Any documents from the United States must be authenticated by a Chinese Consulate in order to be used in the People’s Republic of China. This Process is called Chinese Consulate document authentication.
For Some countries, the documents to be used only need to be certified by the Secretary of state’s office. (This form of authentication is called apostille.) China is not a member of the Hague Convention. As a result, there is a legalization step involving the Chinese Consulate after certification from the Secretary of State’s office obtained.
What the Chinese Consulate Actually authenticates is the signature and stamp of the Secretary of state’s office by adding its own sticker to the document. The content of your document will not be changed.
Here is a sample of a Chinese Consulate authentication sticker.
Chinese Consulate classify documents as one of two types:
Personal documents: included but not limited to Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Power of Attorney for personal affairs, Divorce Certificate, Single Status Affidavit, and Criminal History Record (Verifying no criminal record).
Commercial documents: included but not limited to Articles of Incorporation, Certificate of Formation, Certificate of Good Standing, Bank Verification Letter, Letter of Appointment, and Cooperation Agreement.
Always double check first with the person/organization handing your affairs in China to make sure what documents they need. Neither the Chinese Consulate nor our agency can tell you exactly which documents you will need; we can only help with the document authentication process.
If you need multiple copies of the same document authenticated, you should prepare multiple copies at the very beginning.
Please fill in and sign all paperwork with a black ink pen. Signatures in blue ink may not be accepted in China.
Step 1 Have a Notary Public notarize your documents as needed. (Please let the Notary Public know that the documents are for use overseas.)
Certain documents, such as Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, and state-issued business licenses, do not require this step.
Step 2 Certified by the County Clerk
The State of New York requires this step, but many states do not. Please contact the Secretary of State’s office in your state to inquire.
Step 3 Authenticated by the Secretary of State’s office
# Please indicate that the document is for the People’s Republic of China so that the Secretary of State’s office will do a document authentication instead of an apostille.
# The Secretary of State’s office will staple a cover sheet to your document. Please do not remove the staple/rivet for any reason; removal of the staple/rivet will invalidate the authentication.
Step 4 Authenticated by Chinese Consulate
# Send your documents to Omni Visa and we will complete this step for you.
# We may only accept documents that have been authenticated by these Secretary of States’ offices: Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.
1. Chinese Consulate Document Authentication Application Form
# Please click here to download the application form
or use this link https://omnivisas.com/chinese-consulate-document-authentication-application-form/
# Please sign this form with a pen; a digital signature is not acceptable.
2. Photocopy of the applicant’s Passport
# Photocopy of U.S. passport or;
# Photocopy of Chinese passport or;
# Photocopy of passport of other countries plus proof of long-term U.S. visa (I20 or I797 is acceptable, B1/B2 is not acceptable).
# Photocopy of US driver license and US Green card are not accepted.
3. Omni Visa Order Form
# Please click here to fill out the application form online
or use this link https://omnivisas.com/omni-visa-document-authentication-order-form/
# Use this form to tell us your contact and shipping information. This form is also a cost calculator.
# After you submit the order form online, a copy will be sent to your email.
# Please check your email inbox (or sometimes your spam folder), print the email and mail it to us with other documents.
4. Original documents authenticated by the Secretary of State’s office. (Please do not remove the staple/rivet for any reason; removal of the staple/rivet will invalidate the authentication.)
5. Photocopies of documents authenticated by the Secretary of State’s office. Please include a photocopy of each page of these documents.
6. Photocopy of proof of business registration (for commercial documents only)
# For a company registered in U.S.: Articles of Incorporation, Certificate of Incorporation, Certificate of Organization, Certificate of Formation, or Articles of Organization are acceptable. (The state seal must be present on the paperwork).
Chinese Consulate may ask for additional business document for verification. If you have any other business document obtained from your State office. (such as certificate of good standing, photocopy only). Please send along with your business registration document.
# If the applicant’s name is not shown on the state-issued business documents, two additional documents may be needed (though this is not required in most cases):
a. Photocopy of the business owner’s passport (or the passport of any people whose names appear on the state-issued business documents).
b. An authorization letter from the company to verify that the applicant is authorized to file the application.