The short answer
17 African countries are parties to the Apostille Convention. Between member states, a public document needs only an apostille from the country that issued it. For the other 37 countries, documents usually go through legalization – a chain of certifications ending with the embassy or consulate of the country where the document will be used.
What an apostille is
An apostille is a certificate issued by a designated authority in the country where a public document was issued – a company extract, a court order, a notarized power of attorney, a birth certificate. It confirms the signature, seal and capacity of the official who signed the document. It does not confirm what the document says.
The African member states
- Algeria – in force since 9 July 2026
- Botswana – in force since 30 Sep 1966
- Burundi – in force since 13 Feb 2015
- Cabo Verde – in force since 13 Feb 2010
- Eswatini – in force since 6 Sep 1968
- Lesotho – in force since 4 Oct 1966
- Liberia – in force since 8 Feb 1996
- Malawi – in force since 2 Dec 1967
- Mauritius – in force since 12 Mar 1968
- Morocco – in force since 14 Aug 2016
- Namibia – in force since 30 Jan 2001
- Rwanda – in force since 5 Jun 2024
- Sao Tome and Principe – in force since 13 Sep 2008
- Senegal – in force since 23 Mar 2023
- Seychelles – in force since 31 Mar 1979
- South Africa – in force since 30 Apr 1995
- Tunisia – in force since 30 Mar 2018
Everywhere else: legalization
For Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, DR Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, The Gambia, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, a foreign public document is usually legalized: certified in the issuing country (often by its foreign ministry), then by the embassy or consulate of the destination country. Requirements differ by country and by the authority receiving the document – ask that authority, or a lawyer admitted there, before you start.
Practical points
- Check whether the receiving authority also needs a certified translation – and into which language.
- Some authorities only accept documents issued or apostilled within a recent period.
- Company documents for registration abroad often need notarizing before the apostille or legalization.
Source: HCCH Apostille Convention status table, read October 2026 (dates = entry into force). Not legal advice.