The Consulate General in Shanghai assists in notarial matters concerning Swedish citizens or documents to be invoked in Sweden or before a Swedish authority for those residing in Shanghai, Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang.
The Consulate General issues certificates only by appointment, see more below. You must come to the Consulate General in person, be able to identify yourself and present original documents you are invoking.
For all certificates (except for life certificates), the Consulate General charges a fee per document equivalent to SEK 200. You can pay the fee by debit or credit card or Alipay.
Please note that the Consulate General cannot act as a mailbox between you and other Swedish authorities. If you need to order an extract from another Swedish authority, this must be sent to an address in Sweden or your international address by agreement.
The Consulate General can certify that your current Swedish passport and a previous Swedish passport are issued to the same person.
The Consulate General cannot certify that the contents of an identity card/family certificate, register extract, diploma are accurate. An apostille stamp can be issued in Sweden on these documents. Read more under Apostille below.
The Consulate General can issue a certificate that, according to information in a Swedish marriage certificate, there is no impediment to marriage for you. If you in the Swedish population register is registered as residing in China, you can apply for a marriage certificate at the Consulate General.
If you are registered in Sweden, you must order a marriage certificate from the Swedish Tax Agency yourself. An apostille stamp in Sweden may be needed.
Read more about getting married in China here.
The Consulate General may, on request, certify that a copy corresponds to the original document.
The Consulate General can certify a Swedish citizen's signature. The name must be written in the presence of an authorized official and you must be able to identify yourself at the time.
Life certificates that must be presented to the Swedish authority are issued free of charge.
The Consulate General does not translate documents. Translations of Swedish documents can be made by an authorised translator appointed by Kammarkollegiet.
Apostille, previously legalizations
Since November 7, 2023, China has acceded to the "Hague Convention on Apostilles". This means that Swedish documents with an apostille stamp can be used in China without legalization by the Foreign Ministry or the Consulate General. Similarly, Chinese documents can be used in Sweden without further legalization. Apostille is an authorized stamp on a document that certifies that a signature is genuine. When a document is affixed with an apostille stamp, it is exempt from any form of authentication, i.e. no further approval/legalization is required from a foreign Embassy or Consulate General. Please note that you yourself are still responsible for checking with Chinese authorities or the Chinese Embassy in Stockholm which documents require possible translation and an apostille stamp. If you are traveling from Sweden, it is very important that you check this before you leave Sweden, as the Consulate General cannot assist with either translation or apostille.
Apostille in China
Within the Consulate General's consular districts, the following Foreign Affairs Offices can issue apostille stamps:
Provincial Foreign Affairs Office: Shanghai, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang Municipal Foreign Affairs Office: Ningbo
More information about China's accession to the convention can be found on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Rupublic of China.
Apostille in Sweden
In Sweden, since January 1, 2005, only Notaries Public have the right to issue apostilles. It is the county administrative boards that appoint Notary Public. Neither the Foreign Ministry nor the Consulate General can issue an apostille. The Consulate General does not legalize Swedish documents either.
Book an appointment here - choose visit during reception visiting hours
