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China Apostille

How to obtain an Apostille Certificate for use in China.

China is a member of the Hague Convention Countries. Documents issued in the United States require an Apostille for use in China.  
Apostille is not a complicated process. You do not need an expedited service to process your documents.
We are listing the customer service telephone number for all 50 states and for the U.S. Department of State. If you have a question, please call for help.
The United State Apostille explains hereby the correct way to obtain an apostille for use in China.
There are two types of Apostille.
Apostille for documents issued in a state for use in China. These documents must be apostilled by the same secretary of the state where it was issued.
Apostille for documents issued by a "Federal Agency" for use in China. These documents must be apostilled by the U.S. Department of State.
The country of China will accept these two types of Apostille. No need to obtain any stamp or legalization from the embassy or consulate of China.
We are displaying below a chart explaining the procedure to obtain an  apostille  in both above cases. 

  • Documents Issued in the United State
  • Documents Issued by a State


Example: Affidavit, Power of Attorney, Agency Agreement, Birth, Death, Marriage, Divorce, Single Status certificates.
Must be processed in the the in the same state where the document was issued.
Apostille fee is varied by the states. from $1 to $20 per document.
Processing time is varied by the states. from 1 day to 20 days.

Documents Issued in the United State

  1. Documents Issued by a State

    1. Example: Affidavit, Power of Attorney, Agency Agreement, Birth, Death, Marriage, Divorce, Single Status certificates.

      1. Must be processed in the the in the same state where the document was issued.

      2. Apostille fee is varied by the states. from $1 to $20 per document.

        Processing time is varied by the states. from 1 day to 20 days.

        All States processing time, fees, mailing addresses are listed below.

      3. Please click on your state name for mailing information

        state Fee Time state Fee Time state Fee Time
        Alabama $5 5 days Alaska $5 2 days Arizona $3 10 days
        Arkansas $10 2 days California $20 1 day Colorado $5 7 days
        Connecticut $40 1 day Delaware $30 1 day District of Columbia $15 3 days
        Florida $10 5 days Georgia $3 2 days Hawaii $1 7 days
        Idaho $10 1 day Illinois $2 7 days Indiana $2 3 days
        Iowa $5 2 days Kansas $7.5 5 days Kentucky $5 3 days
        Louisiana $20 3 days Maine $10 3 days Maryland $5 2 days
        Massachusetts $6 20 days Michigan $1 14 days Minnesota $5 2 days
        Mississippi $5 2 days Missouri $10 2 days Montana $10 5 days
        Nebraska $10 1 day Nevada $20 1 day New Hampshire $10 2 days
        New Jersey $25 15 days New Mexico $3 1 day New York $10 4 days
        North Carolina $10 5 days North Dakota $10 3 days Ohio $5 3 days
        Oklahoma $25 1 day Oregon $10 3 days Pennsylvania $15 5 days
        Puerto Rico $3 1 day Rhode Island $5 1 day South Carolina $5 2 days
        South Dakota $25 1 day Tennessee $2 3 days Texas $15 10 days
        Utah $15 5 days Vermont $10 1 day Virgin Island $25 3 days
        Virginia $10 5 days Washington $15 7 days West Virginia $25 2 days
        Wisconsin $10 5 days Wyoming $10 1 day

  2. Documents Issued by the Fedral Gov.

    1. Example: FDA, CFG, USPTO, USDA, EPA, FBI Background Check Federal Court Judgment.

      1. Must be processed by the U.S. Department of State in Washington D.C.

      2. Please click here to order a
        Federal Apostille
        for documents issued by a federal agency.
        Processing time is approximately 35 days.
        The fee is $20 per document.

        Please click here to order an
        Expedited Federal Apostille
        for documents issued by a federal agency.
        Processing time is approximately 20 business days.
        The fee is $62 per document.

Do I need to obtain the embassy of China legalization stamp after I obtain the Apostille?

No, you do not need the embassy or consulate of China stamp. The apostille is a final certificate which is recognized in the country of China.

I have a birth certificate issued in China. How can I obtain an apostille for it?

If you want to use this birth certificate in China, then you do not need to obtain an Apostille. An Apostille issued in the United States, gets issued only for documents issued in the United States. If you want to use your apostille in a different foreign country, then you need to send your birth certificate back to China to obtain your apostille from there.

I received a federal apostille from the US Department of State for use in China. I changed my plan. I want to use it in Panama, what should I do?

Your apostille is good to be used in all Hague Participating Countries. You can simply use it in Panama.

I have a legal court document issued in the United States. . What do I need to do to use it in China?

If your document was issued from a "State Court", then you need to have it stamped by the clerk of the court, then obtain an apostille from your secretary of the same state where it was issued. If your document was issued from a federal court, then you need to have it certified from the Department of Justice in Washington D.C., then obtain an Apostille from the U.S. Department of State for use in China.

How can I obtain my criminal records from the United States for use in China?

To obtain your FBI background Check please visit www.fbi.gov and order it. Once you receive it, mail it back to the U.S. Department of State to have it apostilled to be used in China.