1. On March 8, 2023, China acceded to the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (hereinafter referred to as the Convention). The Convention shall enter into force between China and Trinidad and Tobago on November 7, 2023. The Convention will continue to apply to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.

2. From November 7, 2023, public documents as referred to in the Convention that are executed in Trinidad and Tobago and have to be produced in Chinese mainland shall apply for an Apostille at the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, instead of applying for legalization by the Chinese Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago.

The public documents as referred to in the Convention that are executed in Chinese mainland and have to be produced in Trinidad and Tobago shall apply for Apostille, instead of applying for legalization by competent Chinese authorities and the Embassy of Trinidad and Tobago in China. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China is the competent authority for issuing Apostille for documents executed in Chinese mainland. Relevant Foreign Affairs Offices of local governments are entrusted by the Ministry to issue Apostille executed under their respective administrative jurisdiction (List enclosed with). The website https://consular.mfa.gov.cn/VERIFY/ enables online verification of Apostille issued in Chinese mainland. For the procedures and requirements for applying for Apostille in Chinese mainland, please visit http://cs.mfa.gov.cn/ or the official websites of relevant Foreign Affairs Offices.

3. From November 7, 2023, the Chinese Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago will discontinue legalization. Public documents that are executed in Trinidad and Tobago, and have to be produced in Chinese mainland, shall apply for an Apostille at the Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs.

4. According to the Convention, Apostille issued by a state is to certify the authenticity of the signature, the capacity in which the person signing the document has acted and, where appropriate, the identity of the seal or stamp which it bears. Public documents with an Apostille onto them aren’t necessarily accepted by the relevant Chinese authorities. Applicants shall check the format, content, time limit, translation and other specific requirements of foreign public documents with the Chinese authority where the documents are to be used before going through the relevant procedures.