I. On March 8, 2023, China acceded to the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (hereinafter referred to as the Convention). On November 7, 2023, the Convention will enter into force between China and Malta. The Convention will continue to apply to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macao Special Administrative Region of China.

II. From November 7, 2023, the public documents properly executed in Malta within the scope of the Convention, can be sent to Chinese mainland for use with the Apostille issued by the competent authority of Malta, and the consular legalisation from the Maltese side and the Chinese Embassy in Malta are no longer required.

All public documents within the scope of the Convention sent from China to Malta will no longer be subject to consular legalisation by the Chinese authority and the Maltese Embassy and Consulate General in China, but will be subject to the Apostille. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China is the competent authority for issuing Apostille for public documents executed within Chinese territory. Entrusted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, the Foreign Affairs Offices of relevant local governments in China can issue the Apostille for public documents executed within their respective administrative regions (see the list attached). The Apostille can be verified online in the website: https://consular.mfa.gov.cn/VERIFY/. Specific procedures and requirements for applying Apostille can be checked by visiting the China Consular Service website(http://cs.mfa.gov.cn/) or the websites of relevant local Foreign Affairs Offices.

III. From November 7, 2023, the Chinese Embassy in Malta will terminate consular legalisation service. For public documents executed in Malta, which intended for using in Chinese mainland, please apply for Apostille from the Ministry for Foregn and European Affairs and Trade of Malta.

    IV.According to the the provisions of Convention, Apostille 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. In order to avoid that Apositille issued by relevant Maltese authority will not be accepted by the receiving organization in China, it shall be inquired in advance with the receiving organization about the specific requirements for the format, content, time limit, translation and other aspects of foreign public documents before proceeding with Apostille application.  

                                                        Chinese Embassy in Malta

                                                        October 30, 2023

Attachment:

List of Authorized Local Foreign Affairs Offices for issuing APOSTILLE (31 in total)

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