{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/civil-procedure-rules-1998/rule-6.42",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/civil-procedure-rules-1998/rule-6.42.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1998/3132",
  "legislation_title": "The Civil Procedure Rules 1998",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/civil-procedure-rules-1998",
  "path": "rule/6.42",
  "kind": "rule",
  "number": "6.42",
  "heading": "Service through foreign governments, judicial authorities and British Consular authorities",
  "text": "(1) Where a party wishes to serve a claim form or any other document ... in any country which is a party to a Civil Procedure Convention or Treaty providing for service in that country, it may be served—\n(a) through the authority designated under the Hague Convention or any other Civil Procedure Convention or Treaty (where relevant) in respect of that country; or\n(b) if the law of that country permits—\n(i) through the judicial authorities of that country, or\n(ii) through a British Consular authority in that country (subject to any provisions of the applicable convention about the nationality of persons who may be served by such a method).\n(2) Where a party wishes to serve a claim form or any other document ... in any country with respect to which there is no Civil Procedure Convention or Treaty providing for service in that country, the claim form or other document may be served, if the law of that country so permits—\n(a) through the government of that country, where that government is willing to serve it; or\n(b) through a British Consular authority in that country.\n(3) Where a party wishes to serve the claim form or other document in—\n(a) any Commonwealth State which is not a party to the Hague Convention or is such a party but HM Government has not declared acceptance of its accession to the Convention;\n(b) the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands; or\n(c) any British overseas territory,\nthe methods of service permitted by paragraphs (1)(b) and (2) are not available and the party or the party’s agent must effect service direct, unless Practice Direction 6B provides otherwise.\n(A list of British overseas territories is reproduced in paragraph 5.2 of Practice Direction 6B.)",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Pt. 6 substituted (1.10.2008) by The Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2008 (S.I. 2008/2178), rule 1(2), Sch. 1"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in rule 6.42(1) substituted (6.4.2011) by The Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2011 (S.I. 2011/88), rules 1, 4(s)(i)(aa)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in rule 6.42(1) omitted (6.4.2011) by The Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2011 (S.I. 2011/88), rules 1, 4(s)(i)(bb)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in rule 6.42(1) inserted (6.4.2011) by The Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2011 (S.I. 2011/88), rules 1, 4(s)(i)(cc)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in rule 6.42(1) inserted (6.4.2011) by The Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2011 (S.I. 2011/88), rules 1, 4(s)(i)(dd)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in rule 6.42(2) substituted (6.4.2011) by The Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2011 (S.I. 2011/88), rules 1, 4(s)(ii)(aa)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in rule 6.42(2) omitted (6.4.2011) by The Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2011 (S.I. 2011/88), rules 1, 4(s)(ii)(bb)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words in rule 6.42(2) inserted (6.4.2011) by The Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2011 (S.I. 2011/88), rules 1, 4(s)(ii)(cc)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "Words in rule 6.42(3) substituted (6.4.2011) by The Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2011 (S.I. 2011/88), rules 1, 4(s)(iii)(aa)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "Words in rule 6.42(3) inserted (6.4.2011) by The Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2011 (S.I. 2011/88), rules 1, 4(s)(iii)(bb)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F11",
      "text": "Words in rule 6.42(3) substituted (6.4.2011) by The Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2011 (S.I. 2011/88), rules 1, 4(s)(iii)(cc)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F12",
      "text": "Word in rule 6.42(3) substituted (6.4.2011) by The Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2011 (S.I. 2011/88), rules 1, 4(s)(iii)(dd)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F13",
      "text": "Words in rule 6.42(3) substituted (6.4.2010) by The Civil Procedure (Amendment No.2) Rules 2009 (S.I. 2009/3390), rules 1(2), 5(g)(i)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F14",
      "text": "Words in rule 6.42 substituted (6.4.2010) by The Civil Procedure (Amendment No.2) Rules 2009 (S.I. 2009/3390), rules 1(2), 5(g)(ii)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1998/3132/rule/6.42",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T11:12:59.276840+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}