Consular Legalisation of Documents/Apostille to China

Documents issued by member countries of the Apostille Convention*, can be used in the Chinese mainland directly after being apostillised by the competent authorities.

Documents issued by non-member countries of the Apostille Convention and to be used in the Chinese mainland, shall first be notarized and legalised by the competent authorities in that country, and then be legalised by Chinese Embassies or Consulates in that country. For specific requirements and information for document legalisation, please refer to the website of the Embassy or Consulate of China.

*: Refer to the Convention of Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents

Legalisation of Documents/Apostille in China

1. Introduction to Legalisation of Documents/Apostille in China

In line with the Apostille Convention, international practice and Chinese regulation, documents issued by Chinese agencies can be used in member countries of the Apostille Convention directly after being apostillised by the Department of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China (hereafter referred to as "the Department") or authorized Foreign Affairs Offices of local governments (FAO).

Documents issued by Chinese agencies to be used in non-member countries of the Apostille Convention, in general, shall first be legalised by the Department or authorized FAOs, and then be legalised by the embassies or consulates of the countries in which the documents are to be used. The Department and its authorized FAOs are the competent authorities handling legalisation and Apostille affairs in China.

Generally, documents required for legalisation or Apostille are as follows: birth, death, marriage, no criminal record, kinship, academic qualification, professional qualification, declaration, entrustment paper, power of attorney, contract, articles of association, certification of inspection and quarantine of animals or plants, certificate of origin, invoice, and other notarial certificates, certifications or notes for civil or business purposes, etc. These documents are issued by Chinese notary public offices, entry-exit inspection and quarantine bureaus, and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT).

2. Instructions for Applying Documents Legalisation/Apostille from the Department of Consular Affairs

(1) When applying for legalisation of documents/Apostille for business purposes, the original notarial certificate (or CCPIT certificates or commercial bills), one original authorization letter issued by the enterprise concerned, one copy of the valid passport of the authorized person, and other materials required by the concerned embassy must be submitted. The enterprise shall authorize its own personnel to file the application for legalisation/Apostille.

(2) Documents needed to be legalised by the Department and the foreign embassies in Beijing, some FAOs or other authorized agencies can help applicants transfer the above-said material to the Department.

For documents needed to be legalised in foreign consulates in cities other than Beijing, provincial and some municipal FAOs in the consular region of the consulates are authorized by the Department to legalise the documents.

Name List

1. Local Foreign Affairs Offices Authorized by MFA (which can directly legalise documents)

2. Local Foreign Affairs Offices Authorized by MFA (which can help applicants transfer the documents to the Department for legalisation)

3. Local Foreign Affairs Offices Authorized by MFA (which can directly issue Apostille)

4-1. Local Foreign Affairs Offices Authorized by MFA (which can help applicants transfer the documents to the Department for Apostille)

4-2. Local Foreign Affairs Offices Authorized by MFA (which can help applicants transfer the documents to provincial FAOs for Apostille)

3. Processing Time and Fees for Legalisation Apostillisation

(1) Processing time and fees for legalisation /Apostillisation of documents by the Department

(2) Processing time and fees for legalisation of documents by the Department and the foreign embassies

Note: The Department legalisaton fees (marked with *) are different for foreign applicants of different nationalities on the reciprocal basis.

(3) REMARKS

(i) The express fee is collected only when the applicant requests the express service. Besides, some foreign embassies also provide extra charged express services of their own, requests should be made upon submitting applications.

(ii) The Department provides mail-back service. For mail-back applications, together with other required materials, applicants should fill out EMS envelopes at the counters and submit them to the staff.

(iii) All the fees stated above need to be paid while submitting applications. Pick-up forms and invoices will be given to the applicants after the payment. Applicants should keep these two documents carefully — forms are the proofs for picking up documents, and invoices are essential for refunding the overpayment and supplementing the deficiency due to the frequent changes of the fee charged by the embassies.

(4) Office Hours, Contact Phone Number, Address and E-mail of the Department of Consular Affairs

Office Hours: 8:30-11:00 AM, Monday to Friday (except for Chinese Public Holidays).

Telephone for inquiry: 010-65889761

Location: 11th floor, Block B, Fenglian Plaza, No.18 Chao Yang Men Nan Da Jie, Chao Yang District, Beijing.

E-mail address: lss8@mfa.gov.cn