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Documents that said to be legalized usually meant to be legalized by a Notary Public in Hong Kong which are usually accepted internationally. There are, however, certain situation that documents need to be legalized by different authorities other than a Notary Public ie. documents apostilled by High Court in Hong Kong or documents attested by a China Appointed Attesting Officer.
Apostille Service When the statutory documents of a Hong Kong company are used for overseas government registration, they are usually required to be apostilled by High Court in Hong Kong. The apostille service is available at Apostille Service Office, High Court Registry. It will take around 3-4 working days to have the submitted documents apostilled.
Documents accepted for apostille service are broadly classified into the following two categories:
1. Public documents bearing the true signature of an official party such as a recognized officer in Hong Kong. For example,
i. Business Registration Certificate. ii. Certificate of Incorporation. iii. Certificate of Registered Particulars. iv. Birth and Death Certificate. v. Marriage Certificate, ie. certificates signed by Deputy Registrar of Marriage (For certificates signed by civil celebrants or issued by the church/temple, please obtain a certified true copy from the Record Office of the Marriage Registry). vi.. Certificate of Absence of Marriage Record.
2. Documents signed by a notary public or a Commissioner for Oaths in Hong Kong. For example,
i. Notary Public - Certified true copy or Power of Attorney. ii. Commissioner for Oaths – Statutory declaration in front of the Commissioner.
Documents Attested by a China Appointed Attesting Officer (CAAO) CAAOs are qualified lawyers in Hong Kong and have been appointed by the Ministry of Justice of the People’s Republic of China. They are able to attest and certify acts, matters and documents of legal significance occurring in or emanating from Hong Kong. Once the documents are attested by a CAAO in Hong Kong, they are legally acceptable for use in People’s Republic of China. Please note that Hong Kong documents legalized by a Notary Public in Hong Kong are NOT accepted by Chinese authorities unless they are attested by a CAAO in Hong Kong. Documents attested by CAAO are broadly divided into the following:
1. Certification and witnessing of execution of legal documents. 2. Certification of original and duplicate documents. 3. Certification of legal facts including company particulars and resolutions of directors and/or shareholders of companies.
Need Assistance If you require legalization or CAAO service, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@intershores.hk or by whatsapp at (852) 5681 1114.
Whatsapp : (852) 5681 1114 Phone : (852) 2186 6936 Email : info@intershores.hk
Disclaimer: Whilst reasonable care has been taken in provision of information above, it does not constitute legal or other professional advice. INTERSHORES does not accept any responsibility, legal or otherwise, for any error omission and accepts no responsibility for any financial or other loss or damage that may result from its use. In particular, readers are advised to take appropriate professional advice before committing themselves to any involvement in jurisdictions, vehicles or practice.
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