On March 8, 2023, China acceded to the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization, which will go into effect on November 7, 2023. This change will simplify the international document approval process for use of documents in China. Here’s what our experts know so far regarding this upcoming change.
Information from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United States of America:
- Effective November 7, the Embassy and Consulates will only consider legalizing documents that were authenticated prior to November 7.
- Effective November 7, documents that have been apostilled by the appropriate U.S. jurisdiction are fully valid for use in China.
Apostille only proves the authenticity of the signature and the document. It’s not a guarantee that the relevant authority in China will accept the document, which may be rejected for sufficiency reasons even though it’s apostilled. CSC is here to help you through this evolving process. We’ll continue to work with Chinese authorities and provide you with the most up-to-date information.
While these changes are being finalized, the current turnaround times in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and the Embassy are approximately five to seven business days. Considerable delays are expected for legalization of documents in San Francisco.
For more information and insights, view our recent webinar on Apostille, Authentications, and Legalizations with CSC’s team of experts.
Visit our Apostille and Authentication services webpage for more information on how CSC can help.