China Visa for UK Citizens

If you’re applying for a work, study or family visa to China, your UK documents need to be legalised before you submit them. We handle that part for you, so your application doesn’t stall over paperwork.

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China visa document legalisation made simple

Since 7 November 2023, China has followed the Hague Apostille Convention, so your UK documents now need a single FCDO apostille and nothing from the Chinese Embassy on top of it. That old embassy attestation step is gone.

We’re an FCDO-registered business with over 35 years of experience in document legalisation. Send us your documents, and we’ll get them apostilled and back to you, ready to submit with your application.

You can see our full legalisation process for China for every document type.

Types of Chinese visas for UK nationals

Not every trip to China requires a visa now, so start by checking which category applies to you.

As of 2026, UK passport holders can enter China visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism, business, family visits, or transit. The waiver runs until 31 December 2026. You can confirm the current rules on the GOV.UK China entry requirements page.

But a visa-free trip only covers short visits. For work, study, journalism, or any stay over 30 days, you still need a proper visa, and that’s where legalised UK documents come in.

Visa type	Who it’s for	Needs legalised UK documents?
L (tourist)	Short leisure trips	No
M (business)	Meetings, trade, conferences	Not usually
Z (work)	Employment in China	Yes
X1 / X2 (study)	Students on long or short courses	Yes
Q1 / Q2 (family)	Family of Chinese citizens or residents	Often
G (transit)	Passing through to a third country	No

UK citizens can also apply for 2-year, 5-year, and 10-year multiple-entry visas for tourism, business, and family visits. Long-stay visas like Z and X1 require you to convert to a residence permit within 30 days of arrival.

Once your documents are ready, you submit your visa application at a China Visa Application Service Centre in London, Manchester, or Edinburgh. We don’t book visa appointments, but we make sure your documents are legalised and correct before you get there.

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Which UK documents must be apostilled for a Chinese visa?

The documents you need depend on your visa, but a few come up again and again.

Some documents can be apostilled as they are. Others need an FCDO-registered solicitor or notary to certify them first, because the FCDO can only apostille a document that carries a recognised UK official’s signature or stamp.

Document	What we do	Common visa
Degree certificate	Certify a copy, then apostille	Work, study
University transcripts	Certify a copy, then apostille	Study, work
TEFL or TESOL certificate	Certify a copy, then apostille	Teaching roles
ACRO police certificate	Apostille the original	Work, residence
DBS certificate	Certify a copy, then apostille	Work
Birth or marriage certificate	Apostille the original	Family visas
Company documents	Certify, then apostille	Business setup

One thing to keep in mind. An apostille confirms that a signature or stamp is genuine. It does not guarantee that the Chinese office that reads your document will accept its format, wording, or translation.

Check those details with your employer, university or the relevant authority before you apply.

Many Chinese authorities also want a sworn translation into Mandarin. We can arrange that once your apostille is in place.

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Our fast-track legalisation services for China visas

We offer a few turnaround options, so you can match the speed to your deadline.

Standard service: Your apostille in 3 to 4 working days, plus return post. Good for most documents.
Express (next-day) service: Your apostille will be issued the next working day when we receive your documents by 9:30 am.
e-Apostille: A digital apostille in 24 to 48 hours, where the receiving party accepts electronic versions.
Solicitor and notary certification: Handled through our network of FCDO-registered solicitors or notaries when a document needs certifying first.
Sworn translation: A sworn Mandarin translation, bound with your apostilled document.

From document review to completed apostille

Here’s exactly what happens from the moment you contact us to the moment your documents land back on your desk.

1. Tell us what you need and get a quote

2. Confirm and pay

Happy with the quote? Confirm and pay, and we get started. No work begins before this, so there’s no risk of a surprise bill later.

3. Send us your documents

Once you’ve paid, you send your documents over via:

In person (preferred), at our London office, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm.
Quick drop-off at our reception during the same hours, no appointment needed.
Bike courier, for same-day delivery within London (you arrange the courier).
By post, if you’re outside London or can’t visit us.

4. Certification, if your document needs it

Some documents, such as degrees, transcripts, TEFL certificates, and DBS checks, need to be certified by an FCDO-registered solicitor or notary before they can be apostilled. If yours does, we arrange this through our network of FCDO-registered solicitors or notaries.

Documents like ACRO certificates, birth certificates and marriage certificates usually skip this step and go straight to the FCDO.

5. FCDO apostille

We take your document to the FCDO ourselves, so there’s no waiting on postal turnaround unless you’ve chosen our standard postal service.

6. Sworn translation, if you need one

If your visa or receiving authority in China requests a Mandarin translation, we arrange a sworn translation and bind it to your apostilled document.

7. Your documents come back to you

We return your finished documents by your chosen method, ready to submit with your China visa application.

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Why choose London Apostille Services Ltd

You’re handing over important documents, so it’s fair to ask why us.

FCDO-registered business

We’re authorised to process apostilles and listed on GOV.UK as a next-day provider.

Over 35 years of experience

We’ve legalised documents for work, study, family and business use in China and beyond.

Fast turnaround

Next-day and e-Apostille options for tight deadlines.

One place for everything

Apostille, solicitor certification, notarisation and sworn translation, all handled by us.

Refund guarantee

If a document is rejected because of a mistake in our process, you get a full refund.

Real support

Reach our office from 8 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday, with online support until 7 pm.

China visa document legalisation costs

Our fees are fixed. Each price below is a starting point and includes our service and the FCDO’s fee.

Service	From
Standard apostille (3 to 4 working days)	£87
Express next-day apostille	£97
e-Apostille	£97
ACRO certificate + apostille	£87
Birth, marriage or death certificate + apostille	£87
Degree + solicitor certification + apostille	£120
Degree + notary certification + apostille	£210
Solicitor certification	£30
Sworn translation	£50

Your final price depends on the document, whether it needs to be certified first, and how quickly you need it. The visa fee itself is separate. You pay that to the visa centre when you apply, and it depends on your visa type.

What our clients say

This is what people tell us after we’ve helped legalise their documents.

Prepare your China visa documents correctly the first time

A few mistakes keep coming up in China document legalisation, and each one can hold up your visa.

Sending a photocopy instead of the original: Documents like birth and marriage certificates need to be apostilled on the original. The FCDO will turn away a photocopy for these.
Translating before the apostille: The apostille must be affixed to the original English document first. If you translate first, the apostille won’t cover the right document.
Sending a degree or DBS straight for apostille: These need a solicitor or notary to certify a copy before the FCDO can apostille it.
Leaving it too late: Between certification, the apostille and a translation, a document can take longer than expected if any step needs redoing.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Below are a few common questions about China document legalisation for UK citizens.

How long does China's document legalisation take?

Our standard service takes three to four working days, plus return post. Our express service returns your apostille the next working day when we receive your documents by 9:30 am.

If a document needs certifying or translating first, we build that in and tell you upfront. Doing it yourself through the FCDO by post takes longer, often around 10+ working days.

Can I get an e-Apostille for my Chinese work visa?

Sometimes, but check first. An e-Apostille is valid under the Hague system and can be verified online.

China’s acceptance of e-Apostilles is still growing, and many employers and universities there still ask for a paper apostille, especially for academic documents.

Confirm with whoever is requesting your document before you choose this.

Can you legalise my documents if I am outside the UK?

Yes. We handle UK-issued documents by post while you’re abroad. Send us the originals, and we will return the finished documents to you or an address you choose.

One limit to know: a UK apostille only covers UK documents. Anything issued in another country must be legalised there.

Will Chinese authorities accept a UK apostille without embassy legalisation?

Yes. Since 7 November 2023, China has followed the Hague Apostille Convention, so a UK apostille is enough and no embassy step is needed.

How long is a UK background check (ACRO) valid for a Chinese visa?

China generally wants an ACRO certificate issued within the last 6 months. Older ones are usually rejected. The apostille doesn’t extend that window, so get your ACRO, apostille it, and submit it within the 6 months.

Do I need to send original documents or copies?

That depends on the document. Birth, marriage and ACRO certificates are apostilled on the original, so we need the originals.

Degrees, transcripts, TEFL and DBS certificates usually require a FCDO-registered solicitor or notary to certify a copy first, and the apostille is then applied to that copy.

Start your China visa document legalisation

Send us your documents for a complimentary document review. We’ll check what each one needs, flag anything likely to get rejected, and confirm the cost before you commit to anything.