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:

Standard paper: ≈ 3-4 working days (plus post)
Express next-day: received by 9 am → dispatched next working day
Premium counter *: 2–3 hours once lodged (appointment needed)
e-Apostille: 24–48 hours from upload

* 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.

Email our office for a quote

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Practical notes

Translations: many PRC authorities still require a Chinese translation (often by a certified translator). Arrange it after the apostille so the translator can bind it beside—never over—the stamped page.
Acceptance scope: the mainland accepts foreign apostilles nationwide; Hong Kong and Macao retained their own apostille systems and continue to recognise UK apostilles as before.
Verification: Chinese agencies validate UK apostilles by checking the HCCH e-Register—keep a clear PDF scan ready for e-filings.
Premium counter apostilles are restricted to selected document categories and need the urgency evidence described above.

China-Apostille (Example)

UK Apostille (Example)

Legalisation path – summary:

1
Prepare – have a UK solicitor or notary certify the document if it is not already an original UK public document.
2
Apostille – 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.
4
Use 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