Mainland China became a Contracting Party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention on 7 November 2023, so a single UK FCDO apostille is sufficient for most uses in the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
No further stamp from the Chinese Embassy or a visa centre is normally required.
We are an FCDO-registered legalisation agent and make daily trips to the UK’s only Apostille Office in Milton Keynes to lodge and collect documents on behalf of our clients.
Apostille processing times:
* Premium same-day apostille – read this first.
The fast-track service is available for only a narrow range of documents. To use it, you must provide evidence of genuine urgency, and we must lodge the request with the FCDO by 4 p.m. on the previous working day.
Practical notes
Legalisation path – summary:
- 1Prepare – have a UK solicitor or notary certify the document if it is not already an original UK public document.
- 2Apostille – obtain the FCDO apostille via standard, premium, or e-apostille route.
- 3(If required) – add a sworn Chinese translation and bind it behind the apostilled page.
- 4Use in China – no further consular attestation is required; the apostilled (and, where needed, translated) document is accepted throughout the PRC.
Popular price examples:
| Document Type | Cost per document |
|---|---|
| Educational document + solicitor + apostille | from £120 |
| Educational document + NOTARY + apostille | from £210 |
| Birth, Marriage, Death + apostille | from £87 |
| ACRO police certificate + apostille | from £87 |
| Medical report or certificate + apostille | from £87 |
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China – Consular Section
31 Portland Place, London W1B 1QD
The Embassy no longer legalises UK documents, as China now recognises apostilles.
Chinese Visa Centre (London)
12 Old Jewry, London EC2R 8DU
Handles visas only; not used for document legalisation.
