Cross-Border Jurisdictional Protocol
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has an unusual accession history: the Convention was originally declared applicable to it by the United Kingdom in 1970, while it was still a British territory, and the independent government later confirmed by formal notice in 2005 that it considers itself bound by the Convention as a matter of succession. Formal Central Authority service is binding on all member countries and generally takes four to twelve months, with courts permitted to proceed with judgment if six months pass without a certificate of service, provided reasonable efforts were made.
We prepare and submit the Hague request to the designated Central Authority, which arranges for service through a local court.
Start a Saint Vincent Central Authority filing →As an English-language Commonwealth jurisdiction, filings avoid the translation costs and delays common in many other Hague jurisdictions.
Prepare your filing →Where a certificate of service hasn't been returned after six months despite reasonable efforts, we help build the record needed to support a court proceeding to judgment under the Convention's relief provision.
Discuss the relief provision →Complete National Jurisdiction
Active network of local agents, court officers, and Central Authority specialists covering every administrative region.
All international document handoffs are executed pursuant to local sovereignty statutes and returned with court-certified evidentiary declarations.
Judicial Knowledge Base
The Convention was declared applicable by the United Kingdom in 1970 while it was still a British territory; the independent government later confirmed by a 2005 notice that it considers itself bound as a matter of succession.
Documents served through the Central Authority must be in, or translated into, the official language, which is English.
Generally four to twelve months, consistent with typical Hague Central Authority timelines.
The Convention permits a court to proceed with judgment if it considers a reasonable time has elapsed and reasonable efforts were made to obtain a certificate.
A Commonwealth common-law system, reflecting its history as a former British colony.
Consult with our international legal support specialists about service of process in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.