Preparing Documents from China

Who this is for: People born in mainland China who must submit Chinese civil documents to USCIS (filing an I-130, I-485, N-400 and so on in the U.S.) or to the National Visa Center (NVC) and the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou (immigrant visas), and family members in China who run errands at the notary office.

This guide follows the State Department's "Reciprocity and Civil Documents by Country — China" page, USCIS form instructions and federal regulations, last checked 2026-10-14. Notary office fees, documents and processing times vary by location; for items marked ⚠️, go by the latest requirements of your local notary office and the consulate.

1. The summary table: which document, who needs it, where to get it

The State Department's general rule for Chinese civil documents: Chinese documents for use abroad are all issued by notary offices as "notarial certificates" (公证书); Chinese notaries verify the facts before issuing them. You can get them without being in China: apply to the notary office where you used to live, and you can authorize a family member or friend in China in writing to handle it; the authorization must be in Chinese, or in English with a Chinese translation.

2. Rough timeline

Flow: Figure out which documents you need → go back to China yourself or mail a written authorization home → (police certificate only) first get a certificate from the public security bureau → the notary office issues the notarial certificate (with an English translation) → international courier to the U.S. → submit copies to USCIS, or scan and upload to NVC → bring originals to the interview

• Notarial birth and marriage certificates: get them early; there's no officially stated "validity period," so you can get them at the I-130 stage.
• Police certificates: ⚠️ valid for 2 years (State Department: a police certificate expires two years after issuance, unless it's from a "former country of residence" you haven't returned to since leaving). For consular cases, get it when NVC has created your case and you're about to submit documents, timing it around the interview.
• In China: notary offices typically take a few business days to a few weeks ⚠️; with international shipping, allow at least a month.

3. Notarial birth certificates

The State Department's China page says:

• Name: Notarial Certificate (公证书), issued by a notary at the local notary office.
• Fee: varies by location, usually RMB 300–500, including translation ⚠️.
• Format: every notarial document must have an English translation attached, plus a certificate that "the English translation conforms with the Chinese original."
• Documents needed: ID card and household registration booklet (hukou; a passport copy if you're abroad); one of the following three: the hospital's Medical Certificate of Birth, the initial birth registration from the public security household registration department, or a birth certificate from the subdistrict office or employer's personnel department; at least two photos; an authorization letter and the agent's ID if someone else applies for you; the parents' identity documents (a death certificate if deceased); and anything else the notary requires.
• No alternative documents, no exceptions, no certified copies.

On the USCIS side: the I-485 instructions (09/18/26 edition) require a copy of your birth certificate that lists at least one parent, and for how to get a Chinese birth certificate they point you directly to this State Department country page. In other words, for people born in mainland China, USCIS essentially accepts the notary office's notarial birth certificate; the hospital's Medical Certificate of Birth and the hukou booklet by themselves can't replace it.

Watch out for:

• The pinyin name, date of birth and place of birth on the notarial certificate must exactly match your passport and forms. If there's a typo, try to have the original notary office correct it in China rather than submitting an inconsistent document.
• Elderly parents without a birth certificate still need a "notarial birth certificate" from a notary office; a marriage certificate can't substitute (a 2025 Q&A on wenxuecity gave the same reminder).

4. Notarial marriage and divorce certificates

The State Department says there are two kinds of notarial marriage certificate, and both are accepted:

• Notarial Certificate for Marriage (结婚公证): certifies that the marriage is genuine and legal;
• Notarial Marriage Certificate (结婚证公证): certifies that the original marriage certificate is genuine and the copy matches the original.

Bring: ID card and hukou booklet (a passport copy if abroad), the original marriage certificate, at least two photos, and an authorization letter if someone else applies for you. Divorce certificates work the same way, with both forms accepted; you need the original divorce certificate or divorce judgment or mediation agreement.

Hard requirements for immigrant visas (State Department Step 7): however many times you've married, submit proof of each marriage; if you were previously married, submit proof that each prior marriage ended (final divorce decree, death certificate or annulment). In marriage-based cases, if the petitioner was previously married, they too must submit proof that each prior marriage ended.

5. Police certificates

1. Who needs one

The State Department's China page lists:

• People 16 or older who lived in China for 6 months;
• Chinese citizens who lived in China for at least 6 months (at any time) after turning 16;
• Non-Chinese citizens who lived in China for 1 year after turning 16.

The general rule in State Department Step 7: if you're 16 or older, you need one from your country of nationality if you lived there more than 6 months; from your current country of residence if you've lived there 6 months; from any other country where you lived 12 months after turning 16; and from anywhere you were arrested, regardless of how long you lived there. Current and former U.S. residents don't need a U.S. police certificate.

This is mainly a requirement for consular immigrant visas (NVC / Guangzhou). When filing an I-485 in the U.S., USCIS generally relies on fingerprint background checks, and the form instructions don't require a Chinese police certificate; but if you have a criminal or arrest record, submit court and police dispositions as the instructions require.

2. How to get one (two steps)

1. First, the public security authorities (police station, public security bureau or exit-entry department) issue a "certificate of no criminal record" (无犯罪记录证明);
2. Then take it to a notary office, which issues a "police certificate" notarial certificate; have the same notary office do the translation, which adds two pages certifying the translation is accurate.

The State Department specifically notes that the certificate from the police and the notarial certificate from the notary office aren't the same thing; the consulate wants the one issued by the notary office, with translation. Notary offices differ: some take online applications, others require you in person, so call ahead.

3. If you're in the U.S.

• State Department: some notary offices accept an agent, others require you in person; most can only mail to an address in China, so family there needs to forward it.
• Chinese embassy and consulates in the U.S. don't issue notarizations of birth, death or no criminal record (Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco, notarization guidance updated 2025-10); for facts that happened in China, go to a notary office in China.
• The Chinese Embassy in the U.S. offers "remote video notarization from abroad" (since 2023-06-01, for long-term U.S. residents who go to the embassy for a video link). But one of the stated conditions is that "the notarial certificate is intended for use in China," so don't count on this route for a police certificate for U.S. immigration; email the embassy first. ⚠️
• If you've lived in several cities: every place you lived after turning 16 must be covered. Which office issues it and whether one certificate can cover everything, ask the notary office where your hukou is registered or where you lived. ⚠️

6. Apostilles: China joined in November 2023

• China joined the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents on 2023-03-08, and it took effect for China on 2023-11-07 (announcement of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
• Since then, Chinese documents used in other member countries need only a Chinese apostille (附加证明书) rather than consular legalization. China's competent authority is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and authorized provincial and some city foreign affairs offices can also issue them; the apostille is a sticker and can be verified online at consular.mfa.gov.cn/VERIFY.
• Conversely, U.S. documents for use in mainland China (such as a U.S. birth certificate, power of attorney or police clearance) need only an apostille from the competent U.S. authority; the Chinese embassy and consulates in the U.S. stopped consular legalization on 2023-11-07. The embassy also notes that an apostille doesn't guarantee the receiving institution in China will accept the document; check format, validity and translation requirements first.

What it means for U.S. immigration applications: neither the State Department's China page nor the USCIS I-130 and I-485 instructions require an apostille on Chinese notarial certificates (a search for "apostille" in both sets of instructions returns 0 results). For Chinese birth, marriage and police notarial certificates for USCIS and the consulate, notarization plus translation as described above is enough. Get an apostille only when an institution (a school, state government, court, etc.) specifically asks for one.

7. Translation requirements: USCIS and the consulate differ

USCIS (filing in the U.S.)

• 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3): any foreign-language document must come with a full English translation, and the translator must certify that the translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate from the foreign language into English.
• The I-130 (04/01/24 edition) and I-485 (09/18/26 edition) instructions further require the translator's certification to include signature, printed name, date and contact information.
• The regulations don't require notarized translations or a "certified translation company." They don't explicitly bar translating your own documents either, but for core documents proving identity and relationships, a third-party translator is safer.
• Submit clear copies, not originals (the instructions say originals sent without being requested may be destroyed); USCIS can ask for originals at any time, and you bring originals to interviews.
• Even when the notarial certificate has its own English translation, check that every Chinese part (cover, seal descriptions, footers and so on) is translated; missing translations easily lead to an RFE. Documents without an official translation, such as the hukou booklet or employer letters, need a separate full translation plus the translator's certification.

The consulate / NVC (immigrant visas)

• State Department Step 7: documents not in English or the official language of the country where you're applying need a certified translation, with the translator's signed statement that the translation is accurate and they're competent to translate.
• Chinese notarial certificates already come with an English translation and a "translation conforms with the original" certificate per the State Department's China page, so you generally don't need a separate translator.
• Scan and upload documents to NVC (CEAC) first; don't mail originals to NVC; bring originals on interview day. For the Guangzhou interview checklist, see The Guangzhou immigrant visa interview.

8. What applicants report (since 2025; individual experiences, not guarantees)

• The double-numbered (4-page) version is easier. A common forum view: notarial birth certificates for the U.S. usually come as "Chinese + English translation + certificate of conformity"; people who submitted an old two-page version or one made for Canada risked getting an RFE. Tell the notary office upfront it's "for U.S. immigration."
• Get several copies at once. Getting 2–3 extra copies of birth and marriage certificates is recommended, since the I-485, N-400 and later procedures may all need them, and it's cheaper than asking family to make another trip.
• Not one letter of pinyin can be wrong. Names and places of birth that don't match the passport are among the most common reasons for being asked to explain or submit more evidence.
• Don't get the police certificate too early. The two-year validity counts from the issue date; with long waits for visa numbers, an early certificate may have expired by the interview and need to be redone.
• Make the authorization letter specific about which documents and how many copies. Your agent in China can then get everything done in one trip.

FAQ

1. Can the hukou booklet replace a notarial birth certificate? No. The hukou booklet and the Medical Certificate of Birth are the underlying documents for getting a notarial birth certificate at the notary office. USCIS wants a birth certificate that lists your parents, and the State Department's China page lists the notarial birth certificate.

2. Do Chinese notarial certificates need an apostille for USCIS? Generally no. Neither USCIS nor the State Department requires it. Get one only when the receiving institution specifically asks.

3. Can I translate my own hukou booklet for USCIS? The regulations don't explicitly prohibit it, but you must attach a full translation and a translator's certification that meets the requirements. For core documents, a third-party translator reduces the risk of questions.

4. How long is a police certificate valid? For consular immigrant visas, the State Department says a police certificate expires 2 years after issuance (except for a former country of residence you haven't returned to since leaving).

5. I'm in the U.S. Can I get a police certificate at a Chinese consulate? No. The Chinese embassy and consulates in the U.S. don't notarize birth, death or no-criminal-record certificates; ask family in China to go to a notary office.

6. There are two kinds of notarial marriage certificate. Which should I get? The State Department says both are accepted.

7. Do I need a Chinese police certificate when filing an I-485 in the U.S.? The I-485 instructions don't generally require one; USCIS runs fingerprint background checks. But if you have an arrest or conviction record, submit the related court and police documents as the instructions require, ideally after consulting a lawyer.

8. How do I use my U.S.-born child's birth certificate in China? Get an apostille from the competent authority of the U.S. state of birth; no Chinese consular legalization is needed. Check the specific requirements with the receiving institution in China first.

Official links

• State Department: China reciprocity and civil documents: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/China.html
• State Department: immigrant visa Step 7, collect civil documents: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-5-collect-financial-evidence-and-other-supporting-documents/step-7-collect-civil-documents.html
• 8 CFR 103.2 (translation requirements in (b)(3)): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-103/subpart-A/section-103.2
• I-485 instructions: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-485instr.pdf
• I-130 instructions: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-130instr.pdf
• China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs: the Apostille Convention takes effect 2023-11-07 (Chinese): https://www.mfa.gov.cn/wjb_673085/zzjg_673183/lss_674689/xgxw_674691/202310/t20231023_11165858.shtml
• Chinese Embassy in the U.S.: notice on ending consular legalization: https://us.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/lsfw/zj/gz/202310/t20231025_11167576.htm
• Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco: notarization guidance (2025-10, Chinese): https://sanfrancisco.china-consulate.gov.cn/lsfw/qianzhen/gz/202510/t20251028_11742048.htm
• Chinese Embassy in the U.S.: remote video notarization notice (Chinese): https://us.china-embassy.gov.cn/lsfw/zj/zytz/202305/t20230531_11086213.htm

Related guides: Immigrant visas through the consulate · The Guangzhou immigrant visa interview · Marriage green card (in the U.S.) · Sponsoring your parents · USCIS fees

Disclaimer: This guide is for reference only and is not legal advice. Documents, fees, processing times and remote options vary greatly among notary offices, and U.S. and Chinese requirements change; follow the latest from the State Department, USCIS, the Guangzhou consulate and your local notary office. If you have a criminal record, a name change or inconsistent birth information, consult a licensed U.S. immigration attorney.