Starting from November 7, 2023, China accepts Apostille. For overseas teachers who plan to teach in China, this means no more tedious document authentication process.
Bringing documents to teach in China used to require multiple steps: notarization, foreign ministry certification, and embassy approval. But with China now accepting Apostille, the process has become simpler. If both your home country and the country you’re going to are on board with Apostille, you can use your apostilled documents in any Apostille-recognized nation. If you’re still scratching your head about what Apostille is, no worries – we’ll guide you through everything about Apostille for Teaching in China.
What is the Hague Convention?
The Hague Convention is officially known as the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents. In short, the Hague Convention is like a special agreement between many countries to make documents easier to use abroad. If you’re a foreign teacher planning to work in China, you won’t have to go through complex and time-consuming processes to prove your documents are real and legal.
In a word, the Hague Convention makes document use easier worldwide. It cuts down the extra paperwork and introduces “Apostille” (or “Hague Apostille”) – a stamp that says your document is legal.
What is an Apostille?
Apostille for Teaching in China
An Apostille is like a stamp that makes your documents recognized in other countries that have signed the agreement. Think of it as a way of verifying your documents are authentic without all the extra steps like embassy approvals.
So, instead of going through all those authentication processes, the Apostille makes your documents good to go in any country that have signed the agreement. The time it takes to apostille your document varies—about 5 to 7 working days in Hong Kong, but in other places, it could be anywhere from 3 to 15 working days.
Which Countries Accept an Apostille？
As of July 22, 2022, 125 countries use Hague Apostilles, including the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa. You can always check the latest list of countries that accept Hague Apostilles on the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) website: www.hcch.net.
What Documents Need to be Apostilled for Teaching in China?
- Bachelor’s degree: Anyone applying for a teaching job in China must hold a valid bachelor’s degree. If you have a master’s degree or above, you only need to apostille your highest degree.
- Non-criminal record: You need to do your police background check in your home country.
- Teaching certificate: To teach in China, you will require some teaching certificates. TEFL/TESOL certifications, teaching license, or a reference letter for 2+ years of classroom experience.
Apostille for Teaching in China vs. Traditional Document Authentication
If you plan to teach in China, your documents need to be notarized and authenticated. But with China joining the Hague Convention, the authentication process gets faster. Let’s compare the two approaches to see how they work.
Traditional Authentication:
- Document authenticated by a notary public.
- Sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- Take to the Chinese embassy or consulate in your home country.
Apostille Process (may slightly vary depending on region):
- Notarize your document to the local notary public.
- Certified by the secretary of state.
Apostille is a more efficient way to authenticate documents and works in any Hague Convention country. On the other hand, traditional authentication takes more time and is only valid in the country where it was issued.
How long will it take to apostille my document?
Apostille can be done as quickly as in two working days, but the timeline can vary depending on the region and specific circumstances. For example, at ESL NEST’s apostille service, we can process documents from the US in as fast as two working days.
Looking for fast and affordable Apostille services? We’re here to help. Contact us at support@eslnest.com or message us at our WeChat official account for more information and seamless assistance in preparing for your teaching journey in China.
