How to Obtain Hague Apostille and Consular Legalization for a Chinese Degree

Many Chinese graduates and international students who have studied in China need to present their Chinese university degree certificates and diplomas to organisations overseas when applying for jobs, immigration or further study. In most cases, these academic documents must first be notarised in China, and then, depending on the destination country, go through either Hague apostille or embassy / consular legalization.

This guide uses the combination of degree certificate + transcript as an example to explain the typical process from notarisation to apostille / legalization. Other education-related documents (such as enrolment certificates or graduation statements) can usually follow a similar route. In practice, you should always follow the latest instructions issued by the notary office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the relevant embassy / consulate.

Step 1: Notarise your degree

In the vast majority of cases, you must first notarise the degree before you can apply for Hague apostille or consular legalization. The role of the notary office is to confirm the authenticity of the degree, its consistency with the original document and the identity of the holder.

Where can you apply for degree notarisation?

Degree notarisation is usually handled by notary offices in the city where the issuing university is located. Large cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen often have many notary offices that are experienced in foreign-related cases, while smaller cities may only have a few offices that can process international academic notarisation.

You can normally search online for the phrase “city name + notary office” to find contact details and then call to confirm whether they handle foreign-related degree notarisation. Please note that each notary office has jurisdictional limits—they usually only accept degrees issued by institutions within their own city or province. For example, a notary office in Shenzhen can generally only notarise degrees issued by universities in Shenzhen; if your degree was issued in another city, you will normally need to return to that region to notarise it.

What documents are usually required for degree notarisation?

• The original degree and / or graduation certificate and copies (take all versions if you have several);
• Your Chinese ID card or passport and copies of the information page;
• If an agent handles the case on your behalf, a power of attorney and the agent's ID;
• Some notary offices may ask for an official online verification report (for example from CHSI) as supporting evidence;
• Any other documents requested by the individual notary office.

Different notary offices have different appointment systems and processing times. It is advisable to ask in advance about available booking methods, reference timelines and whether they can also assist with subsequent apostille or consular legalization.

Step 2: Hague apostille vs. embassy / consular legalization

After notarisation, the next step depends on the rules of the country where the degree will be used. Broadly speaking, there are two main routes:

• Hague apostille (Apostille) – for countries that are members of the Hague Convention and recognise apostille in place of consular legalization;
• Embassy / consular legalization – for countries that are not party to the Convention, or where the receiving authority still insists on consular authentication.

Typical process for Hague apostille

• Prepare the notarised degree documents (including any required translations);
• Submit the notarisation to the competent foreign affairs office or Ministry of Foreign Affairs unit that has jurisdiction over the notary location;
• Provide application forms, ID documents, copies and the relevant fees as required;
• Collect the notarisation with the apostille page attached within the promised processing time and send it directly to the overseas institution.

Typical process for embassy / consular legalization

• Complete degree notarisation in China;
• Submit the notarised document to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or local foreign affairs office for authentication;
• Apply for legalization from the embassy or consulate of the destination country in China using the already authenticated notarisation;
• Once the embassy / consulate stamp has been affixed, provide the final document to the immigration authority, school or employer as required.

In general, Hague apostille is slightly faster. Consular legalization involves an additional review step at the embassy or consulate, so the processing time and uncertainty are both higher. If your timeline is tight, it is recommended to allow at least 4–6 weeks to avoid delaying a visa application or school admission.

Step 3: Frequently asked questions and practical tips

Q1: Can the same degree be used for several countries at the same time?

In principle, one degree can support multiple overseas applications, but each country has its own specific requirements for notarisation, apostille or legalization. For example, some countries accept Hague apostille, while others insist on full consular legalization.

If you plan to apply to several countries at once, you should plan carefully to decide which documents can be shared and which must be prepared separately, so as to avoid repeated notarisation or apostille / legalization work.

Q2: What if my degree certificate has different versions or contains minor errors?

Over the years, some universities have changed their formats or spelling rules, and older certificates may display information differently from current ones. If your name, date of birth or major is not entirely consistent across documents, it may raise questions during overseas review.

When you consult the notary office or the relevant authority, be sure to explain the situation in detail and prepare supplementary evidence if needed (such as transcripts, student status letters or statements from the university) so that the overall information remains consistent and credible.

Q3: Can I entrust a professional agency to handle the whole process?

In many cases, yes. With a proper power of attorney, a professional agency can help with preliminary consultation, document sorting, booking appointments, submitting applications, following up on progress and collecting the final notarised and authenticated documents. However, for certain steps (for example, on-site identity checks or signing), you may still be required to cooperate in person.

GLOBAL EDU OFFER LIMITED can review your target country, purpose and timeline, and design a degree notarisation and apostille / legalization plan that focuses on the necessary steps only, helping you reduce unnecessary procedures and communication costs.

Q4: How can I reduce repeated procedures and unnecessary costs?

It is a good idea to clarify your overall purposes and timeline at the very beginning, so that you can avoid doing the same work twice.

• Identify the countries and programmes you are likely to apply for in the next 1–3 years.
• List the degree-document requirements of each country side by side in a comparison table.
• Based on this, design a one-time combination of notarisation and authentication steps that can cover multiple uses.
• When needed, ask a professional team to pre-review your documents and design a suitable route.