Apostille for China · Apostille guide

What to do if the Apostille certification is returned: A checklist from the place of issue, signature to receipt requirements

Return is not necessarily due to a problem with the content of the document; you should first identify whether the return occurred in the original document, pre-certification, competent authority or receipt requirements.

Read the return notice first, do not resend it immediately

Put together the return letter, a copy of the application form, the payment record and a scan of the entire set of documents, and circle the specific reasons given by the competent authority. It is easy to miss information when relaying information over the phone, so try to keep written explanations as much as possible.

Find breakpoints in four locations

1. Document version: Whether the submission is an original, a certified copy, or a plain printout;
2. Signature chain: Official, notary or county clerk’s Whether the signature is verifiable;
3. Competent authority: Whether state-level documents are sent to the issuing state, and whether federal documents are mistakenly sent to the state government;
4. Application information: Whether the country of use, fee, return envelope and form are complete.

Rejection by the receiving party is different from that by the issuing authority

Rejection by the competent authority usually means that the document does not meet the formal requirements for issuance of Apostille; rejection by the Chinese receiving unit may involve translation, document purpose, validity period or internal business rules. Both problems cannot be solved with the same patch method.

Only redo the problematic link

After confirming the breakpoint, decide whether to reissue a certified copy, re-notarize, add county certification, or change to the federal path. Do not change the status of the original document just for the sake of "more stamps and more insurance". After completion, use the old and new version comparison chart to review the number of pages, signatures, dates, and attachments.