Legalisation of documents from China for use in the Netherlands

The costs of legalisation at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs vary per product. Ask the Ministry how much you have to pay.

You also have to pay for legalisation at the embassy or consulate-general. The consular fees chart shows how much you will have to pay.

You pay all fees to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It takes 5 to 10 days on average to legalise your documents. You can find out how long it will take for you when you submit your application to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

If you are a Chinese national you probably have a hukou, with information about the composition of your household. This may be a collective hukou, issued by a university or orphanage for example.

A certified true copy of a complete and up-to-date hukou is not required in the following situations:

• When registering for the first time in the Personal Records Database (BRP) if you lived outside China for at least 1 year before arriving in the Netherlands. Proof of residence in the country where you lived may be required.
• When applying for naturalisation.
• When applying for family migration if the joining family member lived outside China for at least 1 year before arriving in the Netherlands. Proof of residence in the country where they lived may be required.

You can have the following documents drawn up by a notarial office (gong zheng chu) in Chinese. The English translation of your document will be attached to the original. For the Dutch authorities, the Chinese document is the most important part.

Notarial certificates

A notarial certificate is a document drawn up by a notary about an event such as a birth. It contains all necessary information about this event. The notary issues this document on the basis of an official Chinese document.

Certified true copies

A certified true copy is a photocopy made by a notary of an original Chinese document. The notary adds a certificate stating that the photocopy is the same as the original.

You were born before 1 March 1996

You need:

1. A notarial certificate stating your family name, given name(s), date and place of birth and the names of your mother and father.
2. A certified true copy of one of the following documents:
   1. your parents’ hukou containing the details of your birth.
   2. a hospital certificate stating that the certificate can be used for recording the birth in the hukou system.
   3. a certificate from the Public Security Bureau with full details of your birth.
3. A certified true copy of your complete and up-to-date hukou. This copy is not needed if you are recorded as a resident child in your parents’ complete and up-to-date hukou (see item 2 above). Nor is it needed in the situations described under ‘Hukou (household registration)’.

Other source documents, such as a statement by a midwife, are not accepted. An identity card alone is not accepted either.

You were born on or after 1 March 1996

You need one of the following documents:

• A certified true copy of your medical birth certificate.
• Your original medical birth certificate, if you are applying in person.

Late registration of birth

What you need depends on when you were born. See ‘You were born before 1 March 1996’ or ‘You were born on or after 1 March 1996’.

Please note: in some cases, additional documents are required. Ask the Dutch authorities what documents you need.

Men aged 22 and older and women aged 20 and older need:

• A certified true copy of a certificate from the Civil Affairs Bureau.

Men aged 21 and younger and women aged 19 and younger need:

• A notarial certificate of marital status.
• A certified true copy of their complete and up-to-date hukou. This copy is not needed in the situations described under ‘Hukou (household registration)’.

You need:

• A certified true copy of your red marriage booklet.
• A certified true copy of your complete and up-to-date hukou in which the marriage is confirmed by the Public Security Bureau. This copy is not needed in the situations described under ‘Hukou (household register)’.
• Your original red marriage booklet, if you are applying in person.

You need:

• One of the following documents:
  1. A certified true copy of the decree of divorce issued by the court.
  2. A certified true copy of your divorce booklet.
• A certified true copy of your complete and up-to-date hukou in which the divorce is confirmed by the Public Security Bureau. This copy is not needed in the situations described under ‘Hukou (household register)’.

You need:

• One of the following documents:
  1. A certified true copy of the agreement between the parents on who gets custody of the child.
  2. A certified true copy of the court judgment on which parent gets custody of the child.
• A certified true copy of the child’s medical birth certificate.

Or

• The child’s original medical birth certificate, if you are applying in person.
• An original statement from the parent who does not have custody of the child, in which they give permission for:
  1. the child to accompany the other parent to the Netherlands,
  2. the child to be issued a passport, or
  3. the child to receive Dutch nationality.
• A photocopy of the passport of the parent who does not have custody of the child. The photocopy must be signed and dated by this parent.

You need one of the following documents:

• a certified true copy of the death certificate from the Public Security Bureau, or
• if the death occurred in hospital: a certified true copy of the death certificate issued by the hospital.