What Is an Apostille?
An Apostille is a standardised certificate that authenticates the origin of a public document. Under the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961, it replaces consular legalization between Contracting Parties. China joined on 8 March 2023, in force from 7 November 2023.
Key Points
- The Apostille certifies the signature and seal, not the content of the document
- It is valid in all 130 Contracting Parties without further legalization
- Only documents issued in the apostilling country can receive an Apostille
- In China, both notarized civil documents and CCPIT commercial certificates qualify
- The Apostille is a single sheet attached to or bound with the original document
Legal Basis
Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents.