The Hague Convention, which was initiated on October 5th, 1961 in Luxembourg, came into effect on January 14th, 1965. This international agreement, known as the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents, eliminates the need for diplomatic legalization (via Embassy/Consulate) of certificates for official communication between member countries of the Hague Convention.

Under the Hague Convention, certificates no longer require the complex and time-consuming process of diplomatic legalization. Instead, they only need to be stamped with an "apostille" by the Ministry of External Affairs. This streamlined procedure simplifies the authentication of documents for international use within the member countries of the Hague Convention, fostering efficient and secure legal communication.