1. On 8 March 2023, China acceded to the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (hereinafter referred to as the Convention). The Convention shall enter into force between China and Antigua and Barbuda on 7 November 2023. The Convention shall continue to apply to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macao Special Administrative Region.
2. From 7 November 2023, the public documents as referred to in the Convention that are executed in Antigua and Barbuda, and have to be produced in Chinese mainland shall apply for an Apostille by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Trade and Barbuda Affairs of Antigua and Barbuda, instead of applying for legalisation by Chinese Embassy in Antigua and Barbuda.
The public documents as referred to in the Convention that are executed in Chinese mainland, and have to be produced in Antigua and Barbuda shall be exempted from legalisation by the Chinese side and Embassy of Antigua and Barbuda in China. Instead, an Apostille shall be issued onto the documents. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China is the designated authority to issue an Apostille certificate onto the public documents executed in Chinese mainland. Besides, certain Foreign Affairs Offices entrusted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China can also issue an Apostille onto the public documents executed within their own administrative jurisdiction (the list is enclosed). The website https://consular.mfa.gov.cn/VERIFY/enables online verification of the Apostilles issued in Chinese mainland. For the procedures and requirements for applying for an Apostille in Chinese mainland, please visit http://cs.mfa.gov.cn/or the official websites of relevant Foreign Affairs Offices.
3. From 7 November 2023, the legalisation business at Chinese Embassy in Antigua and Barbuda will be ceased. For the public documents that are executed in Antigua and Barbuda, and have to be produced in Chinese mainland, please apply for an Apostille from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Trade and Barbuda Affairs of Antigua and Barbuda.
4. According to the Convention, the Apostille issued by a state is to certify the authenticity of the signature, the capacity in which the person signing the document has acted and, where appropriate, the identity of the seal or stamp which it bears. The public documents with an Apostille onto them aren’t necessarily accepted by the relevant Chinese authorities. Applicants shall check the format, content, time limit, translation and other specific requirements of foreign public documents with the Chinese authority where the documents are to be used before going through the relevant procedures.
Annex 1: List of Foreign Affairs Offices that May Issue Apostille
Annex 2: Information on Applying for Apostille in Antigua and Barbuda
Annex 1
List of Foreign Affairs Offices that May Issue Apostille
(31 in total)
Hebei Province, Shanxi Province, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Liaoning Province, Jilin Province, Heilongjiang Province, Shanghai Municipality, Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, Anhui Province, Fujian Province, Jiangxi Province, Shandong Province, Henan Province, Hubei Province, Hunan Province, Guangdong Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Hainan Province, Chongqing Municipality, Sichuan Province, Guizhou Province, Yunnan Province, Shaanxi Province, Gansu Province, Changchun City, Harbin City, Ningbo City, Jinan City, Qingdao City and Shenzhen City.
Annex 2
Information on Applying for Apostille in Antigua and Barbuda
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Trade and Barbuda Affairs of Antigua and Barbuda is responsible for issuing Apostilles onto the public documents executed in Antigua and Barbuda.
1. Materials: Originals and photocopies of the public documents.
2. Payment: Purchase the stamps in advance at the post office and submit them together with the application for processing, normally EC$100 per copy.
3. Where to apply: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Trade and Barbuda Affairs of Antigua and Barbuda (Address: Queen Elizabeth Highway, St. John's, ANTIGUA; Contact: 1-268- 4621052).
For public documents issued by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda (e.g. marriage certificates, birth certificates, certificates of non-criminal record, etc.), the above procedure can be followed directly. For further details, please consult the Ministry.
Specimen of Apostille of Antigua and Barbuda:
