On 8th March 2023 the People’s Republic of China acceded to the Hague Convention on the Legalisation of Documents and so as from 7th November 2023 documents that have been notarised for use in the People’s Republic will no longer require legalisation by the Chinese Consulate and will be accepted with only the apostille.
The apostille procedure is cheaper, faster and easier to use than the current system of legalisation of documents for use in China and so this change will streamline the legalisation process both for corporate and private clients as well as reduce the cost by as much as £95 per document (or £47 in the case of private clients). We do, however, expect that early on in the implementation of the change there may be some delays experienced in China itself whilst the various regulatory bodies and courts adjust to the new regulations.
At Vanner Perez Notaries we have an experienced team who are well-versed in the requirements for China and will be glad to advise you on the best way to proceed. For the time being the current system via the Chinese Consulate will continue to operate as normal, though the Consulate is expected to stop providing legalisation services from around 30th October 2023.
This development will prove a welcome one for many of our clients and we look forward to being able to help you do business or emigrate to China more easily from November onwards!