Even when both countries are parties to the Apostille Convention (Convention on the Abolition of Requirements for the Certification of Foreign Official Documents), there may be scenarios where its provisions do not apply.

Due to the absence of bilateral Apostille agreements between Germany and nations like Azerbaijan, Burundi, the Dominican Republic, India, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, Liberia, Morocco, Moldova, Mongolia, Paraguay, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, documents from these countries still require consular legalization in Germany—even after their accession to the Convention. Similarly, because of India’s objection to China’s membership in the Convention, Chinese documents cannot be authenticated via Apostille certification in India and must undergo consular legalization instead.

Additionally, note that the Convention’s formal entry into force for a country typically occurs months after accession. The accession date differs from the effective date, so Apostille certification remains inapplicable until the latter is reached.

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