China introduced electronic Apostilles on 18 June 2025 as part of the Hague Conference’s electronic Apostille Programme, commonly known as the e-APP. The new system enables certain Chinese public documents to be issued with a digitally signed Apostille that can be transmitted and verified electronically.
However, the Chinese e-Apostille system is currently limited in scope. At present, a fully electronic Apostille is available only for electronic Certificates of Origin issued by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, or CCPIT. Other Chinese documents—including birth certificates, marriage records, police certificates, educational qualifications, declarations and powers of attorney—generally continue to require an original paper document or a Chinese foreign-related notarial certificate.
Applicants must therefore determine whether their document qualifies for an e-Apostille or must follow the conventional paper Apostille procedure.
What Is a Chinese e-Apostille?
An Apostille is a certificate issued by a designated government authority to authenticate the origin of a public document for use in another country that participates in the Hague Apostille Convention.
An Apostille confirms matters such as:
- the authenticity of the signature appearing on the document;
- the official capacity of the person who signed it; and
- the identity of the seal or stamp appearing on the document.
It does not certify that every statement contained in the underlying document is factually correct, nor does it guarantee that a foreign organisation will accept the document for a particular transaction.
China’s accession to the Hague Apostille Convention took effect for mainland China on 7 November 2023. Consequently, eligible documents issued in mainland China and intended for use in another Convention country can usually be apostilled instead of undergoing the longer process of diplomatic or consular legalisation.
China commenced issuing e-Apostilles on 18 June 2025. The Hague Conference’s official notification confirms that this initial service applies to Certificates of Origin issued by the CCPIT. China intends to expand the categories of eligible documents progressively as more official documents become digitised.
Which Documents Are Currently Eligible?
The principal document presently eligible for a Chinese e-Apostille is an electronic Certificate of Origin issued by the CCPIT.
A Certificate of Origin is a commercial document identifying the country in which exported goods were produced, manufactured or substantially transformed. It may be required by customs authorities, importers, banks or other organisations involved in an international transaction.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressly states that electronic Certificates of Origin issued by the CCPIT may be submitted directly for an e-Apostille. Other foreign-related notarial certificates and supporting documents still have to be presented in their original paper form. An ordinary scan of a paper document is not sufficient to make it eligible for electronic processing.
This means that individuals seeking to authenticate personal or educational documents will generally require a conventional paper Apostille rather than an e-Apostille.
Step 1: Check the Destination Country
Before applying, confirm that the country in which the document will be used is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention and that the Convention operates between China and that country.
If the receiving country is not covered by the Convention, an Apostille is not appropriate. The document may instead require consular legalisation by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, followed by authentication by the destination country’s embassy or consulate in China.
The foreign recipient should also be asked whether it accepts an e-Apostille and whether it requires a translation, a particular document format or a recently issued certificate.
Step 2: Obtain or Locate the Electronic Certificate of Origin
The applicant must have an electronic Certificate of Origin issued through a CCPIT system. If a Certificate of Origin has not yet been obtained, the business should apply through the relevant CCPIT platform or an authorised local CCPIT office.
An applicant obtaining a new electronic Certificate of Origin may be able to request the e-Apostille at the same time. This provides a one-stop process in which the certificate and its e-Apostille can be generated without visiting an office or submitting a paper original.
Businesses that already possess an eligible CCPIT Certificate of Origin can also apply for an e-Apostille through the Mao Cu Xing Commercial Certification Platform. The platform is available through the CCPIT commercial certification service.
The platform has been upgraded to retrieve CCPIT Certificates of Origin originally issued through several different systems, including the online Certificate of Origin system and China’s Single Window system.
Step 3: Sign In and Select the e-Apostille Service
Create an account or sign in to the CCPIT commercial certification platform. Select the service labelled Electronic Apostille.
The applicant will ordinarily need to select the country in which the document will be used. This is important because the system must determine whether the destination is covered by the Apostille Convention and whether the electronic document is suitable for that jurisdiction.
If the electronic Certificate of Origin has already been issued, select the option to use an existing Certificate of Origin.
Step 4: Enter the Certificate Information
Enter the information requested by the platform. This may include:
- the Certificate of Origin number;
- the commercial invoice number;
- the exporter’s details;
- the importing country;
- the country in which the certificate will be presented;
- contact information; and
- information identifying the relevant shipment.
The details should match the electronic Certificate of Origin and the underlying commercial records. Even a minor discrepancy in a company name, certificate number or invoice number may delay processing.
After the identifying information has been entered, use the platform’s retrieval function to obtain the existing electronic Certificate of Origin. The system should automatically retrieve the relevant certificate file rather than requiring the applicant to upload a scan.
Step 5: Review and Submit the Application
Check the retrieved certificate and application information carefully before submission. In particular, verify:
- the legal name of the exporting business;
- the description of the goods;
- the certificate and invoice numbers;
- the destination country;
- the identity of the issuing CCPIT authority; and
- the applicant’s contact details.
Submit the application and pay any fees displayed by the system. Applicable charges may depend on the issuing office, document and services selected. Applicants should rely upon the official amount shown by the platform at the time of application rather than an unofficial fee schedule.
Keep the application number, payment confirmation and any electronic receipt.
Step 6: Download the Completed e-Apostille
After the CCPIT certificate and application have been checked, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues the e-Apostille in its capacity as China’s competent authority.
The resulting electronic document should combine the electronic public document and the e-Apostille in a digitally protected format. Applicants should download the completed file and preserve it in its original electronic form.
The digital file should not be converted, edited, separated, printed and rescanned, or otherwise altered. Doing so may interfere with its electronic signature or prevent the recipient from verifying it correctly.
Step 7: Verify the e-Apostille
All Apostilles issued in mainland China, including electronic Apostilles, can be checked through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Legalisation and Apostille Verification System.
The system provides several verification methods, including:
- manual entry of the relevant Apostille details;
- scanning the QR code appearing on the Apostille; and
- uploading the e-Apostille file.
The applicant should verify the document before sending it overseas. The foreign recipient should also be given the verification link and encouraged to check the Apostille directly against China’s electronic register.
What About Personal and Educational Documents?
A person cannot currently obtain a Chinese e-Apostille simply by scanning a birth certificate, marriage certificate, university degree or police clearance certificate.
Educational documents such as degrees, graduation certificates and transcripts generally must first be notarised by a Chinese notary office. Personal records may likewise need to be incorporated into a foreign-related notarial certificate. The paper original is then submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or an authorised provincial or municipal Foreign Affairs Office.
Individuals applying directly to the Ministry may book an appointment through the Consular Service Centre mini-program on Alipay. Personal civil documents can also be submitted and returned by post within mainland China through the same mini-program.
The Ministry’s published Apostille charges are RMB 50 for each civil document and RMB 100 for each commercial document. Express processing, where available, attracts an additional RMB 50 per document. Other charges, including notarisation, translation, courier and agency fees, may also apply. Current requirements are available from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Apostille guidance.
Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao
Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao have separate Apostille authorities and application procedures. A document issued in Hong Kong is ordinarily apostilled by the Registrar of the Hong Kong High Court, while a document issued in Macao follows the Macao procedure. The mainland Chinese process described in this article should not be used for documents originating in either Special Administrative Region.
Final Considerations
China now has a genuine e-Apostille system, but its application remains narrow. Businesses can apply electronically for an e-Apostille covering a CCPIT electronic Certificate of Origin, while most personal, educational and other commercial documents still require original paper documentation.
Before applying, confirm the document’s place of issue, destination country, intended use and eligibility for electronic processing. Applicants should also check the receiving organisation’s requirements because an Apostille authenticates the document’s official origin but does not compel an institution to accept its content or format.
Leave a Reply