Notarisation first, then certification
When you graduate and want your Chinese degree recognised at home — by an employer, a licensing body or another university — the same machinery applies, running the other way. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs states the order plainly: you first obtain a notarial certificate for use abroad from a Chinese notary office, and only then apply for an apostille or, where the destination country is not a party to the Convention, for consular legalisation.
The reason for the order is that the certification certifies the notarial act. There is nothing for an apostille to attach itself to until the notarial certificate exists, which is why applications made in the wrong sequence are simply turned away.
Start this before you leave China if you can. Every step here happens inside China, at Chinese offices, in Chinese. Doing it after you have flown home means either returning or appointing someone to act for you.
Who issues the apostille in China
Two kinds of body can issue it: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the provincial and municipal Foreign Affairs Offices that have been authorised to do so. An authorised local office can certify notarial documents produced within its own administrative area, which usually means the province where you studied.
Not every listed office issues them directly. Some only receive applications and pass them upward, which adds time. Check the Ministry's list before travelling to an office, particularly if you are making a special trip before a flight home.
If your destination country is not a party to the Apostille Convention, the older consular route applies instead: after notarisation, the document goes for legalisation and then to your own country's embassy or consulate in China. Check your country's status on the HCCH table before deciding which queue to join.
Hong Kong and Macao are a separate case
Documents moving between mainland China and Hong Kong or Macao use neither an apostille nor consular legalisation. Because mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao are one Contracting Party, the movement is internal rather than international, and the Convention does not govern it.
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs describes a confirmation procedure for documents going to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and states that documents for use in the Macao Special Administrative Region can be used directly without further formality. If your destination is Hong Kong or Macao, ask specifically about that route rather than joining the apostille queue.
What your own country will want
Certification proves the Chinese seals are genuine. It does not translate your degree, and it does not oblige anyone at home to recognise the qualification. Those are two further, separate questions, and both are decided at home rather than in China.
- A translation into your own country's language, since your degree certificate and transcript are in Chinese. Have it made after certification so the certificate is included.
- Recognition or equivalence assessment, if your country runs one — commonly required for regulated professions and for further study.
- Professional licensing, which is a separate process again and frequently the strictest of the three.
Check what your home regulator requires before you graduate, not after. Requirements sometimes include things that must be documented while you are still enrolled, such as records of clinical or practical hours, which are difficult to reconstruct once you have left.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get an apostille on my Chinese degree?
Obtain a notarial certificate for use abroad from a Chinese notary office first, then apply for the apostille. It is issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or by an authorised provincial or municipal Foreign Affairs Office covering the area where the notarial document was produced.
Can I do it after I go home?
It is much harder. Every step takes place inside China, at Chinese offices. If you have already left you will generally need to return or appoint someone to act on your behalf, so it is worth completing before you fly.
What if my country is not in the Apostille Convention?
Then the older consular route applies: notarisation, then legalisation, then your own country's embassy or consulate in China. Check your country's status on the HCCH status table before starting.
Does an apostille mean my degree is recognised at home?
No. It only confirms that the Chinese seals and signatures are genuine. Recognition of the qualification, and any professional licensing, are separate processes decided by bodies in your own country.