Case: Preparing a Hague Apostille on a Chinese Degree for Use in Germany
This case involves a client already working in Germany. During long‑term residence and professional registration, the German side required him to provide Chinese degree documents with notarisation and a Hague Apostille. We helped him confirm what type of documents were needed, designed a practical notarisation route, and completed the Apostille within his limited timeframe.
1. Client background and purpose
Client B graduated from a key Chinese university and later moved to Germany for work. When he applied for professional registration and a long‑term residence permit, the competent authority requested that he submit a notarised degree certificate with a Hague Apostille in order to confirm the authenticity of his academic qualifications.
The original graduation and degree certificates were kept by his family in China, and he was unfamiliar with the procedure of “notarisation first, then Apostille”. He therefore hoped to engage a professional team to coordinate the whole process and avoid delays.
2. Key issues and challenges
In the preliminary consultation, we focused on clarifying a few critical questions:
- Confirming that Germany is a member of the Hague Convention and that the German authority indeed accepts Chinese degree documents with Apostille, without the need for consular/legalization at the embassy.
- Deciding which document form to use – applying an Apostille directly to the original degree certificate, or obtaining a notarial certificate of degree first and then Apostilling that notarial document.
- Coordinating the fact that the client was in Germany while the documents and family members who could assist were in China, including how to sign authorisation documents and how to send originals safely.
- Estimating a realistic processing timeline so that his German procedures would not be delayed by the document chain in China.
3. Step‑by‑step processing plan
Based on the written requirements from the German authority and the client’s personal schedule, we designed the following handling path:
Step 1: Confirm the target‑country requirements
We carefully reviewed the official instructions provided by the German authority and confirmed that they accepted a notarised Chinese degree document with a Hague Apostille, and that no additional embassy legalization was required. This helped avoid unnecessary steps.
Step 2: Decide on the type of notarisation
Considering reuse for future procedures, we recommended obtaining a notarial certificate of degree from a Chinese notary office, and then applying for a Hague Apostille on that notarial document. This form is generally more standardised and easier for overseas authorities to read and store.
Step 3: Prepare documents and remote authorisation
- Confirm that the original graduation and degree certificates held by the family in China were complete and undamaged.
- Draft an authorisation letter authorising a family member to handle the notarisation and Apostille on behalf of the client, and guide the client on signature requirements.
- Provide scanned copies of passports and Chinese ID in advance for pre‑review by the notary office, to avoid rejection at the counter.
Step 4: Issue the notarial certificate of degree
After the notary office accepted the case, we followed the progress, helped double‑check that names, dates of birth and degree information in the draft notarial certificate were accurate, and ensured that a bilingual (Chinese‑English) version was issued according to the German side’s preferences.
Step 5: Apply for the Hague Apostille
We then submitted the notarial document to the local foreign affairs office / the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ authorised body for a Hague Apostille. Depending on the region, this could be done by counter appointment or by post; we chose the method that best fit the client’s schedule.
Step 6: Final check and express delivery
Once the Apostille was issued, we checked again that the destination country, seal and signatures were correct, and then arranged international courier delivery to the client in Germany so that he could submit the documents on time.
4. Timeframe and outcome
- Degree notarisation: about 3–5 working days.
- Hague Apostille: about 4–7 working days, depending on local workload.
- The entire document chain was completed within the client’s expected timeframe, and the German authority accepted the documents smoothly.
5. Suggestions for Hague Apostille cases involving degrees
- First confirm whether the destination country is a Hague Convention member and whether it accepts Apostilled documents.
- For degrees and marital documents, it is usually more reliable to obtain a notarial certificate and then apply for Apostille, rather than Apostilling the original certificate directly.
- Make sure that names, birth dates and ID numbers are consistent across all Chinese and English documents and forms.
- If you are overseas, plan in advance how family members or entrusted agents will submit originals and collect documents, and factor in courier time.