Apostille San Francisco
Taking new files today(415) 439-0289
Apostille for China · from California documents
China.
China.
Hague since Nov 2023.
No consular stamp.
Since 7 November 2023 the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in the U.S. no longer authenticate U.S. documents. A California Secretary of State apostille is now the route for mainland China, with one caveat the consulate itself states: the receiving Chinese authority decides what it accepts. We check both the copy and the destination before the fee.
At a glance
RouteHague apostille · California Secretary of State (mainland China since 7 Nov 2023)
ConsulateConsular authentication abolished for U.S. documents; Hong Kong and Macao were already Hague
DocumentsBirth, marriage, death certificates · degrees and transcripts · FBI background checks (federal route) · powers of attorney · corporate documents
TranslationThe consulate advises checking translation and other requirements with the receiving authority in China before applying; we do that check as part of the order.
Price$180 mail-in · $450 same-day · $650 for 3
Before you send anything
What the counter accepts for China.
Each line is a real rejection we screen for in the $45 Document Check.
01Certified copy from the county recorder or CDPH, not a hospital or informational copy.
02Current signing official. The Secretary of State authenticates only signatures it has on file.
03Notarized first if it is a power of attorney, affidavit or copy certification.
04Confirm the receiving authority accepts an apostille. The consulate’s notice says a U.S. document with an apostille may not necessarily be accepted by the relevant Chinese authority and that applicants should check in advance. We ask for the receiving office and confirm before anything is filed.
$6503 documents · one emergency trip · filed together
Work, study and family sets
Degrees, background checks and certificates, filed together in one trip.
Returned tracked, with status updates, to China or wherever you are. Price confirmed before any work begins.
Asked on nearly every China call.
01Does the Chinese consulate in San Francisco still authenticate U.S. documents?
No. The consulate’s notice states that from 7 November 2023, when the Apostille Convention took effect between China and the United States, the Chinese Embassy and Consulates-General in the U.S. ceased consular authentication of U.S. documents. Applicants obtain an apostille from the competent U.S. authority instead: the California Secretary of State for California documents, the U.S. Department of State for federal ones.
02Is an apostille always accepted in China?
Not automatically. The consulate’s notice says a U.S. public document with an apostille may not necessarily be accepted by the relevant Chinese authority, and that applicants should check translation and other specific requirements with that authority in advance. We confirm with your receiving office before filing.
03What about Hong Kong or Macao?
The Convention already applied to the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions before 2023 and continues to; a California apostille has been the route there for years.
04I am already in China. Can you do the whole thing without me?
Yes. Order the certified copy from the county or the state and have it shipped to our office at 416 Bryant Street, San Francisco, CA 94107, or mail us what you already hold. We check it, file it, and ship the finished apostille tracked to your address in China. International delivery is quoted per destination before we start, and we can keep you updated by WhatsApp or WeChat if you prefer.