How to notarize and apostille a document in China?China documents authentication service

Have you been told that you need to obtain a notarized Chinese document? You may be requested to provide a notarial certificate issued by China Notary Public when you pursue an advanced degree or seize a job in overseas countries or immigrate and live permanently in another country.

Notary for Chinese documents

A few examples of areas where you might need to get your documents notarized include:

  1. Driver License
  2. China Work Permit
  3. Rental Contract
  4. Birth Certificate/Death Certificate
  5. Marriage Certificate/Divorce Certificate
  6. Degree/Diploma/Transcript
  7. Police Certificate/Certificate of Clearance
  8. Letter of Authorization/Power of Attorney
  9. Physical Examination Report
  10. Bank Statement/Credit Statement
  11. Company documents: Certificate of Incorporation

Notary Public Office in China

China Public Notary Office is a subordinate agency of the Ministry of Justice of the People’s Republic of China.

Public Notary Offices are in all major Chinese cities and rural counties. No matter what city you live in, there is a Public Notary Office.

Individuals residing outside China may obtain notarial certificates from the Public Notary Office with jurisdiction over the city of previous residence.

The notarial certificate issued by the Public Notary Office normally contains a watermark, seal, and red stamp, which is a collection of paper that is stamped and glued together.

Processing time for obtaining notarial certificate

Regular processing time for obtaining notarial certificate is between 5 working days excluding mailing time.

Turnaround time for expedited service of notarial certificate is 2-3 business days excluding mailing time.

Procedures for obtaining notarial certificate

  1. Submit required documents to the Public Notary Office (Gong Zheng Chu “公证处”).
  2. The Office of the Public Notary examines the documents and confirms whether the application is accepted.
  3. If the application is accepted, the Public Notary Office issues notarial certificate.

Apostille or Authentication of Notarial Certificate

Most countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc. accept the basic notarial certificate issued by the Public Notary Office, but a few countries such as Spain, Italy, France, etc. require that the notarial certificate be apostilled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China or legalized and their Embassy/Consulate in China.

China officially acceded to the Apostille Convention on 8 March 2023, and the convention took effect in China on 7 November 2023. When documents issued in China be used in other Hague treaty countries, they only need to apply for Apostille to be recognized in destination country. If the country where the document is issued is not a Hague treaty country, the consular legalization is required.

Price for Notary Public Service in China

Generally, our price starts at 900 RMB, please reach us via notary@intrz.com and we will provide the quotation within minutes.

We Accept Payment

We accept payment through the following payment methods

  • PayPal
  • PayPal-Credit Card
  • Wise
  • Bank wire transfer
  • WeChat

How does it work to get a document notarized in China?

 
If all of this sounds complicated and intimidating, don’t worry! We are here to help you to complete notarization application and guide you all the way to the finish line.
  • Send scan copy of document to be notarized and the following information as part of the email to notary@intrz.com.
1. What document do you need to notarize?
2. What is your nationality? Have you ever changed your nationality or name?
3. Which country will the notarial certificate be used for? and for what purpose (work visa, student visa, permanent residence, immigration, court requirements, residence)?
4. Which foreign language do you need it to be translated? How many copies do you need?
5. What kind of services do you need, please mark it with “√”. Processing time is not include the shipping time.
_____Solution 1:Translation and Notarization
_____Solution 2:Solution 1 + Legalized by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)
_____Solution 3:Solution 2 + Legalized by foreign Consulate in China
  • We reply with the quotation and the required supplementary supporting documents.
  • We prepare the contract for you after receiving all the required documents.
  • You sign and send back the scan copy of contract and make the deposit.
  • We start to process the documents.
  • We send the scan copy of notarial certificate to you, and you pay the remaining balance.
  • We mail notarial certificate to you.

Documents required for notary in China

Notarial Birth certificate in China

There is no official standardized birth certificate for Chinese citizens born before 1996.

The green official birth certificate was introduced country-wide in 1996 based on the Law of the Peoples Republic of China on Maternal and Infant Health Care. It is the official birth certificate accepted by the Public Security Bureau as medical evidence for household registration for a new-born baby, and the medical evidence for the granting of nationality to a new born baby.

Generally, birth certificate is issued by one of the following departments.

  • Birth certificate (出生证明书) or medical certificate of birth (出生医学证明) issued by the hospital.
  • Initial Birth Record issued by the Household Registration Department of the local Public Security Bureau.
  • Proof of birth issued by the sub-district office or the Personnel Department of Work Unit.

There are three types of birth notarization: notarial birth certificate, notarial birth certificate and notarized proof of kinship. Which type of certificate you need depends on the specific requirements of the relevant department.

1. Notarial birth certificate

Certify the authenticity of the birth certificate issued by the hospital, Household Registration Department, sub-district office or the Personnel Department of Work Unit.

Notarial birth certificate is only suitable for children born after 1996. For children born before 1996, there is no standard official birth certificate. Notarial birth certificate and notarized proof of kinship can be chosen.

Sample Notarial Birth Certificate in China

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2. Notarial certificate of birth

Unlike the notarial birth certificate, the notarial birth certificate simply describes the facts of the birth instead of the authenticity of the medical birth certificate.

Sample Notarial Certificate of Birth in China

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3. Notarized proof of kinship

Proof of kinship refers to proof of connection with another person by blood or family relationship.

Documents required for notarial birth certificate in China

  1. Scan copy of birth certificate to be notarized.
  2. Scan copy of parent’s marriage certificate as supporting document.
  3. Scan copy of child’s government-issued photo identification.
  • Foreign citizen child shall provide current valid passport.
  • Otherwise, if the child is a Chinese citizen, Chinese ID card (身份证) and household registration booklet (户口本) shall be provided as identification.
  1. Scan copy of parents’ government-issued photo identifications.
  • Foreign citizen parents shall provide both parents’ current valid passports to establish your identity, and previous passports used in China if applicable.
  • Otherwise, if the parents are Chinese citizen, both parents’ Chinese ID card (身份证) and household registration booklet (户口本) shall be provided as identification.

Notarial Marriage Certificate in China

There are two types of notarial marriage certificates: Notarial Certificate for Marriage and Notarial Marriage Certificate. Both are acceptable for U.S visa. For notarial marriage certificate to be used in countries other than the United States, please consult relevant authorities for details.

  • Notarial Certificate of Marriage: Certifies the authenticity and legality of the marriage. It indicates the couple’s names, and the date and place of marriage.
  • Notarial Marriage Certificate: Certifies the authenticity of the original marriage certificate, and the photocopy of the marriage certificate is in accordance with the original.

Sample Notarial Marriage Certificate in China

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Documents required for notarial marriage certificate in China

  1. Scan copy of marriage certificate to be notarized.
  2. Scan copy of both parties’ government-issued photo identifications.
  • Foreign citizen spouse shall provide current valid passports to establish your identity, and previous passports used in China if applicable.
  • Chinese citizen spouse shall provide Chinese ID card (身份证) and the household registration booklet (户口本) as identification.

Notarial Degree Certificate in China

Notarial Degree Certificate is demonstrating the authenticity of the degree certificate held by the applicant.

Sample Notarial Degree Certificate in China

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Documents required for notarial degree certificate in China

  1. Scan copy of degree or transcripts.
  2. Scan copy of applicant’s government-issued photo identification.
  • Foreign citizen applicant shall provide current valid passport to establish your identity, and previous passports used in China if applicable.
  • Otherwise, if the applicant is a Chinese citizen, the Chinese ID card (身份证) and the household registration booklet (户口本) shall be provided as identification.

Notarial China Police Certificate

Notarial certificate of no criminal record certifies that the applicant has not committed a criminal offence while residing in China.

Sample Notarial China Police Certificate

beijing sample1
beijing sample2
beijing sample3

Documents required for notarial police certificate in China

  1. Original China Police Certificate issued by the Public Security Bureau or Local Police Station.
  2. Scan copy of the applicant’s government-issued photo identification.
  • Foreign citizen applicant shall provide their current valid passport to establish your identity, and previous passports used in China if applicable.
  • Otherwise, if the applicant is a Chinese citizen, the Chinese ID card (身份证) and the household registration booklet (户口本) shall be provided as identification.

Notarial Providers in China

This list is provided for those who require notarial services in China.

Notary PublicAddressContact Details

Shanghai Oriental Notary Public

上海市东方公证处

  1. 静安区:

660 Fengyang Road, Jing’an District, Shanghai

上海市静安区凤阳路660号

  1. 浦东新区:

No 12, Lane 1097 Pudong Avenue, Pudong District, Shanghai

上海市浦东新区浦东大道1097弄12号

Tel: 021-62154848

Jing’an Notary Public

上海市静安公证处
  1. 江宁路总部:

Room 801-804, 418 Jiangning Road, Jing’an District, Shanghai

上海市静安区江宁路418号801-804室

  1. 胶州路接待室:

85-2 Jiaozhou Road, Jing’an District, Shanghai

上海市静安区胶州路85-2号
Tel: 021-62175415
Notary PublicAddressContact Details

Beijing Fangyuan Notary Public

北京市方圆公证处

Beijing INN Building, 5 Dongjing Hutong, Dongcheng District, Beijing

北京市东城区东水井胡同5号北京INN大厦

Tel: 010-85197666

Email: bjsfygzc@163.com

Beijing Guoxin Public Notary Office

北京市国信公证处

9th Floor, Block C, Chengjian Building, No. 18, Beitaipingzhuang, Haidian District, Beijing

北京市海淀区北太平庄18号城建大厦C座9层

Tel: 010-82255185

Email: guoxin@guozheng.com.cn

Notary PublicAddressContact Details

Shenzhen Public Notary Office

深圳公证处

17th Floor, Xingye Bank Building, 4013 Shennan Dadao, Futian District, Shenzhen city, Guangdong Province, China

广东省深圳市福田区深南大道4013号兴业银行大厦17楼

Tel: 0755-83053935

Longhua Notary Office Shenzhen Guangdong

广东省深圳市龙华公证处

20 / F, Block A, Zhonghu Times Square, 8 Donghuan 2nd Road, Longhua District

龙华区东环二路8号中执时代广场A座20层

Tel: 0755-28088513

Notary PublicAddressContact Details

Guangzhou Public Notary Office

广州公证处

  1. 城市广场办证大厅:

10~12 / F, South Tower, Yuexiu City Plaza, 437 Dongfeng Middle Road, Guangzhou

广州市东风中路437号越秀城市广场南塔10~12楼

  1. 白云办证大厅:

27 Zhengdao Road, Baiyun District, Guangzhou

白云区政通路27号

  1. 越秀办证大厅:

3rd floor, Defu Building, 212 West Huifu Road, Guangzhou

广州市惠福西路212号德福大厦三楼

  1. 天河办事处

1st Floor, Tianhe Law Bureau, no.210, Longkou East Road, Guangzhou.

广州市龙口东路210号天河司法局一楼

Tel: 020-83183060

Tel: 020-28388000

Tel: 020-83363826

Tel: 020-38734040

Guangzhou Nanfang Public Notary Office

广州市南方公证处

  1. 南方公证处:

9 / F, 10 / F, Xinde Business Building, 246 Zhongshan 4th Road, Guangzhou

广州市中山四路246号信德商务大厦9、10层

  1. 龙洞办证点:

245 Longteng Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou.

广州市天河区龙腾路245号

  1. 天河区:

16 Dongpu Dama Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou

广州市天河区东圃大马路16号

  1. 越秀区:

Second floor, Sanrong Building, No.49 Luyuan Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou

广州市越秀区麓苑路49号(三荣大厦)二楼

Tel: 020-83635851

Tel: 020-83629586

Tel: 020-83636563

Tel: 020-83331719

Why choose us?

▸ You do not need to apply in person. You just need to send all scanned documents to us. We will notarize the documents on your behalf.

▸ If you are pursuing an advanced degree or are looking for work abroad or immigrating and living permanently in another country, we can help you handle the notarization and authentication of the required relevant documents.

▸ We provide services including translation, notarization, authentication of China Ministry of Foreign Affairs and legalization of Foreign Embassy or Consulate in China to save your precious time.