Process for Degree Certificate Attestation for China: Timeline for Professionals
Moving to China on a job offer usually means more than one certificate. Engineers, managers and specialists are often asked for the degree, a transcript and an experience letter, plus a police certificate. This guide sets out the process for degree certificate attestation for China as an order of work, so each paper is ready when your employer files the work permit.
Process for degree certificate attestation for China: quick answer
Process for degree certificate attestation for China, in short: notary, SDM attestation and MEA attestation in India, then legalisation by the Chinese Embassy or a Consulate General. There is no apostille, because India objected to China’s accession to the Apostille Convention. This post is about timing and order of work for professionals; for document rules and fees in detail, see the full China degree guide.
The hard part for a working professional is timing. The permit office in China reviews the papers before you get the Z visa, and some, such as a criminal record certificate, must be recent. Plan the whole set at once, start with the employer’s written checklist, and send everything in one courier. Our MEA stage is Rs 1,000–1,500 per document; the Chinese Embassy fee is extra.
What a professional’s China file usually contains
| Degree certificate | Work permit guidance from Shanghai and Nanjing asks for foreign degrees certified by a Chinese embassy or consulate |
|---|---|
| Transcript | Asked for by some employers to show the subjects behind the degree; legalise it only if the checklist names it |
| Experience letter | Permit guidance asks for a letter from the former employer, stamped or signed, with a contact; ask whether it also wants it legalised |
| Police clearance certificate | Must be issued within six months and certified by a Chinese embassy or consulate, according to the same guidance |
Under the Shanghai and Nanjing guidance, the applicant gives a written health commitment before entry and completes the medical check in China. Do not legalise an Indian medical report unless your employer asks for it.
Process for degree certificate attestation for China, in order
- 1Get the checklist in writingAsk HR in China which papers the permit office wants and whether translations are done in China or India.
- 2Check names and datesEvery paper should match your passport. Fix spelling problems with the issuer before anything is stamped.
- 3Order the PCC lastBecause of the six-month limit, apply for the police certificate close to the time you send the set.
- 4Indian stagesNotary and SDM in Delhi, then MEA attestation of each paper. Our charge covers all three.
- 5Chinese missionWe lodge the set through the Chinese Visa Application Service Center for legalisation.
- 6Scan, then courierWe send you scans for your employer at once and return the originals by Blue Dart.
Where professionals lose time
- Sending the degree first and the transcript later, which doubles courier and queue time
- A PCC that turns six months old while the permit file is still open
- An experience letter without a seal, signature or contact detail
- Different spellings of your name across the degree and the passport
- Waiting for the visa appointment before starting attestation
Process for Degree Certificate Attestation for China: Timeline for Professionals: real sample
A real document from our files, with personal details hidden. Check the stamps on your own document against it.
Chinese translation and the permit system
Nanjing’s work permit FAQ says non-Chinese documents need Chinese translations sealed by a translation company. Rules differ by city, so ask your employer before ordering one. If it wants the translation from India, INFINITYGRO translates into Chinese and returns it with the legalised set.
Process for degree certificate attestation for China: fees and time
| MEA attestation stage, personal or educational document | Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per document, all-inclusive: notary, SDM attestation, the MEA fee and our service |
|---|---|
| Embassy legalisation fee | Extra; set by the embassy and confirmed in your written quote |
| Courier | Extra, both ways |
| Translation | Quoted by language and page |
Each document in the set is charged at the MEA stage rate. The Chinese Embassy fee and a time estimate for the full set are given in your written quote.
All charges for this country, including any embassy fee, are on its own fee page.
China embassy attestation feesFAQs: Process for Degree Certificate Attestation for China: Timeline for Professionals
Is the process for degree certificate attestation for China the same as an apostille?
Yes. An apostille is a single MEA certificate used between Convention countries. Because India objected to China’s accession, Indian papers for China instead go through MEA attestation and then legalisation by a Chinese mission in India.
Should I legalise my transcript as well as my degree?
Only if your employer’s checklist names it. Many permit files rely on the degree alone. Legalising a transcript nobody asked for adds cost and queue time without helping the application. If the employer is unsure, send it with the set; a transcript added later means a second courier and a second embassy submission.
Does my experience letter need Chinese Embassy legalisation?
The Shanghai and Nanjing permit guidance we have read asks for an experience letter stamped or signed by the former employer with a contact, and does not say it must be legalised. Some employers still want it legalised. Ask HR and follow their answer.
When should I apply for my police clearance certificate?
Close to the time you send the set to us. Chinese work permit guidance says the criminal record certificate should be issued within six months. INFINITYGRO does not obtain PCCs; we attest and legalise the one you hold.
Can I start the Z visa while documents are being attested?
Not usefully. The Z visa needs the work permit notice from your employer, and the permit office wants the legalised documents first. Finish attestation, let your employer file the permit, then book the visa appointment.
What does the whole set cost?
Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per document for the MEA stage, including notary, SDM, the MEA fee and our service. The Chinese Embassy fee per document is extra and is confirmed in writing. Courier and translation are quoted separately.
Do I need to be in Delhi?
No. Courier the set to our New Ashok Nagar office, or drop it off if you live in Delhi. There is no home pickup. We return the originals by Blue Dart or another secure courier.
Can you contact my former employer for an experience letter?
No. INFINITYGRO does not obtain, draft or correct documents. Ask your former employer for a signed letter on company letterhead with a seal and a contact person, which is what Chinese permit guidance looks for, then send us that original.
Official sources
Plan your China document set
WhatsApp your employer’s checklist and photos of each document. We send one written quote for the whole set.
Office: C – 5 A/2 New Ashok Nagar, Delhi – 110096 · Monday to Saturday, 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM · office drop-off or courier, no home pickup
Related guides
Disclaimer: INFINITYGRO is a private document facilitation service, not a government office or embassy. Apostilles and attestations are issued only by the Ministry of External Affairs and the embassies concerned; we do not issue, correct or verify certificates. Rules and fees can change, so check the requirements of the authority that will receive your document.
Last reviewed: October 2026