President promulgates Apostille Ordinance waiving attestation of foreign public documents

ISLAMABAD, : President Dr Arif Alvi has promulgated the Apostille Ordinance 2024 waiving attestation of foreign public documents.

The ordinance had been issued to facilitate the citizens in Pakistan and the diaspora abroad and to fulfil Pakistan’s obligations under the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (Apostille Convention) of 1961.

The Apostille Convention facilitates the use of public documents abroad by waiving the traditional requirement of multiple legalizations/attestations. Earlier, the federal cabinet had approved the accession of Pakistan to the Apostille Convention in March 2022 and the Convention had entered into force for Pakistan in March 2023.

The President promulgated the Ordinance, on the advice of the Prime Minister, in terms of Article 89 (1) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.