How a Florida birth certificate is used in China
Since November 7, 2023, a Florida birth certificate for mainland China needs only the Florida apostille; the Chinese Embassy in Washington has stopped consular authentication. Families use it for a child's household registration (hukou) or family-reunion residence, and in inheritance cases where an heir proves descent. The Chinese Embassy's notice warns that an apostille doesn't guarantee acceptance, so check format and time limits with the Chinese office. Expect a full Chinese translation stamped by a translation agency, covering the certificate and the apostille.
Translation for China
China generally requires a full Chinese translation sealed by a translation agency, often one registered in China, or by the employer for work-permit files. A Florida translation, even certified, notarized and apostilled, may not be accepted, so ask the Chinese office first.
What your Florida birth certificate must look like
The Florida Department of State apostilles the signature of the State Registrar, so you need a certified copy issued by the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics or a county health department — not a hospital certificate, a photocopy or a scan. Copies certified before 2014 carry an older signature and are not accepted; order a fresh certified copy through VitalChek or your county health department before you send it. The certified copy itself (about $9–$14 from the issuing office) is the only cost on top of our $220.
Step by step: birth certificate apostille for China
- Order online — pick "Birth certificate" and "China" on the order form; $220 per document, $380 for two, $160 each for three or more.
- Send a photo — reply to the confirmation email with a picture of the document. We check the certification before anything ships, so a defect is caught before it costs you a round trip.
- Drop it at FedEx — after approval, FedEx emails you a prepaid QR code; show it at any FedEx Office or Ship Center, no printer or label needed.
- Filed in person in Tallahassee — we walk the document into the Florida Department of State and ship the apostilled original back by FedEx within 5–7 business days of receipt — to your U.S. address, or to China with international return shipping (+$100).
One Florida apostille is all the U.S. side needs for China. Whatever the office there asks for after that — a translation, a filing deadline — is covered above.