How does the Hague Convention apply to Crown Dependencies & Overseas Territories?

This is an excellent question because the situation for places like Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, and other Crown Dependencies (CDs) and British Overseas Territories (BOTs) is different from mainland UK.

While the UK extended the application of the Hague Apostille Convention, effective since 1965 (as discussed in our FAQ on when the Convention was ratified), to many of these territories, they often operate under their own distinct legal and administrative systems.

Therefore, the crucial point is that these territories typically designated their own ‘Competent Authority’ to issue apostilles when the Convention was extended to them. As explained in our FAQ detailing who issues apostilles under the Convention, each member state or covered territory appoints its official body for this specific task.

If you have what qualifies as a public document under the Convention originating from Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Bermuda, BVI, etc., you generally cannot get it apostilled by the UK’s FCDO Legalisation Office.

You must apply to the specific Competent Authority designated within that territory (e.g., the Jersey Legalisation Office, the Guernsey Greffe, the Isle of Man Courts of Justice).

The UK FCDO Legalisation Office only issues apostilles for documents from England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Although the apostille certificate issued by these territories might look slightly different from the UK FCDO version (we explain why apostilles can look different despite the Convention in another FAQ), it adheres to the standards set by the Hague Convention.

It serves the exact same purpose – authenticating the document’s origin for recognition in other member countries.

As a London-based agency, our services, including our express apostille and next-day legalisation options, are focused on documents requiring processing by the UK FCDO.

While we don’t directly submit documents to the Crown Dependencies or Overseas Territories authorities, we frequently assist clients by clarifying these jurisdictional rules and ensuring they know the correct authority to approach for their specific document.

Getting this right the first time avoids unnecessary delays, especially when you need an urgent apostille.