Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction
The 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (Hague Convention) is a multilateral treaty in force between Australia and many other countries. It provides a lawful procedure for seeking the return of abducted children to their home country. It also helps parents in one Hague Convention country seek access to their children who are in a different Hague Convention country.
As the Australian Central Authority, we administer the Hague Convention for Australia.
You can contact the Australian Central Authority if you have general questions about the Hague Convention or about the process for making an application to have a child returned to Australia or an application for access. Please note we cannot provide legal advice.
Visit the international parental child abduction page for information on how to make a Hague Convention application and to access the application form.
We also have a fact sheet for legal practitioners.
Hague Convention countries
We can only help you with a Hague Convention return or access application if the Hague Convention is in force between Australia and the other country concerned.
The Hague Convention is in force between Australia and the following countries:
- Albania
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Austria
- Bahamas
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Burkina Faso
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Hong Kong (China)
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macau (China)
- Malta
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Moldova, Republic of
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Norway
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Poland
- Portugal
- Republic of Korea (from 1 June 2015)
- Romania
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- United States of America
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Venezuela
- Zimbabwe.
The below countries have acceded to the Hague Convention, but it is not yet in force between these countries and Australia:
- Seychelles—acceded in May 2008
- Morocco—acceded in March 2010
- Gabon—acceded in December 2010
- Andorra—acceded in April 2011
- Russia—acceded in July 2011
- Guinea—acceded in November 2011
- Lesotho—acceded in June 2012
- Kazakhstan—acceded in June 2013
- Iraq—acceded in March 2014
- Zambia—acceded in August 2014
- Philippines—acceded in March 2016
- Bolivia – acceded in July 2016
- Pakistan—acceded in December 2016
- Jamaica—acceded in February 2017
- Tunisia—acceded in July 2017
- Cuba—acceded in September 2018
- Guyana—acceded in February 2019
- Barbados—acceded in December 2019
- Cabo Verde—acceded in October 2022
- Botswana—acceded in November 2022
If your child has been abducted to a country where the Hague Convention is not in force for Australia, you cannot seek a return to Australia, or seek access, under the Hague Convention.
For more information on the Hague Convention, including a status table for each signatory country and the most up-to-date country information, visit the Hague Conference on Private International Law website.
Australia also has bilateral agreements on child welfare with Egypt and Lebanon – the Australia Egypt Agreement and the Australia-Lebanon Agreement.
If your child is in a non-Hague Convention country, you may want to seek private legal advice in that country about your options.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) may be able to provide some limited consular help to parents whose children are located overseas. Depending on the legal and social services framework of the foreign jurisdiction, this may include providing a list of local lawyers and facilitating liaison with local authorities and child welfare agencies. Call: 1300 555 135 (24-hour consular service) or visit the support and assistance page for more resources.
Contact details for the Australian Central Authority
International Family Law Section
Attorney-General's Department
3–5 National Circuit
BARTON ACT 2600