Exciting news: China is set to join the Hague Apostille Convention in November 2023! If you have ever had to get a document legalized for use in China, you are probably doing a happy dance right now. This will save you so much time, money, and effort in the future.

Here’s the gist: right now, if you want process an Arizona document for use in China, you have to get it notarized (depending on the document type), get it apostilled by the Arizona Secretary of State, and then get it legalized at the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles or the US State Department followed by the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC.

This process has never been fast or easy, but since Covid, it has become even more arduous. The Consulate and Embassy are closed to visitors and have strict requirements about emailing a scan, waiting for approval, mailing the document, waiting and waiting, and finally getting the legalized document at their convenience. Rush service is no longer an option. The wait can be weeks or even months long.

The US State Department has also become extremely backed up, with wait times currently around 10–14 weeks. No rush service there, either.

Needless to say, this has become very frustrating to people needing documents for use in China and their receiving parties.

The ray of sunshine is that starting on November 7, China will no longer require legalization from the Consulate or Embassy. The Arizona apostille or US apostille (depending on document type) will suffice.

We look forward to an easier China apostille process in the fall. In the meantime, we are here to facilitate your China legalization. We can’t promise that it will be fast, but we do have the experience to ensure that it gets done correctly as quickly as possible.