Saudi joins the HCCH Apostille convention – Meaning for expats in Bahrain

Bahrain and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are GCC countries within close range. Citizens and expats in these nations often want to know the trends around them. A new development in Saudi Arabia has prompted a change in the way that legal documents are handled.

In April this year, Saudi Arabia made a significant move by joining the Apostille convention in the Netherlands. Bahrain entered this convention in 2013. This article will discuss what this development means for expat couples.

Significance of the new Saudi Agreement

When it became a signatory to the Convention of 5 October 1961, Saudi Arabia was in effect saying that it will no longer request validation for certificates and documents with the Apostille sign. Over the past years, Saudi Arabia had made it a standard for couples to pay some legal fees to have their foreign documents revalidated.

With the new law, documents will be accepted so long as they have the apostille stamp. This will hasten the time that people spend at the embassies.

Concluding on the current Saudi HCCH Apostille Convention

The new agreement still has some months to go before it takes full effect. While we wait for that time, we can reflect on the many benefits that people can gain from this mode of verifying documents. The speed at which documents are released will become improved. People will also save on the legalization fees.

Since Bahrain is a part of the Apostille nation, there are many positive prospects for couples and expats in the country. We will wait to see what those are.

Please note that we do not have a lot of information on what this means for couples who marry in Apostille countries outside of Saudi Arabia. However, if new and vital information arises, we will keep you posted.