Who Issues Apostilles in China?
China designates 31 authorities to issue Apostilles: the Foreign Affairs Offices of 25 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, plus the separate offices in Changchun, Harbin, Ningbo, Jinan, Qingdao and Shenzhen. The Beijing Foreign Affairs Office is not an issuing authority.
Key Points
- 31 designated issuing authorities in total
- 25 at provincial level, plus 6 separately designated cities
- The issuing authority is determined by where the document was notarized, not where you live
- The Beijing Foreign Affairs Office does not issue Apostilles
- CCPIT handles commercial certificates before the Apostille stage
Legal Basis
Hague Apostille Convention; Chinese designation list effective 7 November 2023.