Kiri

Ministry of Justice/ Suur-Ameerika 1/ 10122 Tallinn / ESTONIA/ +372 620 8100 /fax +372 620 8109/ [email protected] / www.just.ee Reg.no 70000898

HCCH [email protected] Response letter Dear Sir / Madam, Thank you for your letter. In response to your questions: First, in the period between 01 January 2022 till 31 December 2023 were issued in Estonian Republic a total of 88 e-Apostilles. Second, there is no available data on the number of how frequently were consulted for verification of Apostilles during period between 01 January 2022 till 31 December 2023 as far as apostille register does not maintain such logs. Third, we do not have any specific comments or observations regarding e-APP, as the issuance of e- Apostilles has been relatively low and appears to be decreasing. Estonia has legal aid agreements with several neighboring countries that eliminate the need for apostilles. Additionally, within the European Union, certain documents (e.g. civil status documents) are exempt from apostille based on various regulations. Several European countries have also joined the convention abolishing the legalization of documents in the member states of the European communities, which exempts documents from the need for apostille. E-apostilles are issued quite randomly and there is no such destination country to which they are directed mostly. A lot also depends on the specific institution in the destination country to which the apostilled document is submitted, as some may accept an e-Apostille while others may still require a paper version. Nevertheless, the option of e-apostilling is available and can be particularly helpful for individuals conducting business in foreign countries. Yours sincerely, Rina Sillandi Liberal Professions Division Legal Advisor Judicial Administration Policy Department [email protected]

Your Ref: 06.09.2024

Our Ref: 24.09.2024

No 7-2/6524