Apostille Bill - Singapore Statutes Online

Apostille Bill

Bill No. 35/2020

Read the first time on 5 October 2020.

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, and to make related amendments to certain other Acts.

Be it enacted by the President with the advice and consent of the Parliament of Singapore, as follows:

PART 1

PRELIMINARY

Short title and commencement

1. This Act is the Apostille Act 2020 and comes into operation on a date that the Minister appoints by notification in the Gazette.

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.

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