Information from Spokesperson's Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China on November 7th, 2023.

China Daily: The Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents enters into force in China today. Is China fully prepared for compliance with the Convention? Could you share more information?

Wang Wenbin: On March 8, 2023, China acceded to the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents. Since then, various agencies have coordinated with each other to complete the revision of relevant domestic laws and regulations, the system development of issuing Apostille Certificates stipulated by the Convention and the establishment of the verification mechanism, etc., and is now fully prepared for compliance with the Convention. The MFA and relevant local foreign affairs offices simultaneously held ceremonies for the issuance of the first Apostille Certificates this morning, officially announcing the entry into force of the Convention in China.

From today on, official documents sent between China and other contracting countries for use require only an Apostille Certificate issued by the countries they come from. Consular authentication is no longer required.

The MFA is the government agency responsible for managing Apostille Certificates and issues them for public documents issued in Chinese mainland. Entrusted by the MFA, relevant local foreign affairs offices may issue Apostille Certificates for public documents issued within their respective administrative divisions. For more information on the procedures of issuance and verification of the certificates, please refer to the official websites of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China Consular Service, relevant local foreign affairs offices and Chinese embassies and consulates abroad.

The entry into force of the Convention in China will bring huge institutional benefits to China and other contracting parties. China looks forward to working with all parties to promote the application of the Convention in more countries and to further facilitate international travel and business cooperation.