e-Apostille on a date after 1 January 2022, 
please provide the first date that e-Apostilles were issued and provide data 
from that first issuance date to 31 December 2023.)

2.           How frequently was your State’s e-Register consulted for 
verification of Apostilles in the period between 1 January 2022 and 31 
December 2023?

(If your State has different e-Registers, please provide data for each 
e-Register. If your State’s data differentiates between paper / e-Apostille 
verification, this information may be provided. However, for the purposes of 
this exercise, the PB is interested in any e-Register verification 
(including for paper Apostilles issued).)

3.          Do you have any comments or observations you wish to share with 
the PB in relation to the operation of the e-APP in your State?

The PB would appreciate it if this data could be provided by e-mail to 
<mailto:[email-masked]> [email-masked] by Wednesday 9 October 
2024, 5.00 pm. (CEST).

The PB sincerely thanks you in advance for your cooperation.

We also take this opportunity to note that registrations for the e-APP Forum 
are now open and officials from your State can register here:

English Registration Form:    Registration for the 13th International Forum 
on the e-APP (hcch.net) 
<https://limesurvey.hcch.net/index.php/728232?lang=en>

French Registration Form:     Registration for the 13th International Forum 
on the e-APP (hcch.net) 
<https://limesurvey.hcch.net/index.php/728232?lang=fr>

Spanish Registration Form:   Registration for the 13th International Forum 
on the e-APP (hcch.net) 
<https://limesurvey.hcch.net/index.php/728232?lang=es>

Sincerely,

Hague Conference on Private International Law

Permanent Bureau

Conférence de La Haye de droit international privé

Bureau Permanent

Conferencia de La Haya de Derecho Internacional Privado

Oficina Permanente