Is The United Kingdom a member of the Hague Convention?

The “Hague Convention” is a term that is used interchangeably for several different treaties that many countries are parties to. Overall, there are 42 “Hague Conventions”. The most commonly referred to treaty is the Service Treaty. The full name is The Convention of 15 November 1965 on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters. So when asking about the Service Convention, yes, the United Kingdom is a member.

This means that process service in the United Kingdom must conform to the protocols and requirements of the Convention. This is mandated by international law and the Supreme Court of the United States. However, the United Kingdom has gone one step further and declares that the only valid service is service through Article 5 of the Convention. Thus, the United Kingdom’s central authority is the only recognized agency for service. Even further, the United Kingdom has special requirements for their pleadings and transmittal of the service documents. Failure to comply with the United Kingdom’s requirements means you will lose time and money.

Ancillary has decades of experience serving process in the United Kingdom . We have relationships with their agents and know exactly what they need for service. Ancillary guarantees its submissions to the United Kingdom for accuracy to the United Kingdom’s specific requirements. We are happy to help you serve documents in the United Kingdom, with competitive prices, attorney reviewed documents, and decades of knowledge to make sure your request is not returned for improper submission.