Australian Consulate-General
Shenyang, China
Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang Provinces

Notarial Services

All notarial services are by appointment only

Appointments must be booked via http://acgshenyang.setmore.com. Notarial services appointments are available  on Tuesday from 9:30 to 12:30. Please book your appointment as early as possible.

The applicant needs to present in person to the Australian Consulate General in Shenyang.

Please ensure you select the right notarial service as some Australian Federal and State laws require that a signature on a document be witnessed by an Australian Consular Officer or have other procedures applied before the document can be used for legal purposes, or in an Australian court of law.  If you select the wrong appointment this may affect our ability to assist you on the day and could result in you having to rebook and return at a later date.

Identification and instructions

You must bring identification containing both your signature and photograph (eg your passport) so we can verify your identity and signature on any documents you sign at the Consulate.

Bring clear instructions from your lawyer detailing exactly which pages must be witnessed by the Consulate.

 

Notarial Services include:

  • certifying true copies of original documents
  • witnessing of signatures on documents
  • witnessing the execution of affidavits
  • witnessing statutory declarations for use in Australia
  • authentication of documents

More information is available at the Smartraveller website.

 

Statutory declarations

The Consulate can only witness an Australian Statutory Declaration for use in Australia by an Australian entity.

The Consulate can not witness Statutory Declarations to be used to support marriage in China or the transfer of Chinese land/property.

Statutory Declarations should be written in English, however clients may include their own translation within the space provided prior to signing.

You must bring identification containing both your signature and photograph (eg your passport) so we can verify your identity and signature on any documents you sign.

More information is available at the Smartraveller website.

 

Selling or buying land or property in Australia?

Bring clear instructions from your lawyer detailing which pages of the land documents must be witnessed by the Consulate and which identification documents require certified true copies.

More information is available from Smartraveller under the "Selling or buying land or property in Australia" section.

 

Verification of identity (VOI)

The Consulate can complete the DFAT Identity Certificate for both witnessing signatures, and to accompany certified copies (if required).

The Consulate cannot sign or complete any other 'Identifiers Certificates' or 'Verification of Identity Certificates'.

The Consulate can only list identity documents (including passport, drivers licence, government issued photo ID card) on the bottom of the DFAT Identity Certificate. We must make a certified copy of each identity document.

Further information is available at Smartraveller.

 

Notarising documents for Chinese visa and work permits

The Consulate can provide Certified Copies of original documents by appointment.

We can also certify copies of some online Australian government documents where the link to the document is provided to us via email.

 

AFP Police Check

For Authentication and Certificated Copies of AFP police check, you must present the original document.

We can not make Certified Copies of documents printed from the internet, including AFP Police Checks.

 

Original Australian University Documents

You can submit original university documents for us to legalise, once verified by the university.

  • You need to contact your university to verify your original degree as a 'true and accurate record'. This could be available via an online portal.

 

Australian Visa and Citizenship Documents

Online Visa and Citizenship applications do not require certified copies.

Visa and Citizenship applications submitted in China and on paper can have copies of documents certified by Chinese citizens whose occupation is listed here.

Visa and Citizenship applications submitted outside Australia do not need statutory declarations to be witnessed at an Australian Embassy or Consulate. If your visa/citizenship application requires a witnessed declaration/form, please read the witnessing instructions on the declaration/form. The Department of Home Affairs (HA) can generally accept statements witnessed according to the legal practices of the country in which you make the statement.

All Australian Visa and Citizenship questions must be be directed to the Department of Home Affairs. Online enquiries can be submitted here.

 

Notary Public

DFAT officers are not notaries public. Please contact your lawyer for advice on local notaries public.

 

We can not provide legal advice

Please ensure that documents relating to the notarial services you require from the Australian Consulate are presented in the correct form and that you provide the correct instructions for the notarial service you require. If you are unsure of the legislative requirements relating to the notarial service you require, you should seek independent legal advice. Please note that neither the Australian Government nor the Australian Consulate in Shenyang guarantees the legal effectiveness of the notarised document or the accuracy of its content. Fees paid for notarial services are non-refundable.

 

Witnessing Signatures

Requirements of this service are: 

You must bring identification containing both your signature and photograph (eg your passport) so we can verify your identity and signature on any documents you sign.

For more information regarding notarial services please visit Smartraveller.

 

Fees

Under the Consular Fees Act of 1955 a fee applies to these services.

Notarial Fees can only be paid using mPOS (Alipay), Chinese ATM cards and most international credit cards. We can not accept American Express cards without a UnionPay symbol and can not accept cheques or cash.

Fees can vary each month due to changes in the exchange rate.

 

Translation and Interpreting Services

The Consulate cannot interpret or translate documents. These links provide details of local lawyers and translators.