Serving a Respondent Who Lives Outside the U.S.

Yes. All respondents to a court case must be properly served–regardless of whether they live in the United States or in another country.

See How to Serve the Initial Court Papers (Family Law).

Yes. If the respondent is in Texas (for business, to visit, etc.), they can be personally served with the court papers by a constable, sheriff, or private process server. Typically, this is much easier than attempting to serve the respondent while they’re in a foreign country.

Yes. The respondent can sign a waiver of service so you don’t have to go through the process of officially serving them. However, waivers must be signed in front of a notary. This means the respondent must either go to a notary in their country or go to a U.S. Embassy or Consulate, where notary services are typically available.

1.  In the manner prescribed by the law of the country where the party resides,
2.  As directed by the foreign authority in response to a letter rogatory,
3.  In accordance with Rule 106 of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure (this rule governs the standard procedure for serving a party in Texas),
4.  Pursuant to any applicable treaties or conventions,
5.  By diplomatic or consular officials when authorized by the U.S. Department of State, or
6. By any other means directed by the court that is not prohibited by the law of the country where the party is to be served.

A letter rogatory (also called a letter of request) is a formal request from a U.S. court to a foreign court for assistance in serving the respondent to a case. It is issued by the court where the case is pending to a court in the country where the respondent resides. Typically, a letter rogatory is only necessary if the country where the respondent resides is not a signatory to the Hague Service Convention.

The Hague Service Convention (HCCH) was drafted to simplify and standardize the international service process. This means the preferred method for serving a party in a foreign country is to serve them under the Hague Service Convention. But, this method of service can only be used if the country where the respondent resides is a signatory to the Convention. A list of all countries that are signatories to the Convention is available on the HCCH website.

Note: The Hague Service Convention does not apply if you do not know the address of the party that needs to be served.

Yes, and service under the Hague Service Convention is the preferred method for serving a party residing in Mexico. Learn more about serving a party in Mexico by reading Serving a Respondent Who Resides in Mexico.

1. You must have your petition translated into the language required by the country where the party is to be served. For example, if you are serving a party in Mexico, you will need to have your petition translated into Spanish.
2. Request an original citation or summons from the court clerk where your case was filed.
3. Have the citation or summons translated into the appropriate language (e.g. Spanish if serving a party in Mexico).
4. Fill out the appropriate Request for Service Abroad form available on the Hague Conference website. For example, if the respondent is in Mexico, you would need to use the trilingual Spanish-English-French form.
5. An original and a copy of the English version and the translated version of the petition/complaint, citation, and Request for Service Abroad must be sent to the appropriate Central Authority. Each signatory country to the Hague Service Convention has a designated Central Authority that handles foreign service requests.
6. After sending the appropriate documents, you’ll need to wait for a response, which can take several months. Typically, the Central Authority will send a “return of service” to the District Clerk where you filed the case, so you may need to periodically check with the District Clerk to see if they have received anything.

If you don’t know the address of the respondent, you cannot do service under the Hague Service Convention. If you are dealing with a family law case, you may be able to do service by posting or publication.

If your case is a divorce without children, read Service by Posting (when you can't find your spouse in a divorce without kids).

If your case involves children, read Service by Publication (when you can’t find the other parent). to learn more about service by publication.

No. However, because the process for serving a respondent in a foreign country can be long and complicated, it is helpful to hire a lawyer if possible. If you need help finding a lawyer, you can:

• Use our Legal Help Directory to search for a lawyer referral service, legal aid office, or self-help center in your area.
• Check out our Legal Events & Clinics page for free legal clinics in your area.
• Use Ask A Question to chat online with a lawyer or law student.