How to Get Documents Authenticated by Foreign Embassy/Consulate in China

Both Chinese citizens and foreign nationals who have lived in China may need to get China-issued civil documents authenticated by a foreign embassy/consulate in China for purposes of applying for study, immigration and work in the country which the embassy/consulate represents. China police certificates, China degree certificates and China graduation certificates are examples of common civil documents that need authentication. The purpose of consular authentication is to enable a document to be recognized in the country which the consulate/embassy represents.

Consular authentication is also known as “Double/Triple Authentication/Legalization”. The authentication process has three steps: (1) notarization, (2) authentication by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), and (3) authentication by a foreign embassy/consulate in China. For more information about the relationship between consular authentication, MFA authentication and notarization, please click here to view our brief introduction. In this article, we will explain the procedures and requirements for getting documents authenticated by Foreign Embassy/Consulate in China.

Please note that consular authentication is not applicable when both the country where the document is issued and the country where the document is to be used are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention. For more information on the topic of Apostille, please read our blog posts How to Apply for an Apostille in China and Understanding Apostille.

STEP 1: Notarization

Where to apply?

The notary application must be filed with a local notary office in the same city where the documents are issued. And the notary office must have qualifications to handle foreign-related notarization. For example, a degree certificate issued by a university in Beijing may only be notarized by a local notary office in Beijing. There are multiple notary offices in each city. It is recommended to go to the major notary office in the city that has the most experience dealing with this kind of notarization. In Beijing and Shanghai, for example, there are dozens of notary offices, among which these two are generally considered the most experienced.

Beijing Fangyuan Notary Public Office
Address: Dongcheng Qu, Dongshuijing Hutong 5 Hao Beijing INN Dasha 3 Ceng, Beijing (Click to view Google Maps or Baidu Maps.)
Phone: +86.010.85197666
Website: https://bjfy.egongzheng.com/

Shanghai Oriental Notary Public Office
Address: Jing’an Qu Fengyang Lu 598 Hao, Shanghai (Click to view Google Maps or Baidu Maps.)
Phone: +86.0512.68083871
Website: https://www.sh-notary.org.cn/

Required Documents?

For the notarization of graduation and degree certificates, the required documents are typically the same as follows:

• Original graduation/degree certificate
• ID card copy (for Chinese students) or current passport copy (for foreign students)
• Power of attorney, if a third-party is appointed to handle the application.

For the notarization of other civil documents, please inquire with the local notary.

For the notarization of a foreigner’s China police certificate, please click here to view our guidance.

Processing Time?

Typically, it takes a notary office about 5 working days to process a notary application for a notarial degree/graduation certificate or a notarial police certificate. For the notarization of other civil documents, please inquire with local notary offices.

Sample Notarial Certificates

Sample Notarial China University Degree Certificate

Sample Notarial China Police Certificate

STEP 2: Authentication by China’s MFA

Where to apply?

Foreign affairs offices (FAO) under China’s MFA are responsible for receiving applications for authentication. A list of the FAOs is posted on China Consular Service Website (in Chinese). In addition to FAOs, China MFA also designates a few organizations in Beijing to handle authentication applications. However, not every FAO on the list is relevant to your authentication application because each FAO has a geographical jurisdiction. The jurisdiction of the FAO needs to cover the place of issuance of your notarial certificate.

Required Documents?

When applying for China MFA’s authentication of a notarial degree/graduation certificate or a notarial police certificate, you are generally required to provide only the original notarial certificate. For MFA’s authentication of other civil documents, please inquire with the particular office where the authentication application will be filed.

Processing Time?

The processing time for China MFA’s authentication is always the same: 5 working days for routine service and 3 working days for expedited service.

Sample Authentication Stamp of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs 

STEP 3: Authentication by Foreign Embassy/Consulate in China

Where to apply?

Not only each FAO but also each foreign consulate or embassy has a geographical jurisdiction. The relevant consulate or embassy should have jurisdiction over both the place where the FAO is located and the place where the notarial document was issued. Below is an illustration of the relationship of the jurisdictions.

Generally, to file a consular authentication with a foreign embassy/consulate in China, the applicant can EITHER request the China MFA in Beijing or local FAOs to submit the application OR visit the embassy/consulate in person. This means an applicant does not need to appear in person at an embassy/consulate to deal with the consular authentication. Instead, the China MFA in Beijing or local FAOs will take care of this step for an additional service fee. A few embassies/consulates require that the applicant submit an application for consular authentication in person, meaning China MFA cannot submit it on behalf of the applicant. A few other embassies/consulates have the opposite requirement that they only accept applications submitted by China MFA.

Required documents?

The documents required by different embassies/consulates can vary slightly. For details, please inquire with the relevant FAO or embassy/consulate. For the consular authentication of a notarial academic document or a notarial police certificate, the following documents are commonly required:

• The original notarial certificate with the FAO’s authentication stamp.
• Your China ID card copy (for Chinese citizens) or current passport copy (for foreign nationals)

Processing Time?

The processing time is different depending on the embassy or consulate. It can be as short as a few hours and as long as 20 working days.

Sample Authentication Stamps of Embassies/Consulates of Various Countries

1. Ethiopia
2. Malaysia
3. United Arab Emirates
4. Vietnam

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