Updated October 2026. China joined the Hague Apostille Convention, effective November 7, 2023. US documents going to mainland China no longer need Chinese embassy or consulate legalization. They need an apostille instead, which is a single certificate attached by the US authority that oversees the document. Hong Kong and Macau already accepted apostilles before this change. Which office issues the apostille? It depends on who issued the document. State-issued documents, such