We do not assist with visa, residence permit, work permit, immigration or emigration applications, in China or in any other country. This service exists for commercial and qualification documents only. If your document is for an entry-exit or immigration application, we will decline and you should approach a provider licensed for that work.
What this is for
A Chinese company going abroad
Business licence, articles, board and shareholder resolutions, certificate of good standing, power of attorney and signature specimens — for registering a subsidiary, opening a bank account, signing a distribution agreement or bidding for a tender overseas.
A foreign company coming into China
Certificate of incorporation, constitution, director and shareholder registers and directors’ resolutions — notarised and apostilled in the home country, then translated into Chinese for the registration authority, the bank and the tax bureau.
Contracts & commercial papers
Agreements, invoices, audit reports and technical or product documentation that a counterparty, bank or authority on the other side needs in certified translation.
Qualification documents
Degrees, transcripts and professional qualification certificates, for employment and academic purposes — notarised, apostilled and translated.
Before vs. now
| Before Nov 2023 | Now (Convention members) | |
|---|---|---|
| Steps | Notary → MFA / FAO → destination embassy | Notary (if needed) → single Apostille |
| Issued by | Multiple bodies incl. a foreign embassy | MFA or authorised provincial FAO |
| Typical time | Weeks | Days |
| Applies to | All destinations | 125+ member states (AU, NZ, UK, US, EU, JP…) |
For a destination that is not a Convention member, the traditional chain still applies: notarisation, MFA/FAO authentication, then that country’s embassy legalisation.
How it runs
- Tell us the destination and the purpose. The requirement is set by whoever receives the document — a registry, a bank, a tender authority, a university. We confirm the exact route before you pay anything.
- We assemble and check the set. The most common cause of rejection is not the stamp; it is a resolution signed by the wrong person, a licence copy that is out of date, or a name that does not match across documents.
- Notarisation. Booked and submitted at a public notary office (公证处) — the only body that can issue Chinese notarial certificates.
- Apostille or legalisation. Submitted to the competent Foreign Affairs Office (for Zhejiang-issued documents, the provincial FAO) or, for non-member destinations, through the authentication-then-embassy route.
- Certified translation. Where the receiving side needs it, in either direction — see certified translation.
The limits we are upfront about
Notarisation and the Apostille are government functions. A public notary issues the notarial certificate, and only the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or an authorised Foreign Affairs Office issues the Apostille. We prepare, translate, submit and collect — we cannot and do not claim to issue either. For matters of personal status (declarations, powers of attorney and similar), Chinese rules require the individual to appear at the notary in person; we will tell you when that applies.
Sources
- MFA — Apostille Convention enters into force for China on 7 Nov 2023
- Notarial Procedure Rules — matters requiring personal appearance
Last checked: July 2026.
