China Joins Apostille Convention, Facilitating the Use of Foreign Documents
ISSUING AUTHORITY:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
DATE OF ACCESSION:
March 8, 2023
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Early November, 2023
On March 8, 2023, Chinese Ambassador to the Netherlands officially deposited the instrument of accession with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the depository of the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (“Apostille Convention”). This marks China's official accession to the Apostille Convention, which will enter into force in China in early November.
The main purpose of the Apostille Convention is to simplify procedures for the use of public documents abroad and facilitate international trade and people-to-people exchange. China's accession will tremendously reduce the time and cost of cross-border circulation of documents, saving foreign individuals and businesses more than RMB 300 million every year. The time required for the completion of relevant procedures between China and other contracting states to the Apostille Convention will be slashed by about 90% on average. Acceding to the Apostille Convention will also optimize the business environment as foreign companies investing in or exporting to China will no longer need to obtain consular legalization for commercial documents. As a result, more than 70% of the commercial documents involved in China's export trade will benefit from the Apostille Convention.
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