Notarial Services

 

Notarial Services Information

 

Notarial services are available by appointment Monday to Friday between 14:00 and 15:30. Appointments can be made online via https://embassybeijing.setmore.com/. The applicant needs to present in person to the Australian Embassy Beijing.

 

Under the Consular Fees Act of 1955 a fee applies for these services. Consular Fees are payable in Chinese RMB by debit and credit cards issued by Chinese banks with the unionpay symbol, Alipay, WeChat Pay or cash.  The amounts may vary from time to time according to movements in the exchange rate.

 

Notarial Services include: 

• Certifying true copies of original documents 

• Witnessing of signatures on documents 

• Witnessing the execution of affidavits 

• Witnessing statutory declarations for use in Australia 

• Authentication of documents 

For more information regarding notarial services please visit the Smartraveller website. 

  

What to bring 

You must bring photographic identification which shows your current name and signature. A passport of photo driver’s licence is normally sufficient, however check the instructions that come with your documents that are to be notarised. You may be refused entry to the Embassy without proper identification. 

Bring clear instructions from your lawyer detailing exactly which pages must be witnessed by the consular official. Consular staff cannot provide advice on specific legal requirements, including what documents need to be signed or certified.  

Papers should be presented to officers in an ordered fashion and clear instructions should be given on your exact requirements.  If you are unsure of the legislative requirements relating to witnessing signatures on a particular document, you should seek independent legal advice. 

We recommend bringing additional copies of the documents that you need signing for emergency use. 

  

We Can Not Provide Legal Advice 

Please ensure that documents relating to the notarial services you require from the Embassy are presented in the correct form and that you provide the correct instructions for the notarial service you require. 

If you are unsure of the legislative requirements relating to the notarial service you are seeking, you should obtain independent legal advice. Please note that neither the Australian Government nor the Embassy Beijing guarantees the legal effectiveness of the notarised document or the accuracy of its content. 

Fees paid for notarial services are non-refundable. 

  

Notarial Fees 

Under the Consular Fees Act 1955, a fee applies to these services. Notarial fees are subject to changes in the exchange rate. 

The Embassy accepts mPOS (WeChat and Alipay), Chinese ATM cards and most international credit cards. We do not accept cash, cheques or American Express cards which do not have a UnionPay symbol. 

  

Certifying copies of original documents 

We can photocopy your original document, and certify it is a true copy. 

• Documents must be Australian or for use in Australia. (However we can provide certified copies of original documents for Chinese visas and work permits). 

• We apply the following certification on it: "This is a true copy of the document presented to me". This is the wording approved by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. We won't alter it. 

• We don't certify or endorse the contents in your document. We only certify the copy is identical. 

• We don’t certify identity through images or photographs and are unable to endorse photographs as being a true photograph of an applicant. 

• We can certify copies of some online Australian government documents where the link is provided to us via email. 

• Damaged, framed or laminated documents are not accepted for certifying as a true copy. 

 

Information on Marriage 

Requirements for marrying in China vary considerably between provincial marriage offices and authorities do not provide updated information to the Embassy. Please contact the marriage bureau in the city where you intend to marry to confirm their requirements. 

 
Counter staff are unable to confirm or otherwise give advice regarding which documents may be required for marriage in a specific Chinese city or province. 

 
Local marriage bureaus may require one or a combination of the following documents: 

•  Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage (CNI) 
This document is drawn up from a declaration made by the Australian citizen and confirms there is no impediment to marriage between the Australian and Chinese citizen. The applicant should produce original identification for both parties intending to be married. If either party has been married previously, original divorce certificates must be produced upon application for a CNI. The certificate is issued in English only. You may download a CNI application form here. 
 
• Australian Certificate of Single Status / Certificate of No Record 
This document cannot be issued at the Australian The Embassy  and must be obtained from the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages in the state in which you are normally resident in Australia (online service may be available). This document indicates that you are not currently married according to the records held by Australian state authorities. The Australian the Embassy can authenticate this document if required. The authentication is issued in English only. 

A marriage that is performed in accordance with Chinese laws in China will be recognised by law in Australia, provided that the marriage would be recognised under Australian law. 
  

Taking your partner to Australia 

All enquiries regarding Australian visas for a partner or spouse should be directed to the Department of Home Affairs (DHA). 

 

Australian Visa and Citizenship Documents 

Online visa and citizenship applications do not require certified copies. 

For paper-based visa and citizenship applications which are submitted in China, you can have copies of your documents certified by a Chinese citizen who works in one of the occupations listed here. 

Visa and citizenship applications submitted outside Australia do not need statutory declarations to be witnessed at an Australian Embassy or Consulate. If your visa/citizenship application requires a witnessed declaration/form, please read the witnessing instructions on the declaration/form. The Department of Home Affairs (HA) can generally accept statements witnessed according to the legal practices of the country in which you make the statement. 

All Australian Visa and Citizenship questions must be directed to the Department of Home Affairs. Online enquiries can be submitted here. 

  

Verification of Identity (VOI) 

We can complete the DFAT Identity Certificate for both witnessing signatures, and to accompany certified copies (if required). We will only list identity documents in the bottom section of the DFAT Identity Certificate, such as passport, drivers licence, government issued photo ID card. 

We cannot sign or complete any other 'Identifiers Certificates' or 'Verification of Identity Certificates'. 

Further information is available at Smartraveller. 

  

Witnessing Signatures 

We can witness signatures on various types of official Australian documents, for use in Australia. 

Be aware that you may not need a consular official to witness your signature. In many cases, you can find someone else locally to witness it for you. Ask the receiving authority in Australia who else can witness it for you. 

Documents we can witness 

• Property transfers. Only for buying or selling property in Australia. 

• Australian statutory declarations. Only for use in Australia. Learn more about statutory declarations (Attorney-General's Department) 

• DFAT forms 

• Notices of intended marriage. Learn more about Australian marriage forms (Attorney-General's Department) 

• Most federal government forms. 

• Some state government forms and private sector forms. Ask the form's issuing authority if they accept consular officials as authorised witnesses. 

We don't witness signatures on overseas documents. Ask the local authorities who can witness these for you. Or obtain legal advice. Do not sign the documents before your appointment. 

You must bring:  

• Original documents 

• Your passport – or identification containing both your signature and photograph. 

  

Selling or buying land or property in Australia? 

For land transfers or mortgage documents, you must bring clear instructions from your Australian legal practitioner, law practice licenced conveyancer or mortgagee (bank) detailing which pages of the land documents must be witnessed by the Embassy and which identification documents require certified true copies. 

  

Statutory Declarations 

The Embassy can only witness an Australian Statutory Declaration for use in Australia by an Australian entity. 

The Embassy can not witness Statutory Declarations to be used to support marriage in China or the transfer of Chinese land/property. 

Statutory Declarations should be written in English, however clients may include their own translation within the space provided prior to signing. 

You must bring identification containing both your signature and photograph (eg your passport) so we can verify your identity and signature on any documents you sign. 

More information is available at the Smartraveller website. 

  

Legalisation / Authentication / Apostille 

What is the legalisation process? 

Legalisation is the process where we verify the signature, seal or stamp on a document. We compare it to what we have on record. 

Once we confirm the match, we attach an apostille or authentication certificate to it. Ask the receiving authority what they need. 

The apostille or authentication certificate verifies the signature and/or seal on the document. You can then present it to the authority overseas who asked you for it. 

Types of documents we can legalise 

Documents must be Australian public documents. This means: 

• originals issued by an Australian government agency or official 

• originals issued by an Australian educational institution 

• copies notarised by the Australian Notary Publics 

For original Australian university documents, we can authenticate or apostille once the document is verified by the university. You need to contact your university to verify your original degree as a 'true and accurate record'. This could be available via your university's online portal or email confirmation from your university. 

See more about different types of public documents we legalise. 

Please note: Damaged, framed or laminated documents are not accepted for authentication/apostille services. 

Preparing your documents for legalisation 

Follow these steps before you request our documents legalisation services. 

1. Ask the receiving authority which documents they need. Ask them which ones you must also get legalised. We can't tell you what they may want. 

2. Find out if you'll need either an apostille or an authentication for your documents. 

3. Confirm the documents are eligible for legalising by DFAT. If in doubt, contact us first. 

4. If your documents aren't eligible as-is, you may need to get them notarised first. Find a Notary Public in Australia. Send your document to them. Once notarised, we can legalise it. 

5. Gather your documents. Check if there's any special requirements for your type of document. 

6. Make an appointment. 

You may have additional steps to take to prepare some documents for legalisation. See more about different types of public documents we legalise. 

  

Notary Public 

DFAT officers are not notaries public. Please contact your lawyer for advice on local notaries public.  

  

Translation and Interpreting Services 

The Embassy does not interpret or translate documents.  

 

Disclosure:

Personal information provided to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is protected by law, including the Privacy Act 1988. We may collect, use and disclose your personal information, including to overseas recipients where we reasonably believe it is necessary, to provide you with consular assistance. Important information about the privacy of your personal information is contained in our Consular Privacy Collection Statement, which you should read and understand. Copies of the Statement are available at Privacy | Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (dfat.gov.au)or by requesting a copy from the Department.