British Embassy Guangzhou

The British Embassy Beijing and the British Consulates General Chongqing, Guangzhou and Shanghai can provide a range of notarial and documentary services for British nationals in China.

If there is no specific formal requirement for a notarial service or certificate to be provided by the British Embassy/Consulate General, local notaries or lawyers can sometimes provide these services more cheaply, quickly and conveniently.

It is essential to check with the relevant authority (registry office/tax authorities/foreigners office, etc) either in the UK, China or a third country, where the consular certificate or service will be accepted. Only the relevant authority can confirm which service you will require. This information cannot be verified by the British Embassy/Consulate General. We will not provide a refund of consular fees if certificates or notarial services are not accepted by the requesting authority.

If you cannot find what you are looking for in the list below please see our services section at the British Embassy/Consulate General or see the list of services provided elsewhere.

Administering an oath, affirmation or statutory declaration

This service is for British nationals who need to swear an oath, make an affirmation or make a statutory declaration in front of a consular officer. We are only able to accept oaths, affirmations or declarations which have been prepared using our template. We are unable to draft documents for you.

Please do not sign the document beforehand as you will be requested to sign it in front of a Consular Officer.

Please be aware that under the Perjury Act 1911 it is a criminal offence to knowingly make a false declaration. Offenders face the possibility of a fine and/or a jail sentence.

Making a certified copy of a document

This service is for British nationals who need certified photocopies of:

• British passports
• Home Office Registration certificates
• British divorce decrees
• British driving licences

The original document will need to be produced to the British Embassy/Consulate General.

We are unable to provide certified photocopies of any other documents, such as (this list is not exhaustive):

• foreign documents, such as identity documents, passports, birth, marriage and death certificates, and driving licences
• bank statements
• utility bills
• documents relating to companies, property, wills, change of name, power of attorney