Document Legalisation – China
31 January 2023
Legalising your documents for use in China can be a complex process. We at Certified Translation Services offer a guide and service to ensure your personal and business documents are valid in China.
Consular legalisation of documents in the UK and Ireland for use in China
If you are looking to use your documents issued in the UK and / or Ireland in China for personal purposes (such as study, relocation, employment as a teacher in China, etc.) or for business (company registration, export or import or tax declarations), your document must be legalised in a specific manner to be valid in China.
Some of the most common documents you might require legalisation for:
- Personal: documents for teaching English in China, academic certificates and university parchments, statements of results, birth, marriage and divorce certificates, certificate of no impediment (to marriage), powers of attorney, criminal records, etc.
- Business/commercial: company registration, commercial register certificates or extracts, certificate of good standing, company statutes, memorandum and articles of association, audit and financial statements, export declarations, bills of lading, certificates of origin, tax declarations, bank statements, etc.
Legalisation procedure of documents for China
Can I legalise my documents to renew my Chinese residency?
If you are already in China and looking to renew your Chinese residency, we can do that on your behalf acting as your agents in Ireland or United Kingdom. This is done on one application at a time and on appointment only and all we require is a copy of your passport and a completed application form. We can then apply for your residency renewal from Dublin or London on your behalf.
All documents issued in the Republic of Ireland
Certain documents must first be notarised by an Irish notary public (or solicitor) and apostilled by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland. Once the document has both a notary public stamp certifying that it is a true copy of the original (where applicable) and an Apostille stamp certifying the authenticity of the signature on the document, we can proceed to consular legalise your document with the Chinese Embassy in Dublin.
All documents issued in the United Kingdom
must first be notarised by a British notary public (or solicitor) and apostilled by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). Once the document has both a notary public stamp certifying that it is a true copy of the original and an Apostille stamp certifying the authenticity of the signature on the document, we can proceed to consular legalise your document with the Chinese Embassy in London. Crown documents such as birth and marriage certificates must be processed on the original document.
All copies
must be notary legalised and then apostilled. In exceptional circumstances, however, if you wish to submit an original of your document to Chinese authorities, it does not have to be notarised by Irish or British notary public (solicitor).
What is Apostille and is it a requirement for submission of documents to Chinese authorities?
Apostille is an authentication stamp affixed on the document in its place of origin (e.g. Ireland or UK) and it is a requirement that your document be apostilled first. It must then be consular legalised in the Chinese Embassy in Ireland or the UK and will only then be deemed valid in China.
If you have a combination of Irish and British documents, you do not need to contact separate companies. We can manage your order efficiently from our Dublin and London offices and return all the legalised documents together.
