What is Chinese Embassy attestation and why is it necessary?
Chinese embassy legalisation, or attestation, is an additional step following notarisation and legalisation by way of Hague apostille. It is generally required by countries which have not joined the Apostille Convention; although not every country without the convention in place will ask for it, certain countries, including China, consistently require documents to be authenticated after they are apostilled.
The easiest way to think about the process is as a chain of verification. Authentication verifies the apostille certificate and the signature of the FCDO official who issued it; the apostille certificate, in turn, verifies the signature of the public official who signed the document; finally, the signature of the public official certifies the document as legal and valid. Although this may seem complicated, it makes it easier for people in the receiving country to ascertain that a foreign document is genuine.
What does document attestation involve?
Unlike the apostille, the process for attestation/authentication is not standardised and will vary depending on the country. For some, it is as simple as filling out an application form and sending the documents off by post, while others require in-person appointments and supporting documents. China falls more into the latter category, having relatively strict rules for document authentication.
In particular, the Chinese consulate requires:
- Specific binding for multi-page documents,
- ID for both the applicant and for the agent attending the appointment (if applicable),
- A printed application form bearing the wet-ink signature of applicant,
- A letter of authorisation bearing the wet-ink signature of applicant (if applying via an agent),
- Original and photocopies of the apostille certificates,
- In-person attendance of an appointment either by the applicant or by the authorised agent.
At Pardus Bloom, we work with experienced notary publics who are familiar with the consulate’s requirements and can prepare the documents to the correct standards, giving them the best possible chance of being accepted first-time and avoiding delays. We can also save you the time of attending an appointment in-person by submitting the document(s) on your behalf.
How long does Chinese Embassy attestation it take?
Under normal circumstances, the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre (CVASC), the branch of the Chinese Embassy which handles legalisation services, takes 3-4 working days to process documents, but at the time of writing, they are operating at a lower capacity and generally take one week to authenticate documents.
Any documents being submitted for attestation/authentication will need to be apostilled by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office first. At Pardus Bloom, we are able to offer an express service for document legalisation which can take the turnaround for Hague apostilles down to same or next working day.
If a document requires notarisation prior to legalisation via Hague apostilles, this can usually be done the same day it is submitted for legalisation. One common exception is in the case of original degree certificates/original educational certificates, which the notary must verify with the accredited institution – this can take extra time, so if you need to legalise/authenticate an original educational document, it’s good to keep this in mind and plan ahead accordingly. It’s difficult to estimate the time necessary to verify the authenticity of the degree as this depends on the work speed and work pace of the issuing university.
Overall, the whole process could take as little as 6 working days.
What documents can be attested/authenticated?
Any document which meets the UK FCDO legalisation office’s standards for legalisation and has received an apostille certificate should likewise be suitable for authentication, provided it is bound as per the CVASC’s instructions. Generally, this means the document must either be a U.K. public document, or, if not, a document certified by a recognised U.K. solicitor or notary public. It often facilitates the process to have such documents notarised rather than solicitor-certified, as it is easier and faster for the authorities to verify the signature of a notary public.
Examples of public documents include:
- Birth certificates,
- Marriage certificates,
- Death certificates,
- Court documents,
- Companies house documents.
Examples of documents which must be notarised before being apostilled include:
- Educational certificates,
- Copies of ID documents,
- Utility bills,
- Bank statements.
Legal documents drafted by solicitors, such as affidavits, wills, and Powers-Of-Attorney, may also be apostilled once they are signed and notarised.
A good general rule is to check your document for the signature and/or seal of a public official (such as a GRO official, notary public, registered doctor, etc.) – if it has a wet ink signature or seal then it is generally ready to be apostilled with no need for prior notarisation. If the document does not have a signature from an official, or if it is a copy, then it will require notarisation. This is because when the FCDO legalises a document, they are certifying the signature or seal of the official, not the content of the document – if no signature is present, they cannot proceed with the apostille.
Can older documents be attested/authenticated?
Although neither a Hague apostille certificate nor the notary’s seal actually expire, some embassies have policies regarding the age of the document itself. For instance, the Chinese Embassy will not authenticate notarial certificates relating to marital status, adoption or criminal records if they are dated more than 6 months in the past. Public documents, such as birth/marriage/death certificates, however, should not be subject to any time limits.
Do the documents have to be translated?
The CVASC can authenticate English-language documents, hence there is not necessarily a need to have your documents translated prior to starting the legalisation process. However, it is worth considering your intended use for the documents and whether the receiving parties will require translated or bilingual documents. If this is the case, it will likely be simplest to have the documents and apostilles translated before submitting them to the embassy.
If you have documents which need to be prepared for use in China, please feel free to get in touch. We can arrange every step of the process for you, from translation to legalisation to shipping, saving you the need to organise all of these processes separately.