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Will it be accepted?

Documents from China used in the UK

The rules that change because your document comes from China, and the ones that do not, each with the rule that governs it.

Every fact below links to its official source. Last checked 17 August 2026.

The short answer

An apostille has been available for Chinese documents since 2023, and yet none of the UK organisations we checked asks for one. What their rules set out is how the English translation must be done.

What changed in 2023

The apostille position, answered

  • China joined the Apostille Convention, in force since 7 November 2023, so Chinese public documents can carry an apostille obtained in China
  • The UK's own Legalisation Office states: "You cannot get documents issued outside the UK legalised using this service - get them legalised in the country they were issued"
  • None of the official guidance we checked for the organisations below asks for an apostille or legalisation of the incoming document

Sources: HCCH status table; GOV.UK, Get your document legalised

What the rules actually ask for

The translation, done to each organisation's spec

  • Each UK organisation publishes its own translation rule, and they differ more than most people expect
  • For Chinese documents, one organisation, UK ENIC, may need no translation at all under its free waiver
  • Our case pages below quote each organisation's exact published requirement

Sources: the linked official pages on each case page

Your case, organisation by organisation

These pages quote the exact published requirement for each receiving organisation. All of them apply to Chinese documents.

Certificates from mainland China: notarised and apostilled in China

For certificates from mainland China, the official route runs through China itself. What China's foreign ministry and its missions in the UK say:

  • The Chinese Embassy and consulates in the UK do not notarise certificates issued in China, such as birth, marriage and degree certificates or driving licences. Their published notes send applicants to a notary office in mainland China.
  • China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs describes the route for those certificates: notarisation by a notary office in mainland China, applied for in person or through someone you authorise, then an apostille in China where one is needed.
  • Apostilles on Chinese public documents come from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or from a foreign affairs office it has entrusted for documents issued in its own area. Consular legalisation at the Chinese Embassy and consulates in the UK stopped on 7 November 2023.
  • A Chinese apostille can be checked on the foreign ministry's online verification page.
  • The Apostille Convention also continues to apply to Hong Kong and Macao.
  • China's foreign ministry notes that a notarial certificate about a fact that can change, such as marital status or having no criminal record, is generally valid for 6 months, although the receiving country may set a different period.

Living in the UK? The Chinese Embassy and consulates here notarise a power of attorney for Chinese nationals living in the UK, signed in person in front of a consular officer, so that someone in China can apply for the notarisation on your behalf.

Coming to the UK for 6 months or more? GOV.UK lists China among the countries where a TB test is needed: if you have lived there for 6 months or more, and were living there in the last 6 months, the visa application includes a certificate from an approved clinic, valid for 6 months from the x-ray.

Sources: Chinese Embassy in the UK, notarisation notes (dated 3 December 2024); China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, consular service; Chinese Consulate-General in Manchester, notice of 26 October 2023; GOV.UK, TB tests for visa applicants. Checked 11 October 2026.

Your Chinese driving licence

China is not on DVLA's designated-country exchange list, so the tool's outcome for countries outside the list applies:

"You cannot exchange your licence but you can drive for up to 12 months on your non-GB licence."

"After 12 months you'll need to take a theory test and a practical test. You'll need to get a provisional driving licence before you can take the tests."

Wording from GOV.UK, Exchange a foreign driving licence, checked 21 July 2026. The designated list itself names 23 countries and territories, and mainland China is not among them. Hong Kong is on that list in its own right, so a Hong Kong licence follows the exchange route instead.

The embassy will not translate it

A common assumption is that the British Embassy can translate or handle your paperwork. The official guidance says otherwise: "British embassies, high commissions and consulates cannot translate documents."

For certified copies, the same guidance says: "If you're abroad and need a certified copy of a document for a reason other than legalisation, you should find a local notary to do it." Going the other way, with a UK document for use in China? That is a different process: see our China legalisation guide.

  • 2023

    The Apostille Convention has been in force for China since 7 November 2023

  • Free

    ENIC's Translation Waiver for Chinese, one of its named free languages

  • 12 months

    Driving on a Chinese licence in the UK before tests are needed

Sources for this page

We only publish what an official source says, and we re-check these pages on a schedule. If a source changes, this page is reviewed before we rely on it again.

What it confirmsOfficial sourceChecked
China and the Apostille ConventionHCCH status table21 Jul 2026
The UK cannot legalise foreign-issued documentsGOV.UK, Get your document legalised21 Jul 2026
Designated-country exchange listGOV.UK, Exchange a foreign driving licence21 Jul 2026
Non-exchangeable licence outcomeGOV.UK, exchange tool, other countries21 Jul 2026
Chinese in the free Translation Waiver listUK ENIC, Translation Waiver Service21 Jul 2026
What British embassies cannot doGOV.UK, Notarial services guide for China21 Jul 2026
Chinese missions in the UK do not notarise China-issued certificates; powers of attorneyChinese Embassy in the UK, notarisation notes (in Chinese)11 Oct 2026
Notarisation in mainland China and the 6-month validityChina's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, consular service (in Chinese)11 Oct 2026
Who issues Chinese apostilles; the end of legalisation in the UKChinese Consulate-General in Manchester, notice of 26 October 202311 Oct 2026
Online check of Chinese apostillesChina's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, verification page11 Oct 2026
When a TB test is neededGOV.UK, TB tests for visa applicants11 Oct 2026
China on the TB test listGOV.UK, countries where you need a TB test11 Oct 2026

This page is general information based on the official guidance linked above, as it stood on the date shown. It is not legal or immigration advice, and requirements can change. The decision on any application always rests with the receiving organisation, so confirm the current requirements with them before you apply. Lingo Service is not responsible for decisions made by third parties.

More guides like this

More pages in this series, each quoting the receiving organisation's own published wording.

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Common questions

Do I need an apostille on my Chinese document for use in the UK?

China is a contracting party to the Apostille Convention, in force for China since 7 November 2023, so Chinese public documents can carry an apostille obtained in China. None of the official guidance we checked for the organisations covered by these pages asks for one on incoming documents, so confirm with the receiving organisation before paying for anything. The UK cannot add an apostille to a foreign document, so where one is wanted it comes from China.

Can I exchange my Chinese driving licence for a UK one?

China is not on DVLA's designated-country exchange list. The official outcome for countries outside that list states that you cannot exchange your licence, you can drive on it for up to 12 months, and after 12 months you need to pass a theory test and a practical test, with a provisional licence first. The decision is always DVLA's.

Does my Chinese degree need a certified English translation?

For UK ENIC you may not need one at all: Chinese is one of ENIC's named free Translation Waiver languages, for Statement of Comparability applications only. For most other organisations, such as the Home Office or UCAS, the published rules ask for a certified English translation. Our dedicated pages show the exact wording each organisation uses.

Will my document definitely be accepted?

No page can honestly promise that, and you should be cautious of any that does. What we can tell you is what the official guidance requires, with the source, so you can prepare your application exactly as the organisation asks. The decision always rests with the receiving organisation.