(1) This rule applies where the claimant wishes to serve court process through the —
(a) authority designated under the Hague Convention or any other relevant Civil Procedure Convention in respect of that country;
(b) consular authority of a Member State or, in the case of a Territory, the British consular authority in that country;
(c) government of that country; or
(d) judicial authorities of the country where the court process is to be served.
(2) If this rule applies, the claimant must file —
(a) a copy of the court process;
(b) an additional copy of the court process for each person to be served;
(c) a request for service of the court process by the claimant's chosen method; and
(d) any translation required by rule 7.15.
(3) When the claimant files the documents specified in paragraph (2) the court office must —
(a) seal the copy of the court process; and
(b) send the documents filed to the minister with responsibility for foreign affairs with a request that the minister arrange for the court process to be served —
(i) by the method indicated in the request for service filed under paragraph (2), or
(ii) if the request indicates alternative methods, by the most convenient method.
(4) An official certificate which —
(a) is made by —
(i) a consular authority of a Member State or a British consular authority in the country where the court process was served,
(ii) the government or judicial authorities in that country, or
(iii) any other authority designated in respect of that country under the Hague Convention or any other relevant Civil Procedure Convention;
(b) states that the court process has been served in accordance with this rule either personally or in accordance with the law of the country in which service was effected; and
(c) specifies the date on which the court process was served, is evidence of the facts stated in the certificate.
(5) A document purporting to be an official certificate under paragraph (4) is to be treated as such a certificate, unless it is proved not to be.