1. On March 8, 2023, China acceded to the Convention on Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization of Foreign Public Documents (hereinafter referred to as the "Convention"). On November 7, 2023, the Convention will enter into force between China and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Convention will continue to apply to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China and the Macao Special Administrative Region of China.
2. Starting on November 7, public documents within the scope of the Convention issued in Bosnia and Herzegovina only need to apply for an apostille before they can be sent to mainland China for use. There is no need to apply for consular authentication by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Chinese Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
3. Public documents within the scope of the Convention sent from China to Bosnia and Herzegovina for use will no longer require consular authentication by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bosnia and Herzegovina Embassy in China but will instead require an apostille certificate. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China is the competent authority for issuing apostille certificates for public documents issued within China. Entrusted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the foreign affairs bureaus of local governments in China can issue apostille certificates for public documents issued within their respective administrative regions (see Appendix 1 for the name list). For apostille certificate online verification, please refer to https://consular.mfa.gov.cn/VERIFY/. For the procedures and requirements for applying for apostille certificates, please refer to the China Consular Service Website (http://cs.mfa.gov.cn/) or the relevant websites of local foreign affairs bureaus.
4. Starting on November 7, our Embassy will no longer provide consular authentication services. For documents issued in Bosnia and Herzegovina that are intended to be used in mainland China, please apply for an apostille certificate at the local basic or municipal court in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
5. According to the provisions of the Convention, an apostille certificate issued by a country is used to prove the authenticity of the signature on a public document, the identity of the signer of the document, and to confirm the genuineness of the seal on the document when necessary. Obtaining an apostille certificate does not mean that a document will be accepted by relevant Chinese institutions. Please check with the relevant Chinese institutions in advance about their specific requirements for the format, content, time limit, and translation of foreign public documents.