US Documents for Use in China: Apostille Required Since November 2023

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 as birth, marriage and death certificates, divorce decrees, court records, corporate documents and notarized documents like powers of attorney, are apostilled by the Secretary of State (or equivalent office) of the state that issued them. Federal documents, such as FBI background checks and documents signed by federal officials, are apostilled by the US Department of State in Washington, D.C.

What if I was told I need Chinese embassy legalization?

That instruction is out of date for US documents. The Chinese Embassy and consulates in the US stopped legalizing documents for Hague member countries when the change took effect. Confirm with whoever is requesting the document that an apostille is what they need, then send it to us. We'll check that the document is eligible before filing and return it to you by FedEx Priority, with shipping included. You pay after the apostille is complete.

Setting up a company in China? See our guide to apostilles for a China WFOE.

Email jared@apostillellc.com or call or WhatsApp +1-848-467-7740.

Related services: birth certificate apostilles, FBI background check apostilles and every document and state we handle.