As of the 8th of November 2019, The UK process for document legalization has changed (also referred to as attesting and/or authentication).
Chinese authorities have imposed further charged regarding how much the documents are. We have created a guide to make it easier for you to adjust to the change.
How was it before?
Before, all legalization documents for UK documents were dealt with by the Chinese Embassy in London, either in person or by mail submission and collected.
What about now?
All submissions for legalization have now switched to the Chinese Visa Processing Centre. They must be done via appointment only, and should be booked online!, It will not be possible to submit any documents without an arranged appointment. You will receive a ticket number. Upon arrival, you will be waiting between 15 to 90 minutes, normally throughout the week.
You will then have to complete an application form to support your documentation at the centre with a signed signature without any errors in the form. Once you have paid, you will receive a collection date to obtain the documents within 3 to 4 days.
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Changes to fees
If you travelled to London to submit your documents and would like them returned via postal services rather than in person, the Chinese Embassy charges £71 and it will be returned between 5 to 10 days. Otherwise, you can collect them for free in person. Or, you can use an agent to help do this process for you.
Going forward
Processing time remains the same as before, however Chinese authorities have imposed consular stamp fees and postal charges.
Using an Agent
It might be less stressful for the UK process for document legalization if you use an agent , they would be able to turn around the documents quickly without needing to travel or submit the documents yourself. They will provide you the authorization form and hey can handle the whole process and you will save money on the return postage fee. You documents will be looked over by a legalization specialist prior to submission to avoid delays.