I. Definition, Purpose, and Principle of Consular Legalization

Consular legalization refers to the activity carried out by foreign embassies and consulates in the host country to verify the authenticity of the seals and signatures on notarized documents,   certificates and other relevant documents issued by the authorities in the host country, upon the request of natural persons, legal entities, and other organizations, for the purpose of using the documents in the foreign embassies and consulates’ home country.

Consular legalization does not serve as a means of proving the contents of notarized documents, or other certificates, nor does it assume responsibility for the authenticity and legality of the above-mentioned documents themselves. The responsibility for the content of the documents lies solely with the issuing authorities. Consular legalization itself does not create, modify, or nullify any rights or obligations associated with the documents.

The primary purpose of consular legalization is to facilitate the recognition of documents issued by one country within the jurisdiction of another country, affecting negatively the documents extraterritorial legal force regarding the authenticity of seals and signatures.

Observing the principle of conducting consular legalization, foreign embassies and consulates are expected to adhere to the laws of both home country and host country, maintaining objectivity and accuracy while ensuring that the national interests of both countries are safeguarded.

 

II. Authority and Procedure of Consular Legalization

(I) Authority

China’s domestic consular legalization authorities include the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and authorized foreign affairs office of local government. 

China’s overseas consular legalization authorities consist of Chinese embassies and consulates abroad, along with other overseas institutions commissioned by the Ministry. 

(II) Procedure

Documents issued by the authorities in the host country should firstly be notarized and authenticated by the relevant authorities in the host country, and then submitted to the Chinese embassies or consulates for consular legalization, if the documents are intended to be used in China, and consular legalization is required under Chinese law or by document-utilizing institutions in China.

Chinese embassies and consulates abroad do not provide consular legalization for documents issued by Chinese domestic authorities. The consular legalization procedure for documents issued in China and intended for use in foreign countries is as follows:

- Firstly, the documents should be notarized or certified by domestic notary authorities in China.

- Secondly, the documents should be submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or its authorized foreign affairs office of the local government for consular attestation.

- Finally, the attested documents should be sent to the embassy or consulate of the foreign country, where the documents are intended to be used, for consular legalization. 

 

III. Common Types of Documents for Legalization

(I) Civil Documents:

Copy of Pakistani citizens’ passport, marriage certificate, birth certificate, family relationship certificate, death certificate, academic degree (graduation) certificate, academic qualification certificate, and Police Character Certificate issued by the relevant Pakistani authorities or institutions.

(II) Business Documents:

Business license, company registration document, shareholder list, etc., issued by the appropriate department of the Pakistani government.

IV. Application Acceptance Area Divided by Consular Districts

According to the consular district, the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan accepts consular legalization application from Pakistani and third-country citizens residing in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit Baltistan, and other area.

The Chinese Consulate General in Karachi processes application from citizens of Sindh and Balochistan, as well as long-term residents of a third country.

The Chinese Consulate General in Lahore does not currently offer consular legalization service. For Pakistani and third-country citizens in Punjab (excluding Rawalpindi), applications are temporarily accepted by the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan.

Since May 2019, the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in Pakistan have authorized Gerry’s Visa Application Service Center to accept consular legalization application. The Applicant is advised to submit the application to the corresponding Gerry’s Center branch office in Islamabad or Karachi, according to his/her permanent residence.

 

V. Application Process

(I) Prepare the required documents that have been notarized by a notary authority in Pakistan or issued by relevant government departments (including but not limited to the Pakistan National Data Registration Authority, other departments of education, public security, supervision, and civil affairs, etc.).

(II) Submit the application to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan and its four liaison offices located in Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and Quetta for consular attestation.

When the applicant finishes the consular attestation carried out by the Pakistan authorities, he/she is advised to scan the QR code pasted on the document to ensure the scanned information is coherent with the document,  otherwise it will affect the next step of processing.

Currently, the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan accepts consular legalization application from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, foreign affairs liaison offices in Lahore and Peshawar, while the Chinese Consulate General in Karachi accepts application from the liaison offices in Karachi and Quetta. The applicant should choose the appropriate liaison office based on his/her own location.

The applicant may visit the official website of the Consular Services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan for a list of addresses and contact information about the liaison offices.

(III) Visit Gerry’s Center to submit the attested documents and other required documents for consular legalization application.

Gerry’s Center is responsible for consultation, application acceptance, fee collection, and issuance of certificates and documents, but it does not engage in the certification approval. The final decision regarding document legalization rests with the Chinese Embassy and Consulates.

Gerry’s Center Karachi office address: 9F Bahria Complex IV, Main Chaudhary Khaliq UZ Zaman Road. Gizri, Clifton, Karachi.

Working hour: 09:00-15:00 (closed on holidays)

Application inquiry helpline: 021-35155247/ 021-35155248

Website: https://www.visaforchina.cn

Email address: karachicenterforchina@gerrys.com.pk

(IV) Gerry’s Center will forward the application along with the documents to the Chinese Embassy. The Embassy generally needs four working days to issue the consular legalization certificate. Time delays due to force majeure, additional document requirement, interviews, or document review will not be included in this timeframe. If the applicant re-applies after the first application is refused, the case will be treated as a new application, and thus processing time will be recalculated from the date the new application is submitted to the Embassy. 

(V) Collect the certificate from Gerry’s Center as indicated on the pick-up form. In special circumstances, Gerry’s Center will notify the applicant by phone if pick-up time turns to be uncertain. If the applicant finds any problem with the certificate on site, he/she should talk with the Gerry’s staff at the counter immediately. 

 

VI. Documents Submission

(I) The applicant should provide the valid passport and a copy of the passport personal information page, or other original identity document, which will be returned to the applicant after identity verification. 

If an agent submits the application on behalf of the applicant, the agent must provide both the applicant and the agent’s original identity document and a copy of identity document. For major matters consular legalization, the agent must also produce a letter of authorization signed or stamped by the applicant.

If the applicant has limited civil capacity, a legal representative must apply on behalf of the applicant. The legal representative should provide both the applicant and the representative’s original identity documents with a copy and an original legal document to prove that the representative has the legal right to represent the applicant, such as a birth certificate of a minor or a court judgment, etc.. The legal representative may also delegate an agent to submit the application on his/her behalf. The agent shall then submit the applicant, the representative and the agent’s original identity documents with a copy. The original identity document will be returned to the agent after identity verification.

(II) The applicant must accurately and truthfully complete Application Form of Consular Legalization of the Embassy/Consulate of the People’s Republic of China (Appendix 1). For death certificate legalization, Application Form of Consular Legalization of the Embassy/Consulate of the People’s Republic of China (Legalization for Death Certificate) (Appendix 2) must be completed.

When filling in the application form, the applicant or the agent should sign his/her own name in “Applicant’s Signature” and “Agent’s Signature” column respectively. The signature cannot be substituted with fax or photocopy. If the applicant has limited civil capacity and has a legal representative, the representative shall sign his/her name on the application form accordingly.

(III) The applicant should submit an original and a copy of the document for consular legalization. The document should be issued by a notary authority or relevant government department in Pakistan and must be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan or its authorized offices. If the document is comprised of two or more pages, the document must be bound in a manner that prevents easy alteration or replacement.

(IV) When a business company or an organization applies for consular legalization, the original identity document of the company’s legal representative or the organization’s person in charge, and their qualification certificate must be provided. Commercial document is generally submitted by the company that legally holds the document. If the company’s legal representative or the organization’s person in charge cannot apply for the consular legalization application in person, an agent may submit the application on their behalf. In case of major and significant matters, the agent must provide a letter of authorization signed or stamped by the company’s legal representative or the organization’s person in charge, or by the company or the organization.

(V) Legalization of death certificate should be handled by the deceased’s immediate relative. The relative must provide the deceased’s identity document (if available), the relative’s own identity document, kinship certificate or a written statement by the relative about his/her relationship with the deceased. If the relative submits the application as an agent, he/she should fill in the application form, write down his/her information in the “Agent” column, and sign his/her name at the blank “Signature of agent”. If the relative entrusts another person to submit the consular legalization application as the agent, the agent should provide the agent’s identity document and a letter of authorization by the relative.

(VI) Other relevant documents as required by the Embassy must also be submitted.

 

VII. Processing Time and Fees

(I) Normal Processing:

Pick-up on the fourth working day.

For Chinese national:

Civil Documents 1900 PKR per piece;

Commercial Documents 3800 PKR per piece  

For foreigners:

Civil Documents 5800 PKR per piece;

Commercial Documents 11500 PKR per piece  

(II) Urgent Processing:

Calculated from the day of arrival at the Chinese Embassy as the first working day:  

Pick-up within 1-2 working days incurs a special express fee of 9600 PKR per piece.  

Pick-up within 3 working days incurs an urgent fee of 6500 PKR per piece.

 

VIII. Notes 

(I) All documents submitted must be truthful and legal, free of inaccuracies or falsifications content, and must not contravene the laws of China or Pakistan, nor undermine the national, collective, or social interests of either country. 

(II) Documents that are found to have any of the following issues including incomplete notarization or attestation procedures, non-compliance with required formats, inaccurate information, illegal content, untrue or unregistered seals and signatures, or discrepancies with registry records will not be accepted for consular legalization. Additionally, documents that fail to meet the prescribed standards regarding seals, signatures, binding, or validity as required by the issuing or using institutions will not be authenticated by the Embassy.

(III) For documents consisting of two or more pages, secure binding methods that prevent tampering or alterations must be used. Any modifications or reattachments are strictly prohibited. Failure to comply with binding and document integrity requirements will result in the refusal of consular legalization by the Embassy.

(IV) The Embassy will not authenticate certificates issued by Chinese embassies and consulates abroad, notarized documents from domestic notary offices in China, or certificates from other domestic authorities. Additionally, it will not accept documents related to domestic real estate disputes in China filed with Pakistani courts, documents intended for use in third countries, private loan contracts, or unmarried certificates for individuals who have not reached the legal marriage age in China and intend to register for marriage in mainland China. 

(V) According to China’s domestic laws and regulations, documents used for marriage registration in mainland China, such as unmarried certificates, police character certificate, and health certificate, etc. are valid for six months from the date of issuance. Documents exceeding this validity time will not be accepted for consular legalization by the Chinese Embassy. 

(VI) Any alteration or replacement made to a document after consular attestation by the Pakistan government or consular legalization by Chinese Embassy and Consulates is forbidden. If the applicant alters or replaces content of the document, the attestation and legalization certificate will be treated as invalid. The applicant will bear all corresponding consequences and legal responsibilities. 

(VII) If the applicant or the agent fails to collect the completed consular legalization certificate within one year, the Chinese Embassy will dispose of the document. The applicant assumes full responsibility for any consequences resulting from the destruction of the legalization certificate, the original document, and other application documents.