LEGALIZATION OF CHINESE DOCUMENTS
All Chinese documents issued in the Consular of the Italian Consulate General in Shanghai (including Shanghai Municipality, and the provinces of Anhui, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang), must be authenticated by the Consulate to be valid in Italy.
The Consulate will check applicants’ documents in the following aspects:
1. check if the translation in Italian of the document corresponds with the original text;
2. check if the signature of appraisal certification issued by local Foreign Affairs Office is valid.
Therefore applicants are kindly asked to finish the following three steps before they submit the documents to the Consulate:
- Step 1: to notarize the document through local notary public office.
- Step 2: to verify the notarial certificate through local Foreign Affairs Office.
For helping applicants prepare documents, the Consulate offers the following information:
(According to the regulation, the Consulate has no obligation to offer this kind of information. Therefore the following information just can be as reference. The applicants are suggested to consult local authorities for details.)
Step 1: notarize the document through local notary public office.
Applicants are suggested to take the original documents and three copies to apply notarization at local notary public office. The notarial certificate should contain the document in Italian language, seal and signature by a notary public. The notarial fee will be counted according to the length of the documents.
Step 2: verify the notarial certificate through local Foreign Affairs Office.
Applicants should take the documents issued by notary public office to local foreign affairs office to verify the documents. In some area, besides the notarial certificate, local notary public office may also provide a sealed envelope which applicants can not open and should be submitted to local foreign affairs office with the notarial certificate. Generally, the authentication fee is 50 RMB. Besides this, since the documents are in Italian language, so the applicant will be charged 50 RMB more. The charge for express service is 150 RMB. However, the applicants are suggested to consult local foreign affairs office for details.
Step 3: apply for authentication through the Consular Section of the Consulate.
Applicants should punctually go to the Consular Section for the appointment of authentication, with the original documents and the notarial certificates verified by local Foreign Affairs Office. The application will be charged as following standard rate: 15.5 euro for authentication service; 8.27 euro per page for checking the accuracy of documents translation (checking if the translation in Italian of the document corresponds with the original one).
Applicants pay in RMB, according to the exchange rate fixed by Embassy of Italy in China every three months. The charge will be counted according to the type of documents and total pages.
Please notice that the Consulate does not accept the documents through fax, email or mail. The applicants must show the original documents at the Consulate.
The applicant can submit documents or get them back through delegated person. Beside the requested documents, the delegated person must also take the applicant’s ID card’s copy which was written with the letter of authorization by the applicant.
Generally it costs the Consulate seven working days for authentication. It depends on the situation of the staff and the quality of networks. If the applicant needs authentication urgently, he / she can apply express service which just needs three working days to get the authentication. The applicant will be charged for express service (it costs 32 euro and the applicant pays in RMB according the exchange rate mentioned above).
Useful Information:
The following contact information of some related Chinese authorities is for convenience of applicants. According to the regulation, the Consulate has no obligation to offer this kind of information. Therefore the following information just can be as reference. The applicants are suggested to consult local authorities for details (esp. their opening hours in Chinese holidays and festivals, such as Spring Festival, vacation of May Day and of Chinese National Day).
1. Shanghai
Shanghai Notary Public Office
No. 660 Fengyang Rd.
Tel: （021）62154848-8006204848
Fax: （021）62150336
Shanghai Notary Public Office Pudong Branch
No. 12, Nong 1097 Pudong Av.
PC: 200135
Tel:（021）58216668
Opening hours: 8:30-18:00 from Monday to Friday; 9:00-16:00 on Saturday.
Shanghai Foreign Affairs Service Center
Rm. 338, 3F, Jiu An Plaza, No, 258 Tongren Rd.
Tel:（021）62470833
Opening hours: 1:30pm.-5:00pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday
2. Zhejiang Province
Foreign Affairs Office of Zhejiang Province
No. 1 Shihan Rd, Hangzhou
PC: 310007
Tel:（0571）87054924
Opening hours: 8:30- 11:30，14:00-16:00 from Monday to Friday (15:00-18:00 for the period of Official Summer Time）
Ningbo Notary Public Office
No. 3 Qingshi Alley, West Zhongshan Rd, Ningbo
PC: 315010
Tel:（0574）87315324
Opening hours: 8:30- 11:15，13:30-17:15 from Monday to Friday
Ningbo Foreign Affairs Office
No. 91 North Jiefang Rd, Haishu District, Ningbo
PC: 315010
Tel:（0574）87367580
Opening hours: 对外接待时间： 8:30- 11:30，14:00-18:00, from Monday to Friday
3. Jiangsu Province
Foreign Affairs Office of Jiangsu Province
No. 313 North Zhongshan Rd, Nanjing
PC: 210003
Tel:（025）83347543，83347546
Opening hours: 9:00- 16:00 from Monday to Friday
4. Anhui Province
Foreign Affairs Office of Anhui Province
No. 8 Meishan Rd, Hefei
PC; 230022
Tel;（0551）2822870
Opening hours: 8:00- 12:00, 14:30-17:30 from Monday to Friday