China Embassy Legalization

China Embassy Legalization – Washington, D.C.

We provide fast document authentication, certification, attestation, and Embassy legalization services for China.

Because China is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, your documents must first be processed through the State, the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., and then through the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C.

This three-step-process is required for documents destined for the country of China.

The very first step depends on the type of document you need authenticated. If your document requires notarization, you will need to meet with an experienced local notary near you notarize your signature on the document. It’s important to inform the notary that the document will be authenticated by the State and to follow the notarial laws in their State to avoid any delays or additional costs.

Please note: If your document is written in Chinese, please find a certified translator in your State to translate the documents to English. You must also ask the translator to have his/her signature notarized on the document. You can find a certified translator by visiting the American Translator’s Association website.  If the translator is in another State, you can sign and notarize the document in your State.

Documents issued by the State or County Clerk do not need notarization as these documents are already signed by a State or County Clerk official. These documents include: Birth Certificates, Death Certificates, Marriage Certificates, Divorce Decree (Court Documents), Articles of Incorporation, Statement of Information, etc…

You can read more on the type of documents we authenticate for China by clicking this link: China Document Legalization

As mentioned earlier in this article, legalizing documents for China is a three-step-process. We’ve put together a small illustration below to help you understand the process.

Document LegalizationStep 1: U.S. State Certification – Because China is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, your documents will receive a certification from the State and not an Apostille. Each State’s certificate differs from the other. In the United States, we have 50 different certificates. We can process documents issued from all 50 U.S. States and the U.S. Federal Government.  We have six offices strategically located in the United Sates to expedite certification process.

The processing time and fee can vary for each State. For example, we can certify documents in California, Washington, D.C., New York, Maryland, and Nevada in 1-2 business days. For all other states, Please Contact Us for a price quote and estimated time for completion.  Certifying documents for some States can take up to two weeks (Example: Michigan).

Step 2: U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. – The very next step is to certify your documents through the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. You can see an example of a certificate issued by the Department of State by clicking this link: U.S. Department of State Certificate Example

The processing time with the U.S. Department of State is currently 3-4 business days. Please Contact Us for a price quote and estimated time for completion.

Step 3: Chinese Embassy Legalization – The Embassy of China is located in Washington, D.C. In order for the Embassy to legalize your documents, they must first be certified by the State and the U.S. Department of State.  The cost depends on the type of documents you have.  Personal documents cost less than business documents.

The processing time with the Chinese Embassy is one week. Please Contact Us for a price quote and estimated time for completion.

International Apostille Services, Inc. is the leader in document authentication services. We process documents from all 50 U.S. States including documents issued by the U.S. Federal Government.

International Apostille Order Form PDF SmallClick to download our International Apostille Order Form. Our Apostille service is fast, convenient, and saves you time and money.