If the documents issued in the UK are to be used in China, they need to be legalized. You may apply in person or entrust someone else to apply for legalization at the Chinese Embassy or Chinese Consulate. Documents you need to prepare for the legalization include:

 

1). A completed Application Form of Consular Legalization; If legalising Death Certificate, please click here for the form of Legalization for Death Certificate.

Hand Written forms are no longer accepted. Please download the form, fill it with the computer and print it out.

 

2). The original and a photocopy of the Apostille issued by FCDO or a department authorised by FCDO;

 

3). Documents containing two or more pages must be tied together by silk ribbons and sealed properly by the notary office. The Embassy and Consulates will not legalize a document if it fails to meet the format standards or is found forged, counterfeited or altered;

 

4). If there is any blank page in your documents (including covers), please mark this page with letters such as "This page has no contents.";

 

5). Your valid passport and a photocopy of your passport;

 

6). If you have entrusted someone else to apply for legalization on your behalf, the entrustee must provide his or her valid passport and a photocopy of the passport, as well as a photocopy of your passport; In addition, if the entrustee is a company or an organization, the company or the organization is also required to provide a letter of authorization to the person who hands in the application at the consular office;

 

7). Business license legalization requires a photocopy of the passport of the company's legal representative and a document which proves his or her legal status as the company's legal representative.

 

Some particulars for attention:

 

1. The Chinese Embassy and Consulates are only responsible for the authenticity of the signatures of the officials of FCDO or the authorised departments. The issuing party should be responsible for the content of the documents.

 

2. Currently, the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents only applies to the Chinese Hong Kong and Macao regions. Documents issued in Britain can be used without legalizations in Hong Kong and Macao after issue of "Attached Certificate" to them.

 

3. Documents issued in British overseas territory Isle of Man, Bailiwicks of Jersey, Bailiwicks of Guernsey, and Cayman Islands may be submitted to the Chinese Embassy or Consulates for legalizations after being legalized by a local officer of a department authorised by FCDO. Documents issued in other territories such as Virgin Islands will have to be legalized at the legalization office of FCDO first before being submitted to the Chinese Embassy or one of the Chinese Consulates.

 

4. In the case that the entrustee is, unwilling to open the envelope containing the document for legalization and not being able to answer relevant questions, or not being able to provide relevant documents, the Chinese Embassy or Consulate reserves the right to decline the application and does not take responsibilities for the delay of processing the application if the required document is not provided in time.

 

5. The Chinese Embassy or Consulate only issues a ticket for collecting the documents for legalization and does not sign on any receipts after having received the application documents.

 

All rights of explanation of the above contents are reserved to the Chinese Embassy and Consulates.

 

Marital status

 

I. Chinese citizens getting married in the UK

 

The Chinese government accepts marriages of Chinese citizens living abroad registered in accordance with the law of the country of residence (as long as they are not against the Chinese marriage law). If you are going to use your marriage certificate in China, you will need to legalize the marriage certificate registered in the UK.

 

 

 

II. British citizens going to get married in China

 

(a) A completed Application Form of Notarization/Legalization

 

(b) The original copy, and a photocopy, of the Single Status Certificate issued within recent three months time and legalized by FCDO;

 

(c) Your passport and a photocopy of your passport.

 

(d) If applicable, a Divorce Certificate, or a Death Certificate of the applicant's previous spouse and a photocopy will be needed.

 

 

 

All rights of explanation of the above contents are reserved to the Chinese Embassy and Consulates.

 

Adoption

The Chinese government entrusts the Chinese Adoption Centre to undertake the work of service for overseas adoption. Given that the Department for Education of British government is the entrusted department by the British government for overseas adoption service, all documents regarding adoption must be submitted to this Department for legalization. Applications made by individual persons or solicitors are not acceptable.

 

 

 

The documents needed for submission:

 

1. The official letter issued by the Department for Education of British government;

 

2. An Application Form of Notarization/Legalization completed by the Department for Education;  

 

3. The original copy, and a photocopy, of the relevant adoption documents verified by Department for Education and then legalized by FCDO.

 

 

 

Please note that notary certificates, to be used in China, regarding a person's marital status, health, property, income and non-criminal record, for the purpose of adoption in China, need to be obtained at FCDO, the Chinese Embassy or Consulate within six months from the date of legalization to the date of adoption (excluding the time used for the processing by the Chinese Adoption Centre) after notarisation.