Iran needs consular legalisation, not an apostille
Before doing anything else: the Chinese embassy in Iran suspended consular legalisation applications from 1 March 2026, and no resumption date has been announced. Only travel documents for Chinese citizens are being issued, and no alternative route for legalising Iranian documents has been published. Confirm the current position with the embassy before you begin - the steps below describe the process as it stood before the suspension.
Iran is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention. China’s accession in 2023 therefore changed nothing for documents issued in Iran, and the older chain still applies in full.
- Have the document notarised locally, by a notary public.
- Have it authenticated by the government body your country designates for documents going abroad, usually within the ministry of foreign affairs.
- Take it to the Chinese embassy or consulate for the final legalisation. This step is what makes the document usable in mainland China.
The order is fixed, because each step certifies the one before it. They cannot be done in parallel, and a step taken out of turn generally has to be paid for again.
If a service offers you an apostille for use in China on a document issued in Iran, that is not the certification mainland China requires. Certification fees are generally not refunded, so confirm the route before you pay.
What this does not cover
Certification only proves the signature and seal are genuine. It does not translate the document and it does not oblige any university to accept it. Language requirements are set separately by whoever receives the document, so confirm those first, and have any translation made after certification so the certificate is included in it.
Frequently asked questions
Do documents from Iran need an apostille for China?
No. Iran is not a party to the Apostille Convention, so an apostille is not the right certification. Documents issued in Iran need full consular legalisation, ending at a Chinese embassy or consulate.