China: Accession to Apostille Convention
On the 7th of November 2023, the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (known as the Apostille Convention) came into force in China.
The Apostille Convention greatly simplifies cross-border use of public documents and provides a single certification by a Competent Authority where the documents was executed (an Apostille).
All existing contracting states of the Apostille Convention agreed to Chinas accession, apart from India.
The risk of non-compliance
It is recommended to check the format, content, time limit, translation and other specific requirements of foreign public documents with the relevant Chinese authorities in advance.
Failure to comply with the exact formality may result in public documents with an Apostille being rejected in China.