According to notifications from Chinese consulates and based on China’s accession to the Apostille in 2023, China no longer legalises documents for Apostille countries, and legalisation for China from these countries is not required. However, it should be noted that despite India and China being members of the Hague Apostille Convention, these countries do not recognise each other’s apostilles, and consular legalisation is required.
Notice on the termination of the consular legalisation service at Chinese Embassies:
On 8 March 2023, China acceded to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, which abolishes the requirement for legalisation of foreign public documents. From 7 November 2023, this Convention will enter into force between China and Kyrgyzstan. It is important to note that the Convention will continue to apply in the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau of China.
From 7 November, official documents issued in Apostille countries under the Convention and bearing an apostille from the competent authority may be used on the mainland territory of China without the need for consular legalisation. It should also be noted that official documents issued in China with an apostille may be used in Apostille countries without consular legalisation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China is the competent authority for issuing apostilles, and, upon authorisation by the Ministry, the Foreign Affairs Offices of local people’s governments may also affix apostilles to official documents issued within their competence.
From 7 November, the consular legalisation service at Chinese Embassies will be discontinued. Documents to be presented on the mainland territory of China must be apostilled by the competent authority of the country of origin.
According to the provisions of the Convention, the apostille serves to confirm the authenticity of the signature on an official document, the identity of the signatory, and, if necessary, to confirm the authenticity of the seal imprint on the document. We note that the presence of an apostille on a document does not guarantee its automatic acceptance by Chinese institutions. We recommend consulting with the relevant Chinese institution in advance to learn their specific requirements regarding the format, content, deadlines, and translation of foreign official documents before submitting applications for apostille certification.
In turn, China has approved a list of offices for affixing the Apostille:
List of Foreign Affairs Offices of Local People’s Governments Authorized to Affix the Apostille
Anhui Province, Chongqing Municipality, Fujian Province, Guangdong Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guizhou Province, Henan Province, Heilongjiang Province, Hubei Province, Hunan Province, Hainan Province, Jilin Province, Jiangsu Province, Jiangxi Province, Liaoning Province, Sichuan Province, Shandong Province, Shanghai Municipality, Shaanxi Province, Yunnan Province, Zhejiang Province, Gansu Province, Hebei Province, Shanxi Province, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Changchun Municipality, Harbin Municipality, Ningbo Municipality, Jinan Municipality, Qingdao Municipality, Shenzhen Municipality.
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