- Home
- About Us
- Visas and migration
- Travelling to Australia
- Services for Australians
- Doing business with Australia
- Study in Australia
- Events
- Development Cooperation
- Media centre
- Australia- China relationship
- About Australia
- 中文
Notarial Service
(Effective 1 December 2007)
Notarial Service
The Australian Consulate in Shanghai will provide notarial services for clients between 3pm and 4pm daily.
Notarial Services include:
• certification of copies of official documents
• witnessing of signatures on documents
• witnessing the execution of affidavits
• taking statutory declarations
• authentication of documents
In an emergency, or if you are unable to visit the consulate during this period, please contact the consulate to make an appointment.
These changes are effective from 1 December 2007.
Australian consular officers are authorised to perform certain notarial acts on documents executed in Australia for use overseas, or executed overseas for use in Australia.
Consular officers can assist with a range of notarial acts including:
• Certification of copies of official documents
• Witnessing signatures on certain documents
• Witnessing the execution of affidavits
• Taking statutory declarations
• Authentication of certain documents
Witnessing and Certifying Documents
Requirements of this service are:
• Consular officers needs to sight the original document(s). Copies can not be certified.
• You need to provide proof of identity and signature, such as your passport
• Under the Consular Services Act, there is a fee charged for notarial services
Discalimer: Please ensure that documents relating to notarial services you require from the Australian Consulate-General are presented in the correct form and that you provide the correct instructions for witnessing any signatures on the documents. If you are unsure of the legislative requirements relating to witnessing signatures on a particular document, you should seek independent legal advice. Please note, by witnessing a signature on a document neither the Australian Government nor the Australian Consulate-General in Shanghai guarantees the legal effectiveness of the document or the accuracy of its contents.
Authentications and Apostilles
Overseas governments sometimes need proof that Australian documents, or the signatures of Australian officials on documents, are genuine before they will accept them. We are able to certify that a signature, stamp or seal on a document is genuine by checking it against a specimen held on file.
This is a legal process. We will only issue stamps once we are satisfied the signature, stamp or seal on a document is not fraudulent. Instances of attempted fraud in the past mean that we need to be cautious about authenticating documents.
Which stamp do I need? An Authentication or an Apostille?
That depends on the country you are dealing with.
As a general rule, countries that are party to the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents require an Apostille on documents which qualify as Australian public documents. These countries include Italy, Greece, The Netherlands, Russia, the United Kingdom and many others.
Documents going to countries that are not party to the Hague Convention generally require an Authentication. These countries include China, Vietnam, most of the Middle East and many others.
Please check with the government of the country concerned to find out which stamp you need, and which documents (if any) you need to have stamped. This advice can only be provided by the overseas government you are dealing with, or their embassies and consulates in Australia.
Apostilles can only be performed at a DFAT office in Australia. The Australian Consulate in Shanghai cannot process applications for apostilles.
How do I get an Authentication?
You need to give us an original document (with an original signature). We can only authenticate official Government documents which carry an original signature/stamp or seal on it.
If the document is not an official Government document the document must be notarised by a Notary Public before you bring it to us. Notaries are senior Australian legal practitioners who authenticate, prepare, attest, witness and certify original and copy legal documents for use overseas.
» All business documents must be notarised or certified by the relevant Embassy or Consulate or notarised by an Australian notary public.
» All tertiary education documents must be notarised by a Notary Public or verified by the central Student Administration area of the issuing institution. Please note that some universities will not verify their documents with an original signature, in which case the document must be notarised by a Notary Public.
Fees
Under the Consular Fees Act of 1955 a fee applies to these services.
The fee is to be paid in Chinese currency (cash only).
The amount may vary from time to time according to the exchange rate. Please contact the Consulate-General for information about current fees.