Sydney · Notary Public
Sydney Notary Public for China and Hong Kong Documents
Documents sent from Australia to mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan or Singapore usually need notarisation, and often authentication or an apostille as well. Sun Lawyers notarises powers of attorney, property sale authorisations, single status and identity declarations, company documents and academic certificates, and explains exactly which further step each receiving authority requires.
Book a consultationWhy Chinese speaking clients choose Sun Lawyers
- Sydney CBD office — in-person meetings by appointment
- Trilingual service in English, Mandarin and Cantonese
- Australian-qualified solicitors, Law Society of NSW registered
- Scope and fees confirmed in writing before work starts
What we do
Powers of Attorney for China
Notarising powers of attorney used to sell or mortgage property, handle inheritance, or act in litigation in mainland China, in the wording the receiving office will accept.
Personal Declarations
Single status declarations, identity and relationship statements, consent for a child's travel, and statutory declarations for use overseas.
Company & Commercial Documents
Certifying company extracts, board resolutions, good standing certificates, distribution agreements and export documents for overseas registration or tender.
Authentication & Apostille
Coordinating DFAT authentication or apostille and consular legalisation where required, so the document is accepted the first time rather than sent back.
How a Sydney notarisation actually runs
Most people only need notarisation once, so here is the whole sequence before you book. Steps 1 to 4 happen with us in Sydney; step 5 depends on the authority receiving the document overseas.
- 01
1. Tell us where the document is going
Send us the document, or a photo of it, and tell us which office overseas will receive it — a mainland China property bureau, notary office, court, school or company registry each have different wording expectations. If they gave you a template, send that too. We reply in writing with what is needed.
- 02
2. We prepare or check the wording
If you have no template we draft the power of attorney or declaration; if you do, we check it against what the receiving office will accept before the appointment. This is the step that prevents a document being rejected after it has already been couriered to China.
- 03
3. Appointment in our Sydney CBD office
Bring the original document and your passport. The notary confirms your identity, satisfies himself that you understand what you are signing, then you sign in front of him. Straightforward matters are finished in one appointment, usually within the hour.
- 04
4. Notarial certificate, seal and register entry
The notary attaches the notarial certificate, applies his seal and signature, binds the document where required, and records it in the notarial register. You leave with the completed document the same day unless further authentication is needed.
- 05
5. DFAT apostille or consular legalisation, if required
Many documents for mainland China now take a DFAT apostille; some offices still ask for consular legalisation, and Taiwan documents go through the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office. We tell you which route your document needs and can lodge it for you. Allow several extra business days.
What the cost of a notarisation is made up of
The notarial act itself
Charged per document or per signature, not per page. Two people signing the same power of attorney, or two separate declarations, are two notarial acts.
Drafting, if we write the document
Bringing your own finished template costs less than asking us to draft a power of attorney from scratch. Checking a template you already have sits in between.
Government and third party fees
DFAT charges a set fee per apostille or authentication, consulates charge their own, and courier or registered post is extra. These are passed on at cost, not marked up.
Certified translation, where required
Some receiving offices insist on a bilingual or NAATI translated version. Translation is quoted separately by word count once we know what is required.
We confirm the total in writing before your appointment, so there is no surprise on the day. Send us the document and the destination and you will have a figure back the same or next business day.
Contact
Talk to a Chinese speaking solicitor
Send a brief description of your matter. We arrange an initial consultation in Mandarin, Cantonese or English and confirm scope and fees in writing before starting.
- Suite 703 & 704, 265 Castlereagh St, Sydney NSW 2000 · by appointment
- +61 02 9267 4988
- enquiry@sunlaws.com
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a JP and a notary public?
A Justice of the Peace witnesses documents used inside Australia. A notary public is appointed to authenticate documents for use overseas, and their seal is what foreign authorities recognise. Documents going to China or Hong Kong need a notary, not a JP.
Do I also need DFAT authentication or an apostille?
It depends on the destination and the receiving authority. Since China joined the Apostille Convention many documents now take an apostille instead of consular legalisation, but some offices still ask for the old route. We confirm the requirement before you pay for the wrong step.
How quickly can documents be notarised?
Straightforward notarisation is usually completed at a single appointment in our Sydney CBD office. Add several business days if DFAT authentication or consular legalisation is also needed.
What do I need to bring?
The original document, your passport, and any template or wording the overseas authority requires. If a Chinese office gave you a fixed form, send it to us in advance so we check it before your appointment.
Can the notarised document be in Chinese?
Yes. We handle Chinese language documents and can arrange certified translations where the receiving authority requires a bilingual or translated version.
I am selling an apartment in China from Sydney. What exactly do I need?
Usually a power of attorney appointing a relative or agent in China to sign the sale, notarised here and then apostilled or legalised. The property bureau or the buyer's agent normally dictates the wording, including the exact property address and the scope of the authority, so get their template before your appointment. If the property is jointly owned, each owner signs their own authority.
Can I do it without coming into the Sydney office?
No. A notary must see you sign in person and verify your identity from your original passport, so the signing itself cannot be done by video or by post. Everything around it — sending the document, checking the wording, quoting, and lodging the apostille afterwards — is handled remotely, so the one appointment is the only time you need to attend.
My document came back rejected from China. Can you fix it?
Often yes. Rejections are usually about wording, a missing authentication step, or an identity detail that does not match the Chinese records — for example a former Chinese name or an old ID number not being recited in the document. Send us the rejection notice and the original document and we identify which of those it is before redoing anything.
Do you notarise documents for Hong Kong and Taiwan as well?
Yes. Hong Kong generally accepts a notarised document with a DFAT apostille. Taiwan is not part of the Apostille Convention, so those documents go through DFAT authentication and then the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office. Singapore and Malaysia have their own requirements again, which we confirm before you lodge anything.
Which suburbs and areas do you serve?
Our office is in the Sydney CBD on Castlereagh Street, a short walk from Town Hall and Museum stations, and clients come from Chatswood, Hurstville, Eastwood, Burwood, Rhodes, Parramatta and the eastern suburbs, as well as interstate when they are in Sydney for a few days.