Introduction to Consular Authentication

According to the "Consular Authentication Regulation" of China, which came into effect on March 1, 2016, the consular authentication mentioned refers to the practice of confirming the authenticity of the last seal and signature on the foreign-related notarial deeds and other certificates issued in China or relevant documents issued by other countries, performed by consular authentication agencies upon the application of natural persons, legal persons or other organizations.

The purpose of consular authentication is to ensure that notarial deeds issued in one country can be acknowledged by relevant authorities in another country, and the deeds can have its due legal effect, which shall not be affected by doubts on the authenticity of the seal or signature on the deeds.

The Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in Canada can authenticate notarial deeds and other documents issued by relevant authorities of Canada for use in China. The deeds or documents should be authenticated by the authentication office of the Canadian Foreign Affairs Department or the relevant province (territory) before submitting to the Chinese Embassy or Consulate General.

For a foreign citizen living in Canada, documents issued in Canada to be used in China should be notarized first by a local Notary Public, a lawyer or a commissioner of oaths, and then authenticated by the Global Affairs Canada before being submitted to the Application Centre.

For a Chinese citizen, documents that cannot been notarized by the Chinese Embassy in Canada need to be notarized by a local Notary Public, a lawyer or a commissioner of oaths first, and then to be authenticated by the Global Affairs Canada before being submitted to the Application Centre.

Documents of a third country should be authenticated in that country. If a citizen of a third country living in Canada applies for authentication for his or her documents issued in that country, his/her application could be accepted by the Chinese Embassy in Canada as long as the documents have been notarized by the country's Embassy in Canada and authenticated by the Global Affairs Canada.

 

Guidelines for Consular Authentication

I. Application Requirements 

1. A document to be authenticated should meet the following requirements:

1) The document should have been firstly notarized by a local notary public, lawyer or Commissioner of Oaths of Canada, (Some original documents, such as Marriage License, Statement of Live Birth, Statement of Death, Criminal Record Certificate, and so on, issued in Canada, do not need to be notarized.) and then authenticated by the authentication office of the Canadian Foreign Affairs Department (JLAC) or the relevant province (territory). (The Ottawa Visa Application Center currently only accepts documents authenticated by the Global Affairs of Canada (JLAC) or the Ministry of Justice of Nova Scotia or Newfoundland and Labrador)

2) The document is truthful, legal and without contents violating Chinese law or threatening to China's national or public interests.

3) A document with more than one page must be properly bound as a volume to avoid any substitution. Sealing wax, eyelet, paging seal or steel seal should be applied to ensure the integrity of the documents.

II. Authentication Process in CVASC of Ottawa

Step 1.

The document shall be notarized by a local notary public, lawyer or Commissioner of Oaths of Canada. (Some original documents, such as Marriage License, Statement of Live Birth, Statement of Death, Non Criminal Record Certificate, and so on, issued in Canada, do not need to be notarized.)

Step 2.

The notarized document shall be authenticated (Some documents do not need to be notarized!) by the Authentication and Service of Document s Section of Global Affairs Canada or the Ministry of Justice of Nova Scotia or Newfoundland and Labrador, if the applicant would like to bring the document for authentication.

Step 3.

The document shall be submitted to the CVASC in Ottawa by the requirement.

III. Documents Required for Application

1. One fully completed and signed Application Form for Notarization and Authentication (please download and print the application form.pdf) by the applicant.

2. The original and a photocopy of the document which have been authenticated by the Canadian authentication authorities.

3. A photocopy of the photo/information page of the applicant's passport.

4. A photocopy of the permanent resident card, study permit or work permit (If applicable), if the applicant is not a Canadian citizen.

5. If an applicant has entrusted someone else to submit the application on his/her behalf, the original and a photocopy of both the entrusted person's and the applicant's passport (and a permanent resident card or study/work permit, if applicable) should be provided.

6. If the document is of a company or an organization, a photocopy of the passport (and a permanent resident card or study/work permit, if applicable) of the company's legal representative and an official company document that can prove the person's legal representative status should be submitted.

7. Other documents which the Embassy or Consulate General considers as necessary.

IV. How to Apply

You may either walk in to submit the application or entrust someone else or travel agents to do it for you. Note: It does not include the time for submitting supporting materials, consulting or verifying information with China's authorities, or delays caused by force majeure. After an authentication certificate is issued, the applicant may come, or entrust someone else to come, with the Pick-up Form to the CVASC to get the certificate on the pick-up day or after. If a certificate is not picked up 6 months after the pick-up day, the Chinese Embassy or the Consulate General will no longer keep it and the applicant is solely responsible for any consequences arising therefrom.

Important notes:

1. The document for consulate authentication should be true and lawful, and doesn’t contain any content which is injurious to national interests or social public interests of China;

2. If the document submitted for consular authentication contains more than one page, it shall be properly bound as a volume by applying sealing wax, eyelets, paging seal, steel seal or other methods to avoid any substitution and ensure the integrity of the documents.  

3. According to the provisions of the relevant authorities of China, the certificate for no spouse or single status affidavit used for marriage registration in China remains valid for 6 months from the date of issuance. Therefore, the applicant should apply for it again if the mentioned certificate has been issued for more than 6 months from the date of issuance. 

4. Notarial certificates of marriage status, health and non-criminal record, which are for the purpose of adoption in China, shall not be legalized if they have been issued for more than six months.

5. Consular officers of the Embassy or Consulates-General of China in Canada will review the documents to be authenticated. The Embassy or Consulates-General will not authenticate a document if its notarization or legalization procedure is found to be incomplete, its content is against Chinese laws and regulations, its format fails to meet the standards, or it is found to be forged or altered.

6. Consular officers may request the applicant to provide additional documentation to support the application.

7. If the content of an authenticated document is forged or altered, the consular authentication shall be invalid.

8. An authenticated document shall not be forged or altered. Any legal liability caused by the applicant's forgery or alteration of the document shall be borne by the applicant.

9. A document can only contain one single issue. A document that contains more than one issue or includes unrelated content should not be accepted for consular authentication.

10. Documents issued in China, such as notarized certificates, IDs, Driver’s Licenses, Marriage Certificates, and so on, will not be accepted for consular authentication. 
      11. The Chinese Embassy or Consulates-General only confirm the authenticity of the signatures of the authentication officers and official seals of the Global Affairs Canada or the authorized departments or organizations of local governments, and should not be responsible for the content of the authenticated documents.

V.Appendix: Information of authentication office of Authentication and Service of Documents Section (JLAC)

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada

For mailing application: 125 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0G2

For walk-in application: 111 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario

Tel: 1-800-267-8376 (Toll Free in Canada)

613-944-4000 (in the National Capital Region and outside Canada)

613-944-9136 (TTY for the deaf)

Terms and Conditions

Article 1 Definitions

1.1 “Embassy” refers to the Embassy of the People's Republic of China.

1.2 “Consulate General” refers to the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China.

1.3 “Other Consular Institutions” refers to the Consulates, consular offices and related institutions of the People's Republic of China.

1.4 “Embassies and Consulates” refers to the Embassies and/or Consulates General and/or Other Consular Institutions.

1.5 “Chinese Visa Application Service Center” refers to the institution that provides handling services relating to applications for Chinese visas and authentication according to the working procedures set by the Embassies and Consulates, hereinafter referred to as the “Application Center”.

1.6 “Clients” refers to any individual or a third party authorized by the former to submit a Chinese visa or an authentication application to the Application Center, including individuals, travel agencies or other agencies.

1.7 “Clients' Information” refers to the data and information that Clients provide to the Application Center in the form of paper, electronic media or any other form deemed acceptable in order for the Application Center to provide clients with appropriate services.

1.8 “Personal Information” refers to all the required information related to a person included in the application documents submitted by a client, including, but not limited to, the name, gender, date of birth, place of birth, marital status, citizenship, passport information, telephone number, health record, criminal record, residential address, place of employment, family members, as well as any video recording, telephone call recording, email content and other private information.

1.9 “Website” refers to the website located at www.visaforchina.org where online services are provided to clients, such as information announcements, online application form completion, online appointment and application status query services.

1.10 “Basic Services” refers to the services directly related to visa or authentication applications that the Application Center provides to clients.

1.11 “Extended Services” refers to services provided by the Application Center for the convenience of clients other than the Basic Services.

1.12 “Visa fee” refers to consular fees and charges payable to the Embassies and Consulates and accepted by the Application Center from applicants on behalf of the Embassies and Consulates at rates prescribed by them, including, but not limited to, regular, express and urgent application fees.

1.13 “Authentication fee” refers to consular fees and charges payable to the Embassies and Consulates and accepted by the Application Center from applicants on behalf of the Embassies and Consulates at rates prescribed by the Embassies and Consulates, including, but not limited to, the regular application fee, express application fee and urgent application fee.

1.14 “Application Service Fee” refers to the fee charged by the Application Center to clients for providing them with Basic Services. The fees charged for Extended Services are not included in the Application Service Fee.

1.15 “Pickup Form” refers to the receipt issued by the Application Center to clients who have submitted their Chinese visa or authentication applications to the Application Center, and which serve as the only certificate providing payment of the Visa Fee, Authentication Fee and Application Service Fee as well as for collecting their passports, visas and document of authentication from the Application Center.

 

Article 2 Regarding Basic Services Offered by the Application Center

2. 1 To receive clients and classify their application documents in accordance with the requirements of the Embassies and Consulates.

2. 2 To provide clients with intermediate business services, including computer entry of basic information, and transmission of passports, visas, documents, consular authentication certificates and Clients' Information between Embassies and Consulates and the Application Center.

2. 3 To collect visa fee and authentication fee in accordance with the requirements of the Embassies and Consulates and to deliver passports, visas and authenticated documents to clients on behalf of the former.

2. 4 To release and transmit information about Chinese visa policy and consular authentication policy in accordance with the requirements of the Embassies and Consulates in a timely manner through website, information desk, telephone, fax or e-mail.

2. 5 The Application Center hereby states in particular that, government functions such as assessing, approving or refusing visa or authentication applications, and issuing visas and consular authentication certificates, come under the exclusive authority of the Embassies and Consulates, and the Application Center is not legally empowered to provide any commitment, guarantee, interpretation or other legal obligations to clients in relation to that exclusive authority.

 

Article 3 Regarding Use of the Visa Application Services

3. 1 Clients acknowledge and hereby confirm that the Application Center is not involved in the visa assessment and consular authentication’s decision-making process. The Embassies and Consulates have the authority to decide whether a consular authentication certificate or a visa will be issued or not, the type of a visa to be issued as well as its validity, duration of stay and number of entries in accordance with China's relevant laws and regulations. A client is required to pay the Application Service Fee to the Application Center regardless of approval or disapproval of an application by the Embassies and Consulates. The Application Service Fee is non-refundable.

3. 2 Clients can make inquiries to the Application Center via its website or through the telephone. Clients are required to acknowledge that the Application Center is a non-governmental organization, and its provision of inquiry services for clients is free and based on its unilateral understanding of clients’ inquiries and the limited information known and mastered by it in order to provide assistance in regard to visa or authentication applications. No matter what the circumstances are, it is not inferred that the Application Center has made any promise or assurance, nor does it bear any other legal responsibility for the answers to clients’ queries.

3. 3 Clients are required to submit to the Application Center all the relevant information required for a visa or authentication application, and ensure that the information provided is true, reliable and complete. Clients acknowledge and agree that acceptance by the Application Center of such information does not mean that such Clients' Information as is provided is deemed sufficient. The Embassies and Consulates have the right to request a client to provide additional supporting documents or request the applicant to attend an interview.

3. 4 Clients are advised to carefully check all the information on the Pickup Form and ensure it is correct when receiving this document issued by the Application Center. If any mistakes are found, clients must contact the Application Center immediately, and it will make necessary correction as soon as possible.

3. 5 Clients must carefully check all the information on the visa or consular authentication certificate issued to them and ensure it is correct at the time of collection of the passport containing the visa or authenticated document. If any mistakes are found, clients must contact the Application Center immediately. The Application Center will try its best to help them with modification or re-issuance of the visa or the consular authentication certificate. Clients acknowledge that modifying or re-issuing a visa or a consular authentication certificate may involve new fees if the information on the issued visa or the consular authentication certificate is found incorrect due to the reasons or causes assignable to them.

3. 6 To ensure service safety and quality, a network monitoring system and telephone recording system have been installed by the Application Center. The actions of clients at the Application Center as well as any telephone conversations between clients and the Application Center may be recorded and preserved, and clients hereby acknowledge and agree to this arrangement.

3. 7 Unless otherwise notified by the Application Center, clients should collect their passports and visas before the expiry of the visa. The Application Center accepts no obligation of taking care of any passport if clients fail to collect the documents before visa expiration. After the expiry of the visa, or 365 days from the decision by the Embassies and Consulates to issue or refuse the visa application, the Application Center has the right to deliver the relevant travel documents to the Embassies and Consulates, which will return them to the competent authority of the passport issuing country.

Clients should collect their authenticated documents as soon as possible. The Application Center cannot accept any obligation to take care of any authenticated documents if clients fail to collect them before the expiration of the authenticated documents. After the expiry of the documents, or 365 days of the decision by the Embassies and Consulates to authenticate or refuse to authenticate the documents, the Application Center has the right to deliver the relevant documents to the Embassies and Consulates.

 

Article 4 Regarding Use and Protection of Personal Information

4. 1 Clients hereby agree and confirm that their personal information can be collected, transmitted, stored, processed and used by the Application Center in accordance with this article whether this information is transmitted to the Application Center through the Internet or directly by the clients concerned or their entrusted representative.

4. 2 In order to process Clients' visa or authentication applications, the Application Center must collect related personal information about the client from the application documents submitted and enter the information into its computer system.

4. 3 The Application Center may collect client personal information through telephone, email, fax, application documents (including passports and photos), online application system, online appointment system, video monitoring system and other media.

4. 4 Personal information will be submitted to the Chinese Embassy or Consulate-General through the Application Center's proprietary channel and may be transferred to and stored in countries other than the client's country of residence, such as the People's Republic of China.

4. 5 Personal information, including video recording, telephone recording, electronic information, etc., may be collected for later use by the Application Center when necessary (e.g, when it is requested by the competent department of the local government or for purpose of internal supervision on service).

4. 6 Physical information provided by Clients will be transferred to and stored at the Chinese Embassies or Consulates. The Application Center will save the collected clients' information in physical or electronic form and take reasonable administrative measures in order to prevent information leakage or unauthorized use, and ensure only proper use of all the information.

4. 7 The Application Center will collect, transfer, store, process and use all client information in accordance with local laws for the purpose of fulfilling its legal responsibilities and obligations, including but not limited to applying for Chinese visas and authentication.

4. 8 The Application Center will take every reasonable precaution to strictly ensure the safety of the personal information and documents of the applicants in line with relevant laws of the resident country, but is not be liable for any consequences due to events or acts beyond its reasonable control such as natural disasters (Force Majeure), unforeseen accidents and larceny, etc, which may occur when the information and documents are in transit between the Application Center and the Embassies or Consulates.

 

Article 5 Regarding Liability

5. 1 If a passport or document is lost or damaged while in the custody of the Application Center, the Application Center will bear the reasonable cost incurred by applicants for replacement of passports following the normal application procedures with their country’s passport authority or for replacement of documents. The cost will be reimbursed on presentation of the copy of the receipt issued by the passport or relevant authority. However, this agreement does not mean that the Application Center will be held liable in any way.

5. 2 Clients must make their visa or authentication applications at an appropriate time in accordance with their travel or use arrangement. Under no circumstances will the Application Center be responsible or liable for any delay of travel or use arrangement as a result of a client's inappropriate action in regard to the time of submitting the application or the assessment result of the Embassies and Consulates.

5. 3 If a client selects to apply by post, or requests return delivery by post in regard to a processed application, the Application Center will not be responsible or liable for any delay, delivery to a wrong address, or damage to or loss of the documents by any mail service or delivery service company or not by the Application Center.

5. 4 To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Application Center expressly disclaims all conditions and warranties, express or implied, in connection with the visa or authentication application services other than any conditions or warranties expressly stated in these terms. Where the law precludes such exclusion and implies certain terms, conditions and/or warranties into the terms ("Implied Terms"), the liability of the Application Center for a breach of such Implied Terms shall be limited, at the option of the Application Center, to any one or more of the following:

(a) Re-supply of the relevant application services; or

(b) Cost of the re-supply of the relevant application services; or

(c) Any amount paid by the Client to the applicable government department or authority in regard to the relevant application services (upon presentation of a proper receipt).

5. 5 Clients acknowledge and agree that under no circumstances will the Application Center be liable to them or anyone claiming through them for any indirect, incidental, special and/or consequential losses or damages of whatever nature, or for loss or profits, loss of opportunity, loss of business or goodwill or interruption of business, whether arising out of or in connection with their application and/or any of the visa application services, and whether or not relating to any act, error, omission or negligence by the Application Center or any officer, agent, employee and representative of the Application Center.

5. 6 All terms hereof are governed by laws of the respective state or province where the Application Center is located. Litigation relating to visa or authentication services will be heard by a court in the resident state or province.

 

Article 6 Other Terms

6. 1 The Application Center, with sole discretion, may change, amend, cancel or withdraw any or all of the terms and conditions mentioned herein at any time without any prior notice. If a client is dissatisfied with the changes being made, the client's sole and exclusive remedy is to refuse the services the Application Center provides.

6. 2 The client hereby agrees to accept and confirm that the applicant and / or his / her representative, prior to submitting the visa or authentication application, has read, understood and agreed to be bound by, without limitation or qualification, all of the terms, conditions and details provided herein.