Hague Apostille Service

What Is an Apostille?

An Apostille is a certificate of authentication established under the 1961 Hague Convention. Documents with an Apostille can be used directly in any Hague Convention member country without additional consular legalization.

On March 8, 2023, China officially joined the Hague Convention, effective November 7, 2023 between China and the US. This means US documents for use in mainland China now only require an Apostille — consular legalization through the Chinese Embassy is no longer needed.

Document Types We Process

Certificates	Statements/Declarations	Commercial
Birth Certificate	Single Status Affidavit	Certificate of Incorporation
Death Certificate	Overseas Chinese ID Proof	Articles of Organization
Marriage Certificate	Name Change Certificate	Certificate of Good Standing
Divorce Decree	Naturalization Certificate	Bank Reference Letter
Criminal Background Check	Proof of Residence	Director/Shareholder Registry
Diploma/Degree	Power of Attorney	Board Resolution

Processing Timeline

• State Secretary of State Apostille: 1-10 business days (varies by state), expedited available
• US Department of State Apostille: approximately 4-11 weeks, mail-in only
• Federal documents (FBI background check, etc.): must go through the US Department of State

Important Notes

• An Apostille only certifies the authenticity of signatures and seals
• Whether the document is accepted depends on the receiving party's requirements for format, validity, and translation
• Some documents may need to be accompanied by a certified translation
• Chinese consulates in the US have discontinued consular legalization services