How Long Does a Chinese Apostille Take
The Foreign Affairs Office stage takes 5 working days as standard, or 2 working days expedited. The preceding step must be completed first: notarisation takes 3-5 working days for civil documents, CCPIT certification about 5 working days for commercial documents. Overall, 7 to 12 working days is realistic.
Key Points
- Preceding step: notarisation or CCPIT certification, 3-5 working days
- Foreign Affairs Office: 5 working days, or 2 expedited
- Overall: 7-12 working days
- Much faster than consular legalization (15-60 days)
- Build in buffer time around shipment or enrolment deadlines
Legal Basis
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs local Foreign Affairs Office processing times.