On March 8, 2023, China acceded to the Convention on the Abolition of the Requirements for Authentication of Foreign Public Documents (hereinafter referred to as the Convention). The Convention will enter into force in China on November 7, 2023.

The Convention is an international treaty with the widest scope of application and the largest number of contracting parties under the framework of the Hague Conference on Private International Law. It aims to simplify the procedures for the cross-border circulation of public documents. Starting from November 7, official documents sent by China to other contracting states for use only need to apply for the additional certificate (Apostille) stipulated in the Convention, and can be sent to other contracting states for use. There is no need to apply for consular services at the embassies and consulates of China and the contracting states in China. Certification. When official documents from other contracting countries are sent to mainland China for use, only the additional certificate from that country is required, and there is no need to apply for consular authentication by the embassy or consulate of the country or China in the local area.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China is the competent authority for additional certificates stipulated in the Convention and issues additional certificates for official documents issued within the country. Entrusted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the foreign affairs offices of the people's governments of relevant provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government of China, as well as the foreign affairs offices of some municipal people's governments, can issue additional certificates for official documents issued within their own administrative regions. For specific procedures and requirements for applying for additional certificates, please log on to the China Consular Service Network (http://cs.mfa.gov.cn) or the websites of relevant local foreign affairs offices.

China's additional certificate will be in the form of a sticker with a silver national emblem seal. Additional certificates issued by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant local foreign affairs offices support online verification. For details, please log in to http://consular.mfa.gov.cn/VERIFY/

People living abroad can check the official website of the Chinese embassy or consulate in their local area for relevant information.

For the list of contracting parties to the "Convention Abolition of the Requirement for Authentication of Foreign Public Documents" (as of October 23, 2023) and the list of local foreign affairs offices that issue additional certificates, please see: https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/web/wjbxw_new/ 202310/t20231023_11165858.shtml

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China

Source of information: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China

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