- On March 8, 2023, China acceded to the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (hereinafter referred to as the Convention). On November 7, 2023, the Convention will enter into force between China and the United States. The Convention agreement will continue to apply to the Hong Kong SAR of China and the Macao SAR of China.
- Starting from November 7, public documents within the scope of the Convention issued by the U.S. only need to process for a U.S. apostille before they can be use in China. The consular authentication by the U.S. and the Chinese Embassy and Consulates-General in the U.S is no longer required. Public documents within the scope of the Convention sent from China to the U.S. for use will no longer require consular authentication by China and the U.S. Embassy and Consulates-General in China but will instead require apostilles. For specific procedures and requirements for applying for apostilles, please refer to our website: https://chinesenotary.com/apostille-convention/
- Starting from November 7, the Chinese Embassy and Consulates-General in the US will cease consular authentication services. For documents issued by the U. S. intended to be sent to Chinese mainland, please apply for apostilles from the U.S. competent authorities.
- According to the provisions of the Convention, an apostille issued by a country is used to prove the authenticity of the signature on the public document, the identity of the signatory of the document at the time of signing, and to confirm the authenticity of the seal on the document when necessary. The completion of the U.S. apostille does not guarantee the acceptance of the public document by the relevant user in China. It is recommended to check in advance with the relevant party in China about specific requirements for format, content, time limit, translation, etc. before going through the relevant procedures. We have more than 20 years of experience on Document legalization and Apostille for the documents to be used in China.
If you have any questions please email us: [email protected] or give us a call at 1-800-959-1288.
