1. On March 8, 2023, China acceded to the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (hereinafter referred to as the Convention). On November 7, 2023, the Convention will enter into force between China and the United States. The Convention will continue to apply to the Hong Kong SAR of China and the Macao SAR of China.

2. Starting from November 7, public documents within the scope of the Convention issued by the U.S. only need to apply for a U.S. apostille before they can be sent to Chinese mainland for use. There is no need to apply for consular authentication by the U.S. and the Chinese Embassy and Consulates-General in the U.S.

3. Starting from November 7, the Chinese Embassy and Consulates-General in the US will cease consular authentication services. For documents issued by the U. S. intended to be sent to Chinese mainland, please apply for apostilles from the U.S. competent authorities (For contact information, please log on to https://www.hcch.net/en/states/authorities/details3/?aid=353 ).

4. According to the Convention, an Apostille issued by the country of origin is to certify the authenticity of the signature on a public document, the capacity in which the person signing the documents has acted and, where appropriate, the authenticity of the seal or stamp which it bears. A public document with an Apostille of U.S. may not necessarily be accepted by relevant Chinese authorities requiring the document. It is recommended that applicants check in advance with the relevant Chinese authorities about the format, content, time limit, translation and other specific requirements regarding the public document before applying for an Apostille.