How do I legalise my documents for China?
Legalisation is the process of proving the authenticity of documents issued in one country for use in another country. Each country has its own set of laws related to document legalisation, depending on the nature of the documents and the purpose for which they are to be used.
The Hague Convention of 1961 called for the abolition of the practice of consular legalisation of documents for the member nations. The signatory countries of this convention agreed that there was no need for legalisation. Instead, an apostille certificate issued by a designated authority in the country where the documents were issued would suffice to prove authenticity. In the case of the UK, the apostille certificate is issued by the FCO.
Since China is not a signatory country of The Hague Apostille Convention, any UK-issued document presented here for work, education or business purposes will need to be apostilled as well as legalised by the China Embassy in London. In case the documents are not issued by a British government authority, they also need to be certified and notarised by a notary public or a solicitor before their legalisation by the China Embassy in London. In the case that the documents issued in the UK are to be used in Hong Kong and Macau region, they do not need consular legalisation and an apostille certification is adequate.
If the documents, such as police criminal records, foreign passports, educational documents, birth, marriage and death certificates, are issued outside the UK, they are not eligible for legalisation by the China Embassy in London. Such documents need to be legalised by the Chinese Consulate in the country of their origin.
You need to send all applications for legalisation to the Embassy of China in London via the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre or CVASC only after the Notary or Solicitor has completed all the required attestation, ratification and verification. As per the Chinese consulate rules, only a photocopy of the apostille certificate is required to be submitted to the CVASC, along with the application form.
The legalisation request form of the China Embassy in London should be submitted in original and should be ink signed and dated by the applicant. The Consulate no longer accepts scanned copies of the application form, with an electronic signature.
The hand-filled form should specify the nature of the documents (whether Personal or Commercial) being submitted, besides providing the details of the agent. Please remember that all the relevant details in the Chinese Consulate application form are to be written in capital letters.
Legalistions.org.uk has years of experience with document legalisation at the China Embassy in London. Our experienced consultants will take care of the entire process of China Embassy legalisation on your behalf, including getting an apostille certificate and notarisation, where required. We offer a range of additional services as well to ensure that the documents being submitted are in the correct order and format, in accordance with the rules of China. Send us an email at info@legalisations.org.uk or call us at 0845 224 9482 to enquire about your document legalisation requirements.
Please see the process as below that we follow:
STEP 1
Send Us the
Original Document
STEP 2
We quality check
documents internally
STEP 3
The document is
solicitor certified and then
Apostilled 24 hours.
STEP 4
If required, we take the
document to the required
embassy for legalisation
STEP 5
Documents Returned
Back to you Domestically
or Internationally
Please use the dropdown menu’s for your document requirement. The pricing and document type will be generated after pressing the button below. Please note that to complete your order you will need to use the dropdown menus per document order. After the pricing table, you will then be taken to our order page. Following this you will be sent to our upload page to upload the documents which you can also complete later.
Service Inclusions:
- Solicitor Stamp
- FCO Submission and Collection
- Embassy Legalisations
- Precheck of documents
- Free Resubmissions
- Same Day Send Out
Start Legalisation Order
The button above will redirect you to our legalisation order form via our main RLS website. You will be able to select your service, your return address and method and make payment via it.
After making your order, we advise you contact our legalisation consultants by emailing your requirement to: applications@rapid-visas.co.uk.
Important Notes
Since China is not a member of The Hague Apostille Convention, documents required for a work or business visa in this Asian nation need to be apostilled as well as legalised by the China Embassy in London. Some important points to remember about the legalisation process are:
- The China Embassy in London requires applicants to submit only the photocopy of the apostille certification, without the need to submit the original.
- The application form for legalisation should specify whether it is for individual or commercial use, besides being ink-signed and dated by the applicant for submission to the Chinese Visa Centre in the UK.
- All relevant details, including the agent’s name should be written in capital letters.
- Scanned copies of the application form with electronic signatures are not accepted by the Embassy.
- In case the documents relate to personal matters, the document holder needs to provide a photocopy of their valid passport. In addition, the name and signature on the documents requiring legalisation should match the name on the valid passport. In cases where the name and signature do not match, a Notary Public or Solicitor needs to certify the documents, stating that the name on the documents relate to the same individual as the one whose passport’s photocopy is being submitted. An applicant can also submit a deed of change of name or a birth or a marriage certificate to support the change of name.
- In case the documents relate to commercial matters, the company’s legal representative, who should be a director listed with the UK Companies House, needs to submit a photocopy of their individual passport as proof of identity and a company document to prove their legal status as the company’s legal representative. Company documents that can be used to prove their legal status include Current Appointments Report or Certificate of Good Standing with the Director’s confirmation.
- In case the documents being submitted for legalisation with the China Embassy in London have more than one page, they should be securely bundled together with a ribbon and seal. Documents not bundled together and sealed will be rejected by the Embassy.
- Documents issued in the UK for use in Hong Kong and Macau do not require consular legislation. An apostille certificate is sufficient.
- Foreign documents, such as police criminal records, foreign passports, educational documents, birth and death certificates are not accepted by the Chinese Embassy in London for legalisation. Such documents can be legalised by the Chinese Consulate in the country of origin of these documents.
- The China Embassy accepts payment in cash or via debit card only.
Conclusion
To conclude, people applying for work or business visas for China need to get various documents legalised by the China Embassy in London. However, documents for use in Hong Kong or Macau do not need additional consular legalisation and only the apostille certification is adequate.
Legalisation of personal, educational and other documents is essential to prove their authenticity before they can be used in China. In some cases, the documents may need to be notarised before the apostille certification.
Legalisations.org.uk is an established and experienced company, offering the full range of services related to legalisation of documents at the China Embassy in London. Services offered by us include the attestation, verification and authentication of your documents by a notary public or solicitor registered with the FCO UK, getting the apostille certification from the FCO UK and submitting the documents for legalisation to the Chinese Visa Centre in London. We also offer translation services for documents, if required. All our certified translators are from the Institute of Translators and Interpreters, as well as the Institute of Linguists.
Our consultants are well-versed with the legalisation process for countries all across the world and can do what is required for getting your documents legalised from the China Embassy in London. This includes checking your documents for their eligibility, accuracy and compliance with the guidelines. We can also get documents notarised and apostilled before submitting them to the Chinese Consulate. Our service charges depend on the package chosen by you and are in addition to the consular fee.
For seamless and timely legalisation of your documents, whether personal or commercial, get in touch with us at info@legalisations.org.uk or call us at 0845 224 9482 and tell us about your requirements. You can also fill our contact form and one of our representatives will get in touch with you quickly.
The Most Common Documents We Legalise
Standard Personal Documents
- Birth, Marriage, Death Certificates
- HMRC letters
- ACPO, ACRO, Police Letters
- No Impediment Certificate
- Court Documents
Corporate Business Documents
- Incorporation Certificate
- Appointment Reports
- Mem & Arts
- Company Letters
- Companies House Certs
- Minutes & Resolutions
Educational Documents
- Degree, Masters, Diploma
- GCSE, CSE, O Level
- Professional Qualifications
- Training Certificates
- Transcripts & Reports
- School Letters
Frequently Asked Questions
Legalisations.org.uk offers a wide range of services for document legalisation by the China Embassy in London. Our expert team is well versed with the entire process and the requirements of the Chinese Consulate. This helps us to complete the document legalisation process quickly and seamlessly. Our years of experience in helping individuals as well as corporate clients with documents legalisation ensures that you do not have to personally visit the China Embassy in London.
The China Embassy in London accepts applications for the legalisation of documents through the Chinese Visa Application Centre or CVASC. The form has to be ink-signed and submitted in original, along with the photocopy of the apostille certification. Our experienced staff will thoroughly check your documents for their adherence to the Consulate’s rules before submitting them for legalisation.
As per the Chinese Consulate rules, the name on the documents to be legalised should match with the name on the applicant’s passport. In case the name does not match, you will need to provide attestation that the two names refer to the same individual. This document should be notarised by a notary public or solicitor. The applicant can also support the name change with a copy of their birth or marriage certificate or a deed of change of name.
Our experienced staff will not only take care of the notary attestation but also complete the documents apostille certification by the FCO UK on your behalf, before submitting all documents to the CVAC. Apart from these services, we also offer the services of expert translators for any documents that need to be first translated into Mandarin, the official language of China.
When you choose our document legalisation services, you do not need to visit either the FCO office in Milton Keynes or the China Embassy in London.
The document legalisation cost at the China Embassy in London includes the consulate fee, along with our service charges. The amount will depend on the formalities to be completed, the number of documents and the type of service (Standard or Express) chosen by you.
The consular charges vary for legalisation of personal and commercial documents. Apart from this, one may need to get notary attestation, ratification and verification in case of certain documents, which will involve an additional fee.
The consular fee for the standard legalisation service for commercial documents (foreign citizens) is £64 per document. For Chinese citizens, this fee is £41 for each commercial document. Similarly, the consular fee in case of personal documents is £47 per document for foreign citizens and £36 per document for Chinese citizens. The China Embassy in London charges an additional fee of £31 per document for its Express service.
You can fill in our order form, stating your requirements and the service package you would prefer, and we will get back to you with the total cost, including the consular charges and our service fees. Any additional service requirements will attract further charges, which will be communicated once you inform us about the services required.
The turnaround time for the legalisation of your documents by the China Embassy in London is 4 working days for the standard service and 3 working days for the Express service. The experienced consultants at Legalisation.org.uk will ensure that all your documents are in order and have the necessary attestations and certifications before their submission for China Embassy legalisation. We can also help you fill the request form for the China Embassy and ensure that it is in accordance with the Consulate’s rules.
The turnaround time includes one day for the apostille certification from the UK FCO. Additional time may be required if any of your documents need to be notarised or, in some cases, translated to Mandarin.
The UK citizens applying for a Chinese work visa or the Z visa, as well as those applying for a business visa need to get certain documents legalised. Whether you wish to work in Beijing, Shanghai or any other city on the Chinese mainland, the attestation of relevant documents is vital. Documents meant for use in Hong Kong and Macau do not need to be legalised. The apostille certification is adequate for these regions.
The UK-issued documents, such as the ACRO (criminal record check) or the police disclosure certificate, professional documents, medical certificates, education certificates, including university degrees and diploma qualifications, can be legalised by the China Embassy in London. Apart from these, commercial documents, such as contracts, certificates of incorporation, power of attorney and other relevant required documents may also need to be legalised by the China consulate.
Documents issued outside the UK, such as police criminal records, foreign passports, educational documents, birth and death certificates are not eligible for China Embassy legalisation in London. These documents can be legalised only by the Chinese consulate in the country of origin of these documents.
Persons seeking work or business visas for China should also enquire with their employers or business associates about any additional legalisation requirements for documents.
Legalisations.org.uk offers a wide range of services to complete the China Embassy legalisation process in a seamless and smooth manner. This includes notarisation of the documents by a UK Notary Public or solicitor, followed by the apostille certification from the UK FCO and finally submission of the documents for legalisation to the China Embassy in London.
The requirement for documents to be translated into the official language of a country for getting a work or business visa varies from country to country. For documents required to be legalised for the Chinese work and business visa, there is no need for them to be translated into Mandarin. However, one should check with the recipients of the documents in China about any need for English documents to be translated into Mandarin.
The address of the China Embassy in London is:
31 Portland Place,
London W1B 1QD
The Embassy is open from Monday to Friday, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.
The ink-signed original application form for legalisation of documents is to be submitted to the Chinese Visa Centre in London, the address for which is:
12 Old Jewry,
London EC2R 8DU
The Chinese visa centre in London can be reached via bus, the London Underground, or train. Bus routes 11.15, 21, 56 and 8 can take you to the location. The tube stations of Central, District and Northern London are the closest to the centre. If you wish to travel by train, you can take the Great Northern, Overground and Southeastern lines.
