Apostille for China · Apostille guide

U.S. court divorce judgments for use in China: How to match certified copies, Apostille and translation

Divorce judgments should first confirm the issuing court, complete page count and certified copy requirements before determining the path to state or federal court.

Ask first whether you need a complete judgment of divorce or a divorce certificate

The Chinese receiving unit may require a complete judgment of divorce, a court-certified copy, or a divorce certificate issued by the vital records department. The three are not the same file. The purpose, number of pages required, whether abstracts are accepted and whether issuance is limited to the near future should be confirmed.

Obtain a certified version from the court

Print copies downloaded from the electronic case system may not be able to handle Apostille directly. Ask the issuing court clerk for certified copies, signature and seal requirements, and check that the cover page, judgment text, signature page, attachments and certification pages are complete. When it comes to sealing a case, it should not be assumed that the agency has access to documents.

Do not confuse state courts with federal courts

State court documents are usually processed according to the requirements of the competent authorities of the respective states; there is another verification path for U.S. federal court documents. The judgment is based on the actual issuing court, not the state where the parties to the case currently reside. Apostille only confirms signatures, identities or seal sources and does not explain divorce, property or custody terms.

The translation must correspond to the final certified version

The Chinese translation should be produced after the final submission of documents is finalized. The name, case number, court name, judgment date, judge and clerk titles, page numbers and attachments must correspond one by one. If the translation is done first and the court later issues a different version, the differences should be rechecked.

Check before submission

• Whether the attached documents of Apostille are the same version as the translation;
• Whether all seals, signatures and back notes are included in the translation;
• Whether the Chinese recipient also requires a validity certificate or other attachments;
• whether sensitive personal information is only handed over to the necessary recipients.