Where to get an apostille in China: competent authority and Apostille Convention status
China is a party to the Apostille Convention, in force since 7 November 2023 (accession, objection noted). HCCH lists as competent authority, among others: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China; Foreign Affairs Offices.
- Name in the HCCH table
- China (the People's Republic of)
- Convention
- Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (HCCH Convention No. 12)
- Status
- Contracting Party in the HCCH status table
- Type
- Accession, objection noted (A**)
- Ratification, accession or succession, as printed
- 8-III-2023
- Entry into force (EIF), as printed
- 7-XI-2023 (7 November 2023)
- Objections
- The HCCH status table marks this accession as "Objection" (A**). HCCH notification page with the details
- Competent authority (Art. 6), extract from the HCCH page
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China; Foreign Affairs Offices
- HCCH competent authority page
- China (Macao SAR) - Competent Authority (Art. 6) (page last updated 16 March 2023); China (Hong Kong SAR) - Competent Authorities (Art. 6) (page last updated 16 March 2023); China (Mainland) - Competent Authorities (Art. 6) (page last updated 04 December 2023)
- Region (UN M49)
- Asia, Eastern Asia
- Sources
- HCCH status table, Convention 12, retrieved 5 November 2026; HCCH competent authorities of China, retrieved 5 November 2026; UN M49 regions
What this page does not say
Which authority handles your document can depend on the type of document and, in some countries, on the place. Open the HCCH page linked above and check there. We do not say which authority you need, and this is not legal advice.
HCCH marks the accession of this country with an objection. Read the HCCH notification page linked above before relying on the entry into force date.
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