With China officially accepting Apostille from November 7, 2023, teaching in China has become much simpler. If you’re wondering how to apostille documents for China, don’t stress – it’s not as complicated as it might seem. In this article, we’ll walk you through the basic apostille process for the US, UK, and South Africa so you can get your documents ready hassle-free.
- Degree
- TEFL/TESOL qualification (or other relevant teaching certifications)
- Clear Criminal background check
How to Apostille American Documents?
Apostille for Teaching in China
Once you prepare all the documents that need apostilling, the next step is to go to the government department or agency to send the apostille request. In most cases, the state’s Secretary of State is responsible for putting the apostille on your documents to ensure it is valid for international use.
The United States Hague certification process:
- Notarized by the United States notary public.
- Legalized by the state Secretary of State’s office.
How to Apostille British Documents?
If you’re a UK citizen planning to teach in China, here’s how to apostille your British documents:
- Get a copy of the document notarized or certified by a solicitor.
- Send the notarized or solicitor-certified copy of the document to the FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) for apostilling.
Once you receive the apostilled document from the FCDO, it will be valid for use in China.
How to Apostille South African Documents?
For South African citizens or foreigners who need to use South African documents overseas, you can apostille the documents through the South African High Court and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO).
- Police Clearance Check: For Police Clearance Check, you don’t need to get it notarized. Submit it directly to DIRCO for Certification of Apostille.
- Degree: To authenticate your degree, provide a notarized copy to the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). Once SAQA certifies the degree, you can forward it to DIRCO for the Certification of Apostille.
- TEFL/TESOL certificates (or other relevant teaching certificates): The process is straightforward for the teaching certificates. Once your certificate is notarized, the next step is to send it for Apostille by the High Court.
The Apostille process is much simpler than the old document authentication methods, saving you both time and effort. For the three countries we covered, the basic steps to apostille documents for China include:
- Provide the required certification documents；
- Provide a scan of the first page of the applicant’s valid passport
*Note: It’s always a good idea to contact the relevant authority for the latest policy, as specific requirements may vary due to policy changes.
