China has acceded to the Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (HCCH 1961 Apostille Convention) on March 8, 2023, and the legal effects of the Hague Convention will come into force on November 7, 2023. From this date onwards, the legalization procedure will be replaced by the apostille procedure. The notarization and the affixing of an apostille to the document will be sufficient. 

The China Embassy legalization requirement of documents has long been a challenge for trademark owners seeking to protect their trademarks in China. Nevertheless, only members of this Convention can enjoy this benefit.