Yes. Since 7 November 2023, when the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents took effect for China, public documents issued in another contracting state need only an apostille from that state’s competent authority. The old “double legalisation” route — foreign authentication plus legalisation by the Chinese embassy or consulate — is no longer required for use in mainland China.

How the apostille works for China

China deposited its instrument of accession on 8 March 2023, and the Convention entered into force on 7 November 2023. From that date:

  • Documents issued in China for use in another contracting state need only an apostille issued by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs or an authorised local Foreign Affairs Office — not consular legalisation by the destination country’s embassy.
  • Documents issued in another contracting state need only that state’s apostille to be used in mainland China. More than 120 states are parties, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Australia and Korea.
  • Documents from states that are not contracting parties still have to go through consular legalisation.

Hong Kong and Macau apply the Convention under their own arrangements, so a document apostilled abroad is generally accepted there as well; where the receiving authority is strict, confirm before you rely on it.

What this means in practice

The documents that come up most often are powers of attorney for property or litigation in China, no-criminal-record certificates for work permits and residence permits, marriage and birth certificates, degree certificates and company registration papers. An apostille certifies the signature and seal on the underlying document — it is neither a translation nor an approval of the content. Chinese courts, notary offices and immigration authorities normally also require a Chinese translation, usually prepared by a qualified translation company in China. The most common mistake is having the document apostilled in the wrong country: the apostille must come from the competent authority of the state where the document was issued, not from China.

A short illustration

Scenario (hypothetical): an Australian owner of a Shanghai apartment needs to sell while living abroad. Instead of posting the power of attorney to the Chinese consulate and waiting weeks for legalisation, the document is signed before an Australian notary and apostilled by the Australian competent authority, then couriered to China with a Chinese translation. The buyer’s bank and the Shanghai property registry accept it directly.

Common questions

Q: Is consular legalisation still needed for China?

A: No — for documents from contracting states, an apostille from the issuing state replaces it.

Q: Who issues apostilles in China?

A: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and authorised local Foreign Affairs Offices.

Q: Do I need a Chinese translation?

A: Yes — Chinese authorities normally require one, usually from a qualified translation company in China.

Wang Guan | Co-founder, Beijing Haolue Law Firm | +86 17813108512