Starting from January 11, 2024, public documents within the scope of the Convention executed in Canada only need to obtain an Apostille issued by Canadian competent authorities (see the attachment for detailed procedures) before they can be sent to Chinese mainland for use, authentication by Canadian competent authorities and the Chinese Embassy and Consulates-General in Canada are no longer required. Please see relevant notice on our website for details.
Starting from August 1st, 2018, the consular authentication (legalization) applications of Canadian citizens as well as third-country citizens should be submitted to the Chinese Visa Application Service Center (CVASC) in Calgary. Chinese citizens may choose to make their Consular authentication (legalization) to the Chinese Consulate General or CVASC in Calgary.
I. Purpose of Consular Authentication
In accordance with international practice and consular practice in China, the purpose of consular authentication (legalization) is to ensure that notarial deeds issued in one country can be acknowledged by relevant authorities in another country, and the deeds can have its due legal effect, which shall not be affected by doubts on the authenticity of the seal or signature on the deeds.
II. Application Requirements
A document to be authenticated by the Chinese Consulate General in Calgary should meet the following requirements:
1. The document shall have been authenticated by ministry of justice of Alberta, Saskatchewan or Northwest Territories, for details, refer to III. Process.
2. The document is truthful, lawful and without contents violating Chinese law or threatening China's national or public interests.
3. Documents issued in China, such as Chinese Passport, land-title certificate, notarial certificate, Chinese ID card, marriage certificate etc., will not be accepted for authentication.
4. A document with more than two pages must be properly bound as a volume to avoid any substitution. Either of sealing wax, eyelet, paging seal or steel seal should be applied to ensure the integrity of the documents.
III. Process
1. Please notarize the Documents, such as Affidavit, Declaration, Power of Attorney, etc., before sending to the ministry of justice of Alberta, Saskatchewan or Northwest Territories governments for authentication.
2. Get the authentication certificate from one of the following provincial authorities:
Alberta:
Deputy Provincial Secretary's Office of Alberta,
Room 111, 9833-109 Street, Edmonton, AB, T5K 2E8
Tel: 780-4275069, 3100000, 3104455
Saskatchewan:
Ministry of Justice and Attorney General, Authentication Services
800-1874 Searth Street, Regina, SK, S4P 4B3
Tel:306-7873899
Northwest Territories:
Legal Registries, Department of Justice
1st Floor, Sourt M. Hodgson Building, 5009-49th Street
PO BOX 1320, Yellowknife, NT X1A 2L9
3. Some of the original documents issued by a Canadian government authorities (e.g. Marriage Certificate, Birth Certificate, Death Certificate) can be authenticated directly by the above provincial authorities
4. File the application with the documents authenticated and the required supporting materials to the Chinese Visa Application Service Center in Calgary(CVASC). Please refer to IV. Supporting Documents.
Address:Suite200, 855, 8th Avenue, SW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Office hours: Monday-Friday, Closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays.
Submission of applications: 9:00 to 15:00.
Payment and collection: 9:00 to 16:00.
Contact information:
Website:https://bio.visaforchina.org/YYC2_EN/
Tel: 403-930-2288
Fax: 403-699-9776
E-mail: calgarycenter@visaforchina.org
IV. Supporting Documents
1. The original Application Form for Notarization and Authentication (with the signatures of the applicant).
2. The original and a photocopy of every page of the document to be authenticated. The photocopy shall be letter size or A4 size (please shrink the first page from legal size to letter size or A4 while photocopying)
3. The photocopy of the applicant's passport or ID with the original ready for being checked.
4. The photocopy of the applicant's permanent resident card, visitor visa, study permit or work permit with the original ready for being checked, if applicable.
5. If the applicant has entrusted an agent to submit the application on his/her behalf, a photocopy of the agent's ID will also be required. Please also complete the agent section in the application form.
6. If the document is for commercial purpose, the company's legal person will be the applicant. A photocopy of the applicant's passport (and a permanent resident card, visitor visa, study or work permit, if applicable) and the original company certificate that can prove the legal person's status should be produced.
V. Processing Time
1. Regular service: collectable on the 4th business day and after.
2. Express service: documents shall be ready on the 3rd business day.
3. Rush service: documents shall be ready on the 2nd business day .
Note: It does not include the time for submitting supporting materials, consulting or verifying information with China, or delays caused by force majeure.
VI. Fees and Payment
Please click Schedule of Fees for more details.
VII. Other Important Information
1. The Chinese Consulate General in Calgary authenticates only the official signature and seal of the provincial authorities and will not be responsible for the contents of the documents.
2. One application can only work for one purpose.
3. According to regulations of China, a single status affidavit used for marriage registration in China is valid for only 6 months from the date of issuance. If an applicant needs to use it after it has been issued for 6 months, he or she needs to obtain a new single status affidavit.
4. Documents for use in China for adoption affairs, such as statement of marriage, health status, proof of finance, income or no criminal record, can only be authenticated if the period between the notarized date and the adoption registration date (excluding the processing time taken by China Center for Adoption Affairs) does not exceed 6 months.
5. Consular officials of the Chinese Consulate General will review the documents to be authenticated. If there is any problem, such as uncompleted process, wrong document format, illegal contents, or alteration or substitution of the document, the application will be rejected.
6. The service provided by CVASC includes receiving applications, fees collection, document release and inquiries. Application assessment and issuance of the authentication certificates remain in the authority of the consular officials.
7. A document that has been authenticated by the Chinese Embassy or the Consulate General shall not be wilfully bound, unbound or altered. An applicant is solely responsible for all consequences and legal responsibilities arising from his or her unauthorized binding, unbinding or altering of the document.
8. The document should be picked up in six months. Those failed to do so should bear all the relevant consequences as the original document will be shredded.
VIII. Frequently Asked Questions
Q:Is it necessary to have the documents legalized if they will be sent to and used in China?
A:Consular legalization is international practice gradually forming around the world in diplomatic and consular practice in order to facilitate mutual correspondence. At present, China has not yet signed bilateral treaties or agreements of mutual exemption of consular legalization with any country, but there is an "exemption from certification" clause in the Chinese and foreign bilateral judicial assistance treaty and agreement. In addition, all foreign documents for civil and commercial use in China generally need consular legalization.
Q:Can foreign documents only be legalized by Chinese embassies or consulates in foreign countries for being sent to and used in China?
A:No. According to international practice and consular legalization practice, firstly Chinese embassies and consulates are only responsible for the authenticity of the seal and signature of the foreign ministry or the authentication departments in the host country; secondly, Chinese embassies and consulates generally do not have the record of the seal and the signature of the notary office or the department issuing the documents in the host country and could not confirm the authenticity of the seal and the signature. Therefore, the relevant documents should be notarized and legalized by the local authorities and then submitted to Chinese embassies or consulates for legalization.
Q:Where can the documents intended to be used in China be sent for relevant notarization and legalization before being legalized by the Chinese Consulate in Calgary?
A:For a Non-Chinese citizen living in Canada, documents to be used in China should be notarized first by a local Notary Public and then authenticated by the provincial government before being submitted to the China Visa Application Service Centre.
For a Chinese citizen, documents not directly notarized by the Chinese Consulate in Calgary need first be notarized by a local Notary Public and then authenticated by the provincial government before submission to the Application Centre or the Chinese Consulate in Calgary.
Q:What kind of documents shall not be accepted for legalization?
A:The consular legalization is an activity of diplomatic missions or consular authorities to validate documents in the name of the country. The consular authority will not authenticate a document in any of the following circumstances:
1.The seal and signature of the document is not true；
2. The seal, signature of the document is not on record, or is inconsistent with the record;
3. Document binding, seal, signature and other technical standards do not conform to the regulations and requirements of the authority to issue the document and the authority to use the document;
4. The contents of a document may cause potential threats to China's national or public interests;
5. Other circumstances that the consular authority cannot accept.
Q:Can notarial deeds be legalized by Chinese embassies or consulates after being taken abroad but not yet legalized?
A:No. Chinese embassies and consulates do not have the record of the signature and the seal of the domestic foreign-related notary republic or the authority issuing documents for commercial use and unable to verify the authenticity of the documents, and therefore do not accept foreign-related notarial deeds or commercial certificates issued by domestic authorities for consular authentication.
The parties should send documents to China for consular authentication according the procedure and for the consular legalization by embassies and consulates of foreign countries in China in which documents will be used. The parties who are not convenient to go back to China may entrust others (domestic relatives, lawyers, etc.) to go through relevant formalities
Q: How to authenticate notarial deeds,commercial certificates and other documents issued in China?
A: Before being sent to and used in foreign countries, foreign-related notarial deeds or commercial documents issued in China should be duly authenticated by the Consular Department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry or authorized local foreign affairs offices and then submitted to the embassy or consulates of the concerned country for legalization in accordance with the requirements of the country in which documents will be used and its embassy in China; or the country in which documents will be used may accept without legalization of the embassies or consulates of the concerned country.