Sri Lanka needs consular legalisation, not an apostille
Sri Lanka is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention. China’s accession in 2023 therefore changed nothing for documents issued in Sri Lanka, and the older chain still applies in full.
- Have the document notarised locally, by a notary public.
- Degree certificates must be verified by the awarding Sri Lankan university, and Department of Examinations certificates by that Department, before the Consular Affairs Division will act.
- Have it authenticated by the Consular Affairs Division of 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 Sri Lanka, that is not the certification mainland China requires. Certification fees are generally not refunded, so confirm the route before you pay.
Translations of diplomas and transcripts must be produced by a sworn translator appointed by Sri Lanka's Ministry of Justice - an ordinary translation is not accepted for this step. Department of Examinations certificates can only be collected from the Colombo consular office.
Sri Lanka is a Member State of the Hague Conference, which is not the same thing as being a party to the Apostille Convention. Some sources conflate the two and wrongly report that an apostille is available.
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 Sri Lanka need an apostille for China?
No. Sri Lanka is not a party to the Apostille Convention, so an apostille is not the right certification. Documents issued in Sri Lanka need full consular legalisation, ending at a Chinese embassy or consulate.