Quick answer
A Florida deed rarely matters in China. One Florida apostille is all the U.S. side needs — $220, 5–7 business days.
- Issued by
- The county official who keeps Florida's Official Records (in most counties, the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller), as a certified copy of the recorded deed.
- Florida state fee
- $20 — included in $220
- Route
- Apostille only — Hague member since 2023
- Online notarization
- Not applicable — needs a certified copy
- Consulate serving Florida
- Embassy of China in Washington, D.C.
- Translation
- 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.
How a Florida property deed is used in China
A Florida deed rarely matters in China. It appears in a Chinese divorce or inheritance case covering property in both countries, or when a Chinese bank asks for proof of assets abroad. For those uses, get a certified copy of the recorded deed from the county office that keeps Official Records, then apostille it and add a Chinese translation. Ask first whether a plain copy is enough.
Getting a property deed Florida will apostille
A certified copy of the recorded deed with the custodian's certification and seal, or the clerk's official electronic certification printed complete with its verification page, including every recorded page and exhibit. The original deed returned after closing, free online search copies and notarized photocopies can't be apostilled.
Find the book and page or instrument number in the county's Official Records search, then order a certified copy in person, by mail or electronically where offered; Palm Beach County's E-Certify service, for example, sells electronic certified copies for $8 per document. County fees are not included in our $220.
State fee for this document: $20 — included in our price. Full details on the property deed apostille page.
Who receives it in China — and translation
Work permits go through local foreign-expert and work-permit offices; residence permits through public security bureaus' exit-entry offices; companies through local Administrations for Market Regulation; marriages through civil affairs marriage registration offices; and inheritances through Chinese notary offices. The Embassy of China in Washington, D.C. serves Florida, but it no longer authenticates U.S. documents for mainland 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.
Work-permit rules require a criminal record certificate issued within six months, and Beijing's marriage registration rules treat a single-status document as valid for six months. Other offices set their own limits.
Consular office serving Florida: Embassy of China in Washington, D.C.
Four steps, one week
Order online
Pick the document and destination country on the order form and pay by card. After we review your documents, FedEx emails you a prepaid label.
Send your document
Drop the envelope at any FedEx location.
We file in person
We review it, then walk it to the Florida Department of State in Tallahassee for the apostille.
Returned to you
Back in 5–7 business days — anywhere in the U.S., or abroad for a flat $100.
Why property deeds get rejected
- Original deed returned after recording, with no certified-copy certification
- Watermarked or uncertified online printout
- Notarized photocopy of the deed
- Missing exhibit with the legal description
What it costs for China
$220 per document, $380 for two and $160 each for three or more — the state fee, request form, in-person filing in Tallahassee and FedEx shipping inside the U.S. are included. Shipping the finished apostille to China is a flat $100 per order.
Not included: whatever the issuing office charges for the certified copy or certificate, and notarization (online notarization is $40 for the first document — $10 notarization fee + $30 technology platform fee — and $20 for each additional one).