If You’re Organizing an International Depo, Make Sure You Read This Article! (Updated 2018)

Catherine Beeny - July 12, 2018

The most essential first step in organizing any international depo is to find out the legality of holding a U.S. deposition in that country. The U.S. Department of State website is a great resource for finding out this information and can give you a quick overview of the official rules on taking testimony of willing witnesses in specific countries. We have included links to every country page on the U.S. Department of State website below. This is a complete and comprehensive list that will save you from wasting hours on the U.S. Department of State website. Be sure to bookmark this page so you can come back to it when needed.

If you can’t find your country, that doesn’t mean there are no rules or regulations about taking depositions for foreign courts. And if your country says there is no way to take a deposition, that doesn’t mean it is impossible to get the testimony you need.  After learning a little bit more about the official rules, contact us for more insider tips and advice on how we can make your international deposition happen as smoothly and seamlessly as possible.

U.S. Department of State Links

Click on the country name to be taken to the U.S. Department of State page. Don’t forget to check out the additional info links for extra goodies.

Country Hague Evidence Convention? Additional Info
Argentina Yes
Belgium No Deposing a Willing Witness in Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina Yes
Brazil No* Options for Deposing a Witness in Brazil
Cabo Verde (formerly Cape Verde) No
Canada No How to Set Up a Deposition in Canada
Chile No
China Yes Depos in China: Are they possible?
Colombia Yes
Croatia Yes
Cyprus Yes
Czech Republic Yes
Denmark Yes
Ecuador No
El Salvador No
Fiji No
Finland Yes How to Depose Willing Witnesses in Finland
France Yes  Depositions in France
Germany Yes Planning a Deposition in Germany – Guidelines for Legal Professionals
Greece Yes Depositions in Greece: Taking Testimony of Willing Witnesses
Guatemala No
Honduras No
Hong Kong Yes The Ultimate Guide to Organizing a Deposition in Hong Kong (Infographic)
India Yes 7 Tips for Scheduling Depositions in India (Infographic)
Indonesia No
Ireland No  Depositions in Ireland
Israel Yes 7 Tips To Know Before Scheduling a Deposition in Israel
Italy Yes Depos in Italy
Japan No Your Ultimate Guide to Depositions in Japan
Jordan No
Kuwait Yes Depositions in Kuwait: What You Can and Can’t Do.
Luxembourg Yes
Malaysia No
Mexico Yes U.S. Depositions in Mexico
Netherlands Yes  Depositions in the Netherlands
New Zealand No Deposing a Willing Witness in New Zealand
North Korea No
Norway Yes
Pakistan No
Panama No
Paraguay No
Peru No
Philippines No Depositions in the Philippines
Portugal Yes
Russia No**
Serbia Yes
Singapore Yes Setting Up a Deposition in Singapore
Slovakia Yes
Slovenia Yes
South Korea Yes  Important Guidelines For Setting Up a Deposition in South Korea
Spain Yes Depositions in Spain
Sweden Yes How to Set Up a Deposition in Sweden
Switzerland Yes Depositions in Switzerland
Taiwan No How To Set Up a Hassle-Free Deposition in Taiwan
Thailand No How to Set Up a Deposition in Thailand
Turkey Yes Taking Voluntary Depositions of Willing Witnesses in Turkey
Ukraine Yes
United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland) Yes Your Ultimate Guide to Depositions in England
Uruguay No

* The United States has not accepted Brazil’s accession to the Hague Convention on the Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil and Commercial Matters.

** The United States has not accepted the Russian Federation’s accession to the Hague Convention on the Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil and Commercial Matters because the Russian Federation did not name a central authority at the time of its accession, and did not make any specific declarations or reservations regarding methods of obtaining evidence.

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Optima Juris has been helping law offices across the globe find the highest quality certified court reporters, legal videographers, and interpreters for over 15 years. If you should have any questions about international depositions, please do not hesitate to contact us or fill out a free quote to see how we can make your international deposition a complete success.

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Catherine Beeny

Director of Marketing, Catherine Beeny, adds her unique style and background to the Optima Juris family. With a BA in English and MA in International Journalism, Catherine originally began as a coffee gopher on TV and movie sets at Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. After falling in love with online marketing in 2002 Catherine took the leap over to the dark side and has never looked back. She has a true passion for what she does and loves being part of the Optima Juris team. The best part of her job is getting to see Optima Juris make international depositions a stress-free and seamless process!