March 27, 23

NEWS / China joins Apostille Convention

The People’s Republic of China has officially acceded to the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents, significantly simplifying the process of legalizing documents issued in the United States (and other Convention members) in China. This means that it would be sufficient to obtain an apostille from the relevant state or federal authority rather than undergo the more complicated and time-consuming chain authentication and embassy legalization process. The accession occurred on March 8, 2023, when acting on behalf of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Chinese Ambassador to the Netherlands Tan Jian submitted his country’s instrument of accession. The Convention will officially take effect on November 7, 2023. The accession will “simplify the procedures for the transnational circulation of official documents and facilitate international economic, trade and personnel exchanges,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning was quoted by China Briefing as stating. Until now, the process of legalizing a US-issued document for use in China was quite complicated, with requirements varying depending on the consular jurisdiction for the state or county in which the document was issued or notarized. Documents originating from states that fell into the embassy’s jurisdiction needed to be authenticated at both the state and federal levels before being submitted to the embassy, while those from other states only needed to be authenticated by the state authority. Once the necessary authentication had been obtained, one would need to submit the document to the respective Chinese consulate or embassy, making sure to correctly fill out the application form and provide all required additional documentation, such as ID copies and company registration paperwork. This process will still be in effect until November. A&M Logos International has had over 30 years of experience processing legalization requests for Apostille Convention members and non-members alike. We are experts in the field, and make sure your documents are accepted by foreign authorities in a world of ever-changing laws and regulations. 2023 will be a transitional year for China as it accedes to the Apostille Convention, but A&M Logos International is here to take care of the entire process from A to Z.