General Information

“Authentication” is a generic term that commonly refers to the process of verifying the origin of a public document by certifying the authenticity of the signature and legal authority of the public official who signed it. It does not, however, certify the content of the public document to which it relates.

On 07 November 2023, the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents (Apostille Convention) takes effect in China.  As a result, after the document is Apostilled by the DFA, there is no more need for legalization of the concerned Foreign Embassy or Consulate if the destination of the apostilled document is also a State Party to the Apostille Convention, like China.  This also means that a document already apostilled by the Chinese Foreign Affairs Office (FAO) does not need to undergo another authentication or legalization by the Philippine Consulate.