Diplomas, degree certificates, graduation certificates, academic transcripts, and other educational documents issued in China may require legalization in order to be officially recognized and used abroad.

Important: Since 7 November 2023, the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention has been in force for mainland China. Chinese public documents intended for use in other member states of the Convention can generally be certified through the simplified apostille procedure, without consular legalization.

When and Why Is an Apostille Required?

An apostille is a special certificate that confirms the authenticity of a public document, the signature of the official who signed it, and, where applicable, the seal or stamp on the document.

For Chinese educational documents, apostille certification may be required in the following cases:

  • University admission abroad
  • Recognition of a Chinese diploma or degree certificate by a foreign educational institution
  • Employment abroad
  • Immigration procedures
  • Professional licensing
  • Submission of academic documents to government authorities, courts, notaries, or other official bodies
Important Distinction

It is important to distinguish between legalization of a document and recognition of a qualification.

An apostille confirms that the document has been properly issued, notarized, or certified in China. However, it does not confirm the academic value of the qualification itself and does not automatically grant the right to work in regulated professions such as medicine, law, engineering, teaching, or architecture.

In such cases, the receiving country may require a separate recognition, equivalency, licensing, or professional registration procedure.

Apostille in China

An apostille can only be issued in the country where the document was originally issued. Therefore, diplomas and other educational documents issued in China must be apostilled in China. Chinese embassies and consulates abroad do not issue apostilles for documents issued in mainland China.

In mainland China, apostilles are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China and by authorized local Foreign Affairs Offices within their respective administrative areas.

Key Practical Point: In China, an apostille is not affixed directly to the original diploma, degree certificate, graduation certificate, or academic transcript. For educational documents, the apostille is affixed to a Chinese notarial certificate issued by a notary office after verification of the document through the official education databases.

Typical Chain for Using Chinese Educational Documents Abroad

  1. Review of the original educational document
  2. Verification of the document through the official Chinese education system
  3. Preparation of a foreign-related notarial certificate by a Chinese notary office
  4. Translation into the required language
  5. Apostille certification by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or an authorized Foreign Affairs Office
  6. International delivery of the completed document

When Is an Apostille Not Required?

An apostille is not required in every case. Some private employers, especially for non-regulated positions, may accept a scan, the original diploma, a certified translation, or an online verification report without requiring apostille certification.

An apostille may also be unnecessary where the receiving country and China have a special bilateral or multilateral agreement on mutual recognition of educational qualifications or public documents. Before preparing a Chinese educational document for use abroad, it is advisable to confirm the requirements with the university, employer, immigration authority, licensing body, or other receiving institution.

Educational Documents in China

Educational documents in China are issued by schools, vocational institutions, colleges, universities, and other educational institutions authorized under Chinese law. Common educational documents include:

  • Primary and secondary school certificates
  • High school graduation certificates
  • Vocational school diplomas
  • College graduation certificates
  • University graduation certificates
  • Bachelor's degree certificates
  • Master's degree certificates
  • Doctoral degree certificates
  • Academic transcripts
  • Certificates of study, enrollment, and completion
  • Postgraduate training certificates
  • Professional qualification or training certificates
Graduation vs. Degree Certificate

For Chinese higher education, it is especially important to distinguish between a graduation certificate and a degree certificate. In many cases, both documents may be needed abroad.

  • A graduation certificate confirms completion of a study program.
  • A degree certificate confirms the academic degree awarded, such as bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree.

Examples of Chinese Educational Documents

The following examples show common types of Chinese educational documents. Click on the image or link to open the PDF.


Chinese graduation certificate example



Graduation Certificate

毕业证

View PDF
Chinese degree certificate example



Degree Certificate

学位证

View PDF
Chinese academic transcript example



Academic Transcript

成绩单

View PDF

Verification of Chinese Educational Documents

Before issuing a notarial certificate, the Chinese notary office must verify the educational document through official education verification channels.

CDGDC

The China Academic Degrees and Graduate Education Development Center is used for verification of academic degrees, including bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees.

CHSI / 学信网

The China Higher Education Student Information and Career Center is used for higher education qualifications, graduation certificates, and vocational education documents.

Note: If the diploma, degree certificate, or other educational record cannot be found in the official system, the notary will usually be unable to certify it. Problems sometimes arise because the university entered the graduate's information incorrectly or the data has not been properly uploaded to the database. In such cases, the applicant may first need to contact the university to correct or update the information.

Procedure for Apostilling Diplomas and Certificates in China


Step 1 — Preliminary Review of the Document

The original diploma, degree certificate, transcript, or other educational document is reviewed to determine whether it can be notarized and apostilled. At this stage, it is important to clarify the destination country, as different countries may have different requirements regarding the form of notarization, the language of translation, and whether single or double certification is required.


Step 2 — Verification Through the Official Education System

The notary checks the educational document through the relevant official database, such as CHSI / 学信网 or CDGDC. If the information is successfully found and confirmed, the notary may proceed with issuing the notarial certificate. If the record cannot be verified, the notary will usually refuse to issue the certificate until the issue is resolved with the university or competent education authority.


Step 3 — Issuance of the Notarial Certificate

After successful verification, the notary prepares a notarial certificate, or 公证书, confirming the authenticity of the educational document. The notarial certificate may include a notarized copy of the diploma, degree certificate, transcript, or other educational document. The notary will also prepare or attach a translation. It is important to inform the notary in advance where the document will be used, as the form of the notarial certificate may differ depending on the country.


Step 4 — Apostille by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Authorized Foreign Affairs Office

After the notarial certificate has been issued, it is submitted for apostille certification. The apostille is affixed to the notarial certificate, not to the original educational document. Once the apostille has been issued, the document can generally be used in another member state of the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention without further consular legalization.


Step 5 — International Delivery

After apostille certification, the completed document is sent abroad by a reliable courier service. In many cases, it is possible to arrange delivery directly from China to the applicant, university, employer, or legal representative abroad.

Consular Legalization of Diplomas and Certificates from China

If the destination country is not a party to the 1961 Hague Convention, a Chinese educational document may still require consular legalization. Consular legalization is a more complex multi-step procedure used for countries where apostille certification is not applicable.

No. Step
1 Preparation of a notarial certificate in China
2 Translation into the required language
3 Authentication by the competent Chinese authorities
4 Legalization by the embassy or consulate of the destination country
5 International delivery of the completed document

This procedure is usually more time-consuming than apostille certification. Requirements may vary significantly depending on the destination country.

Translation of Educational Documents

When using a Chinese educational document abroad, an official translation is often required. Depending on the jurisdiction, the translation may need to be:

  • Included in a Chinese notarial certificate
  • Certified by a licensed translation company
  • Notarized
  • Sworn by a court-appointed translator
  • Certified by an officially recognized translator in the receiving country
  • Attached to the apostilled document
Names, academic titles, university names, majors, course names, and thesis titles should be checked carefully before submission. Translation errors in educational documents can cause problems during university admission, immigration, or professional recognition procedures.

Recognition of Chinese Diplomas Abroad

Apostille certification or consular legalization confirms the formal authenticity of the document, but it does not automatically mean that the Chinese diploma will be recognized as equivalent to a local diploma in the destination country. Recognition of education is usually handled by the competent authority, university, professional licensing body, or credential evaluation agency in the receiving country.

Depending on the country and the purpose of use, the applicant may need:

  • Apostilled or legalized notarial certificate
  • Diploma or graduation certificate
  • Degree certificate
  • Academic transcript
  • Official translation
  • Chinese credential verification report
  • Curriculum or syllabus
  • Proof of study duration and accreditation
  • Additional professional examination or licensing

How Can We Help?

If you are located outside China or need to prepare Chinese educational documents for use abroad, Schmidt & Schmidt can assist with the full procedure.

Schmidt & Schmidt has its own office in mainland China — 上海史密德商务咨询有限公司, located in Shanghai. This allows us to coordinate the process directly in China, communicate with local notary offices and competent authorities, and organize the preparation, apostille certification, legalization, translation, and delivery of Chinese documents for international use.

We can help with:

  • Preliminary assessment of Chinese educational documents
  • Preparation of notarized copies and foreign-related notarial certificates
  • Translation of diplomas, degree certificates, graduation certificates, and academic transcripts
  • Apostille certification in China
  • Consular legalization where apostille is not applicable
  • Preparation of powers of attorney and authorization documents
  • International delivery of completed documents
  • Consultation on the legalization route required for a specific destination country
Schmidt & Schmidt in China

Schmidt & Schmidt has extensive experience in the legalization of educational, civil, corporate, and other official documents for international use.

With our own Shanghai office and international network, we provide support at every stage of the process — from document review and notarization to apostille, translation, legalization, and courier delivery abroad.

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