Certified Chinese translation paired with a California apostille for documents used in China
ChinaHague Apostille member
Documents for China · San Jose · 粵語服務

Apostille for China in San Jose
property, inheritance & family papers

Handling property, inheritance, or family matters in China? We notarize, arrange Chinese translation, and apostille your documents in one San Jose visit, with Cantonese spoken.

Is China a Hague country? Yes

Since November 2023 China has been part of the Hague Apostille Convention, so a single California Secretary of State apostille makes your U.S. documents valid there — the Chinese consulate no longer handles legalization. We notarize, arrange certified Chinese translation, and apostille degree, FBI, birth, marriage, and business documents in San Jose.

Book Appointment Call (408) 766-3528
No consulate step In by 10 AM, ready by 6 PM Chinese translation
1 Step
Apostille, No Consulate
Same-Day
Apostille Available
Any Language
ATA-Certified Translation
CA Sec. of State
Official Authentication
What you’ll need apostilled

Every document China asks for
handled in one place

Whatever you’re doing in China, the document needs a California apostille first. Here’s what we apostille most.

Single Status Affidavit

Proof you’re free to marry — required for marriage registration with Chinese authorities.

Single status apostille →

Birth Certificate

For family registration, household (hukou) files, and children’s documents.

Birth certificate apostille →

Marriage Certificate

To register or recognize a U.S. marriage with Chinese authorities.

Marriage certificate apostille →

FBI Background Check

Required for a Z work visa and residence permits. We handle the federal apostille.

FBI apostille for your visa →

Power of Attorney

To buy property, run a business, or sign for you in China.

Power of attorney apostille →

Diploma & Degree

For a Z work visa, employment, and study programs in China.

Diploma apostille →
Apostille vs. legalization

For China, you need an apostille
not consulate legalization

China joined the Hague Apostille Convention on 7 November 2023, which decides your whole process: U.S. documents need one authentication — a California apostille — to be accepted across mainland China, with no second trip to a Chinese consulate.

Before November 2023 the same paperwork meant a full consular-legalization chain at a Chinese consulate. Now an apostille for China replaces it — the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in the U.S. stopped authenticating documents. Many Chinese offices still want a certified Chinese translation, which we arrange and apostille together.

Not sure which path your country needs? See our guide to apostille vs. legalization.

Notarized power of attorney prepared for apostille to do business or appear in court in China
The short answer

China = apostille. One California Secretary of State apostille (or a federal apostille for your FBI report), optionally with a certified Chinese translation, and your document is ready for any Chinese government office, court, or registry — no consulate step.

How it works

Four steps to a document
China will accept

1

Bring or prepare the document

We notarize affidavits and powers of attorney on site, or you bring certified vital records and your FBI report.

2

Certified Chinese translation

Many Chinese offices require it. We arrange a certified translation and keep it paired with your original.

3

Apostille it

State documents go through the California Secretary of State; FBI reports get a federal apostille. You handle neither.

4

Pick up or ship

Collect in San Jose the same day on rush service, or we ship it tracked to you or to China.

On a deadline in China?

Walk in today, leave with
an apostilled, translated document

Same-day California apostille and certified Chinese translation under one roof. Call or book and we’ll tell you what to bring.

Book Appointment Call (408) 766-3528
Why people need it

Common reasons you’ll need
a China apostille

Working in China on a Z visa

University degree and FBI background check apostilled — what a Z work visa needs.

Doing business in China

Power of attorney and corporate records apostilled for company setup, contracts, or court.

Getting married in China

Single-status affidavit and birth certificate apostilled for the marriage registry.

Family or household registration

Apostilled U.S. birth certificate for family files and children’s documents.

Studying in China

Diploma and transcripts apostilled for Chinese universities and scholarship programs.

Using documents in a Chinese court

Power of attorney and civil records apostilled for legal proceedings or IP enforcement.

Simple pricing

Standard apostille from $85
call or come in for the rest

Every order includes a document reviewed for the receiving office and the California Secretary of State authentication. For priority, rush, same-day, certified Chinese translation, and notarization, call or visit and we’ll quote it on the spot — no surprises.

$85Standard, starting
Book Appointment Call (408) 766-3528

Prefer mail? Order an apostille online and ship your documents to us.

Why choose us

One office for
the whole document

Most services authenticate the paper and stop — you still hunt for a notary, then a translator. We do all three in San Jose, and partner with TruPoint Legal for deeper legal needs.

Quinnie and a colleague preparing apostille and certified translation documents at the San Jose office

Notarize, translate & apostille in one place

No running between a notary, a translator, and Sacramento — built right the first time.

Same-day when you can’t wait

Same-day California apostille keeps tight travel and consulate dates on track.

Chinese translation, certified & attached

We arrange ATA-certified Chinese translation and apostille it with your document — and our staff speaks English, Vietnamese, Cantonese, and Spanish.

Bonded California notary in-house

Quinnie Do reviews each document for the receiving office, so fewer get rejected in China.

“My Z work visa needed my degree and FBI background check apostilled on a tight deadline. They notarized, arranged the Chinese translation, and apostilled everything in one visit.”

— Wei L., San Jose
Quinnie Do, owner of Fingerscan Digital and bonded California notary in San Jose
Prepared by

Quinnie Do

Owner, Fingerscan Digital Inc.

Bonded & commissioned California Notary Public, IRS Certifying Acceptance Agent, and registered California Immigration Consultant. Quinnie and her multilingual team have handled Bay Area apostilles for marriages, work visas, and business since 2020.

Related services

Single Status Affidavit Apostille → FBI Apostille for China (Z Visa & Work) → Order an Apostille by Mail → All Apostille Services →
Common questions

Apostille for China
questions, answered straight

Is China part of the Hague Apostille Convention?
Yes. Since 7 November 2023 mainland China has been a member, so U.S. documents only need a single apostille from the California Secretary of State to be accepted there. You no longer need Chinese consulate legalization. Hong Kong and Macau already accepted apostilles.
Do I still need the Chinese consulate to legalize my documents?
No. Since November 2023 the Chinese Embassy and Consulates in the U.S. stopped authenticating documents. The California apostille is the final step, which is faster and cheaper than the old consular-legalization chain.
Do my documents need to be translated into Chinese?
Usually yes. Most Chinese government offices want a certified Chinese translation. We arrange the translation, attach it to your original, and apostille them together as one package, so nothing is rejected at the counter.
What documents do I need for a Chinese Z work visa?
A Z visa typically requires your university degree and an FBI background check, both apostilled and usually translated into Chinese. We notarize, obtain and apostille the FBI report, and apostille your degree in one place — see our FBI apostille for China page for the full process.
What documents do I need apostilled to do business in China?
Commonly a power of attorney and corporate records, sometimes a certificate of good standing, apostilled and translated into Chinese. Requirements vary by purpose, so confirm with the Chinese office or court, then bring the documents to us.
How fast can I get a China apostille?
Standard runs about 30 days, with priority, rush, and same-day options for tighter deadlines. On same-day service you can walk in and leave with the finished, translated document the same day.
How much does an apostille for China cost?
Standard is $85 (about 30 days), Priority $200 (about 2 weeks), Rush $350 (3 to 5 business days) and Same-Day $450 when you drop off by 10 AM. Extras, such as certified Chinese translation and notarization, are quoted when you call or come in — so you get an exact price for your documents, with no surprises. The seal is identical at every speed, so if your date is months out, take the standard tier and keep the money.
My employer needs it before the Z visa issues. How long do I have?
Tell us the date the employer gave you before ordering anything. Your degree and any state records take a California apostille, but an FBI background check is federal and runs 9 business days when the document is in our office by Wednesday (12 business days if it arrives after Wednesday) on the expedited route before it even reaches you. If the date will not hold we would rather say so than take the order.
I was told China needed consular legalization. Which is right?
Both were, at different times. China joined the Hague Convention in 2023, so documents now take a single apostille and the consulate step is gone. Guidance written before that is still circulating and still wrong — if a provider quotes you for legalization to China, that is a reason to ask why.
Do I need a state apostille or a federal one?
It depends on who issued the document. A California birth or marriage certificate, a diploma or a notarized affidavit is a state record. An FBI Identity History Summary is federal and is authenticated in Washington, D.C. instead. Sending one down the other route gets it returned unprocessed, which is the most expensive mistake on this page.
My degree is from a Chinese university. Can you apostille that?
No. A California apostille only goes on a document issued by a California authority. A degree issued in China is authenticated there, under their process. What we seal are your U.S. records — an American diploma, a California vital record, a notarized affidavit.
Does my Chinese translation need to be done here or in China?
That depends on the office receiving it, and it is worth asking them before paying. Where a translation is prepared here, the order matters: the document is apostilled first and translated afterwards, because a translation attached beforehand is not covered by the seal.
How recent do my documents need to be?
Chinese work permit and residence permit offices often want recently issued records, and an apostille does not reset that clock. A new seal on an old certificate does not make the certificate new. Check the age requirement with the receiving office before ordering.
My spouse and children are coming too. What do they need?
Usually a marriage certificate and birth certificates, apostilled. Those are state records and take the California route. We handle the whole family packet in one visit so it is ready together rather than arriving in stages.
Can I mail my documents in?
Yes. Send the certified originals to our San Jose office and we return the sealed documents. Same-day service is the exception, since that depends on the document physically reaching us by 10 AM.
What usually gets a China document refused?
A photocopy where a certified copy was required, notarial wording that does not meet California requirements, a translation attached before the seal, or a federal record sent to a state office. Each costs weeks, which is why we check the document before it goes anywhere.
Ready when you are

Get your documents ready
for China, in San Jose

Notarize, translate, and apostille in one visit at our San Jose office, or order online and we’ll ship it back — same-day available.

Book Appointment Call (408) 766-3528

California Secretary of State apostille service by Fingerscan Digital Inc. · 434 Blossom Hill Rd, San Jose, CA 95123 · (408) 766-3528 · Serving San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Milpitas and the Bay Area. For business and bulk document authentication, visit fingerscan-digital.com. Last updated June 2026.

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Document guides

Which document are you authenticating?

Requirements differ by document type. Each guide covers what counts as a certified copy, whether notarization is needed first, and how long the California route takes.