Notice on the abolition of consular legalization services
by the Chinese Embassy in Senegal after China's accession to the Convention of October 5, 1961 removing the requirement for legalization of foreign public documents
1. On March 8, 2023, China acceded to the Convention of October 5, 1961 Abolishing the Requirement for Legalization of Foreign Public Documents (hereinafter referred to as the Convention). On November 7, 2023, the Convention will enter into force between China and Senegal. The Convention will continue to apply to the Hong Kong SAR of China and the Macao SAR of China.
2. From November 7, public documents falling within the scope of the Convention and issued by Senegal must only be subject to a Senegalese apostille request before being used in mainland China. It is not necessary to request consular legalization from the Chinese Embassy in Senegal.
Public documents originating from China which fall within the scope of the Convention and will be used in Senegal will no longer require consular legalization either by China or by the Embassy or Consulate General of Senegal in China, but must be bearing an apostille. For specific procedures and requirements for applying for apostilles, please consult the website of the Chinese Consular Service (http://cs.mfa.gov.cn/) or the websites of relevant local foreign affairs offices.
3. From November 7, the Chinese Embassy in Senegal will close their consular legalization services. For documents issued by Senegal and destined for mainland China, please request apostilles from the competent Senegalese authorities (for more details, please log on to https://www.diplomatie.gouv.sn/services/convention-dapostille) .
4. In accordance with the provisions of the Convention, an apostille issued by a country is used to prove the authenticity of the signature on the public document, the identity of the signatory of the document at the time of signing, and to confirm the authenticity of the seal on the deed when necessary. Completion of the Senegalese apostille does not guarantee acceptance of the public document by the user concerned in China. It is recommended to check with the relevant party in China in advance for specific requirements regarding format, content, deadline, translation, etc. before starting the corresponding procedures.
