Apostille for China · Apostille guide

How to determine whether a U.S. document is a state document or a federal document before apostille is issued?

The processing authority is determined by the document issuing entity, not by the applicant's state of residence, shipping address or final use location.

Judgment entry: who issued the document

View the document header, signer's position, seal and issuing agency. Documents issued by the state health department, county clerk, state courts, or the state notary public system generally fall under the state route; documents issued by the FBI, U.S. federal agencies, or U.S. consular officials generally fall under the federal route.

Common state documents

• Birth, marriage, and death records issued by the state or local vital records department;
• Divorce decrees or other court copies issued by state courts;
• Certificates of incorporation or existence issued by the Secretary of State;
• Powers of attorney, declarations, and school certificates notarized in a state.

Common federal documents

• Identity history summary with FBI official signature and watermark;
• US federal agency documents that meet the requirements;
• Consular records such as CRBA issued by US consular officials;
• Some federal court documents, but the prerequisite requirements of the court clerk should be confirmed first.

Three scenarios that are prone to misjudgment

Living in New York does not mean that the California birth certificate was issued in New York; the use of the document in China does not mean that the Apostille was issued by a Chinese agency; and the translation completed in the United States and notarized will not turn the federal original document into a state document. When you are unable to judge, you should send the complete scanned copy for pre-review first, do not send the original copy first.