Notarial services for Chinese citizens – China in Australia

Check with the office. The official pages for this service leave out some details, or are older than a year. Use this page as a starting point and confirm fees and documents before you apply.

The embassy and consulates notarise a limited range of documents for Chinese nationals living in Australia: declarations, powers of attorney, marital status, signatures, seals and dates on documents, and fingerprints. Since 7 November 2023 consular legalisation has stopped: Australian public documents for use in mainland China now only need an Australian apostille.

Where to apply in Australia

Embassy consular hall in Canberra (15 Coronation Drive, Yarralumla ACT; ACT and NT) and the Consulates-General in Sydney (NSW), Melbourne (VIC and TAS), Brisbane (QLD), Perth (WA) and Adelaide (SA). Apply at the post that covers the state where you live.

Temporary visitors from China should normally use a notary in China, except in emergencies such as a death in Australia. Foreign nationals (including ethnic Chinese with Australian citizenship) use an Australian notary plus an apostille.

Contact details for every office are on the page of the embassy and consulates of China.

How to apply

Prepare the typed document, read and sign the relevant notice (power of attorney or declaration) in front of the consular officer, and lodge at the post covering your state. Return post is possible with a return envelope and service fee where allowed.

Documents you need

Chinese nationality and full legal capacity (guardian acts otherwise)
Document printed or written in dark ink, no corrections
Signed notice form for powers of attorney or declarations
Not available: facts that happened in China (birth, death, no-criminal-record, degrees, licences), contracts, real estate, company or financial matters

Fees and processing time

Official fee: AUD 30 per original for declarations and civil matters, AUD 60 for commercial or property matters, AUD 10 per copy
Other charges: express AUD 30; return post AUD 10 per envelope

Processing time: Usually 4 working days.

Good to know

Notarial fee page dated 13 March 2018; overview page dated 1 January 2020. Legalisation ended under the Apostille Convention (notice dated 25 October 2023).

Official sources

Check before you apply

This page summarises information published by China's official channels, last checked on 25 octubre 2026. Fees and requirements can change at short notice, so confirm with the office that will handle your case.

Spotted a change? Let us know.

China: Notarial services for Chinese citizens in Australia