Using US Documents in China
Documents issued in the United States for use in China must be authenticated in the US, not China. Both the US and China are parties to the Apostille Convention, so a US document bearing an Apostille is accepted directly in China without further Chinese consular legalization.
Key Points
- Authentication happens in the issuing country, never in China
- State documents: Apostille issued by the Secretary of State
- Federal documents: Apostille issued by the US Department of State
- A Chinese translation is usually required by Chinese agencies
- Common uses: work permit, study, marriage registration, company setup
Legal Basis
Hague Apostille Convention; both the US and China are Contracting Parties.