Authentication Instructions

1. Notarize your documents

All non-government issued documents must be notarized by a local notary public, including school documents, power of attorney, adoption papers, single status affidavit, etc.

2. County Authentication

Documents notarized in AL, GA, HI, KY, MD, NY, and TN must be authenticated by the county before being sent to CVSC. County authentication can be obtained from a circuit clerk, county clerk, probate judge, or superior court clerk. CVSC can only provide county authentication for NY state.  For all other states mentioned above, the county authentication must be handled by the customer. 

3. Get your documents certified by the Secretary of State’s office

Send your notarized authentication documents or government issued documents, such as birth/death certificate, marriage certificate, business license, etc., to the Secretary of State’s office in the state where the document was issued. The Secretary of State’s office will certify your documents for a fee. Check with local Secretary of State’s office for detailed instructions on the document legalization process. CVSC can assist you with this process for a fee. 

4. Get your documents authenticated by US Department of State through CVSC

Documents issued in certain states must also be authenticated by the US Department of State after certification by the local Secretary of State’s office. These states include Washington DC, Delaware, Idaho, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming and FBI reports.

CVSC can also help with this document authentication process for a fee.

5. Send SOS certified document to CVSC

After your document is certified by the Secretary of State (SOS), send both the ORIGINAL AND A PHOTOCOPY of the certified document to CVSC for authentication by Chinese Embassy/Consulate.  Do not remove any staples or binding when making your copy.

6. Photocopy of your passport

A photocopy of the applicant’s passport is required by the Chinese Embassy/Consulates. If you are authenticating commercial or business documents, you must send a copy of the company’s legal representative’s passport.

7. Application Form for Authentication or Notarization

Fill out the Application Form for Authentication or Notarization. The form must be completely filled, typed in all CAPS, signed and dated.

Click here to see a sample pre-filled application form for civil documents. 

8. Supporting Documents

The Chinese Embassy/Consulates may request additional supporting documents, which is usually handled on a case-by-case basis. For example, if the authenticated documents have to do with property transfer, you must provide a copy of the property’s deed. All commercial/business documents will require a copy of the company’s formation documents, such as Articles of Incorporation.  If and when additional documents are required, CVSC will contact you regarding such request.

9. CVSC Order Form

Fill out the CVSC Authentication Order Form. You must include payment information and provide an email address and a day-time phone number where you can be easily reached. Your order will be delayed if you cannot be reached by phone in case we need to contact you with any application issues.  If you are outside of the USA then we will contact you via email.  

Processing Fees

Chinese Embassy Fees

For property or commercial documents	$50 per document
For civil documents	$25 per document
Rush Surcharge (1-2 day processing, if available)	$37 per document
Express Surcharge (2-3 day processing, if available)	$25 per document

US Department of State Fees

$20 per document

Secretary of State Fees

Varies from state to state

CVSC Service Fees

For Chinese Embassy/Consulate authentication	$99 for 1st document, $69 for each additional(per CVSC location)
Rush Surcharge (1-2 day processing, if available)	$45 per document
Express Surcharge (2-3 day processing, if available)	$25 per document
For US Department of State authentication (optional)	$60 per document
For local Secretary of State certification (optional)	$50 per document plus round-trip shipping

Payment Method

Processing fees can be paid by credit or debit card only. The total charges include all government fees, CVSC service fees and appropriate shipping fees. Government fees and CVSC service fees are listed above, and shipping fees are $37 each way via FedEx overnight delivery.  All government fees are subject to 6.9% consular processing fee.

Customer Service

If you need any assistance with your document legalization process, please contact us by email: , or by phone at  1-800-799-6560 during our normal business hours.

Forms

 Affidavit of Single Status (9 KB)

 Document Authentication Form (1436 KB)

 Document Authentication Instructions (2159 KB)