Nigeria needs consular legalisation, not an apostille
Nigeria is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention. China’s accession in 2023 therefore changed nothing for documents issued in Nigeria, and the older chain still applies in full.
- Have the document notarised locally, by a notary public.
- If the document is academic, note that Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Education operates an Evaluation and Accreditation Division that attests academic documents, including WAEC, NECO, NABTEB and NBAIS credentials, in person and within one to two working days. Whether it must be completed before the foreign ministry step was not confirmed, so ask when you attend.
- Have it authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria.
- 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 Nigeria, that is not the certification mainland China requires. Certification fees are generally not refunded, so confirm the route before you pay.
Applicants who are not Chinese nationals cannot file at the embassy itself. Legalisation is submitted through the China Visa Application Service Centre in Maitama, Abuja, and the embassy's own counter hours are limited to Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.
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 Nigeria need an apostille for China?
No. Nigeria is not a party to the Apostille Convention, so an apostille is not the right certification. Documents issued in Nigeria need full consular legalisation, ending at a Chinese embassy or consulate.