Apostille for China · Apostille guide

Sending a U.S. birth certificate to China for use: Should it be sent to the issuing state or the U.S. Department of State

Birth certificates issued by state or local governments are usually handled by the issuing state authority and should not be sent to the state or federal channel where the applicant currently lives.

The answer depends on the issuing authority of the birth certificate

Birth certificates issued by state or local vital records departments in the United States are usually state-level public documents, and Apostille should be applied for according to the requirements of the state that issued the certificate. Whether the applicant currently lives in New York, California, or China will not change the origin of the document.

Check the certificate version first

The Chinese receiving unit may require a long form, a certified copy, a version containing parent information, or a recently issued copy. Hospital commemorative certificates, plain photocopies, and cell phone screenshots are generally not substitutes for government certified records. A version accepted by the recipient should be obtained first before applying for certification.

Why are they generally not submitted to the U.S. Department of State

The U.S. Department of State’s federal document channel processes eligible federal agency or consular documents. State birth certificates are issued by a state or local government, and application should generally be made to the designated authority in the issuing state. CRBAs are separate federal consular records and cannot be confused with state birth certificates.

Four checks before sending

1. The state, city or county-level issuing authority on the certificate;
2. Whether the signature, seal and certified copy are clearly marked;
3. Whether the issuing state requires county-level pre-certification;
4. Whether the Chinese translation needs to include Apostille and the text on the back.

Where matters of birth, nationality, guardianship or household registration involve different legal systems, Apostille only handles document source authentication.