1. On March 8, 2023, China acceded to the 1961 Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (hereinafter referred to as the Convention). On November 7, 2023, the Convention will enter into force between China and North Macedonia. The Convention will continue to apply to the Hong Kong SAR of China and the Macao SAR of China.

2. Starting from November 7, public documents within the scope of the Convention issued by North Macedonia only need to apply for an apostille in North Macedonia before they can be sent to Chinese mainland for use. There is no need to apply for consular authentication by  North Macedonia and the Chinese Embassy in North Macedonia.

Public documents within the scope of the Convention sent from China to North Macedonia for use will no longer require consular authentication by China and Embassy of North Macedonia in China, but will instead require apostilles. For specific procedures and requirements for applying for apostilles, please log on to the Chinese Consular Service website (https://consular.mfa.gov.cn/VERIFY/) or the websites of relevant local Foreign Affairs Offices.

3. Starting from November 7, the Chinese Embassy in North Macedonia will cease consular authentication services. For documents issued by North Macedonia intended to be sent to Chinese mainland, please apply for apostilles from competent authorities in North Macedonia (For more information, please refer to https://www.pravda.gov.mk/usluga/10 ).  

4. According to the provisions of the Convention, an apostille issued by a country is used to prove the authenticity of the signature on the public document, the identity of the signatory of the document at the time of signing, and to confirm the authenticity of the seal on the document when necessary. The completion of apostille in North Macedonia does not guarantee the acceptance of the public document by the relevant user in China. It is recommended to check in advance with the relevant party in China about specific requirements for format, content, time limit, translation, etc. before going through the relevant procedures.

Annex 1: List of Foreign Affairs Offices that May Issue Apostille in China (31 in total)

Hebei Province, Shanxi Province, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Liaoning Province, Jilin Province, Heilongjiang Province, Shanghai Municipality, Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, Anhui Province, Fujian Province, Jiangxi Province, Shandong Province, Henan Province, Hubei Province, Hunan Province, Guangdong Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Hainan Province, Chongqing Municipality, Sichuan Province, Guizhou Province, Yunnan Province, Shaanxi Province, Gansu Province, Changchun City, Harbin City, Ningbo City, Jinan City, Qingdao City and Shenzhen City.