China’s Accession to the Hague Convention
China’s recent decision to sign up to the Hague Apostille Convention has removed the need for a more complicated process for validating documents.
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What is the Hague Convention and Apostilles?
Established in 1961, the Hague Convention, also referred to as the Apostille Convention is a treaty designed to simplify the process of authenticating documents when they are to be used internationally.
An Apostille is a standard certificate given to a document or a certified copy to verify its authenticity. It can be used for a range of documents required for obtaining residence and/or work permits, such as birth certificates and criminal record checks.
Having an Apostille certificate confirms the origin of a document as well as the signature and any stamps or seals.
However, not all countries are part of the Hague Convention, which means paperwork cannot be verified in the same way and must be subject to consular legislation. This is a much longer process and can often lead to long delays.
Impact of China Joining the Convention
The recent decision of China to sign up to the Hague Convention will have a significant impact on how documents can be checked for authenticity and will bring several benefits to all 126 member states.
Instead of the lengthy consular procedure, China will be able to make use of the Apostille certification to speed up the process and reduce administrative and financial burdens. It means that documents with an Apostille will be accepted by other members of the Convention – resulting in quicker interactions and shorter waiting times for individuals and businesses worldwide.
How Can IAS Help?
IAS is happy to provide help with apostille and consular legalization services for any country. Our team of translators and interpreters can also assist with the required certified translations into different languages.
Contact our Global Immigration team at globalImmigrationteam@iasuk.org for further information.