Due to accusations of illegal hacking and espionage, including the indictment of two Chinese nationals accused of spying on a biotech firm researching COVID-19 cures, the US Department of State has ordered the immediate closure of the Chinese Consulate in Houston. There are still five Chinese consulates in operation in the US, including one in Washington DC, but due to COVID-19 they are closed to the public and are only processing urgent visa-related emergencies by email.
Because China is not a Hague country, those seeking to legalize their documents must have their document authenticated at the local, state, federal, and embassy level. This means that international documents cannot be seen as legitimate in China until they have been certified by one of the Chinese Consulates in the US. Since Atlanta Apostille is located in the state of Georgia, we are required to work with the Chinese Consulate in Houston to obtain this certification.
Unfortunately, due to this closure, Atlanta Apostille will not be able to process any documents for use in China until the Chinese Consulate reopens or we are transferred to another consulate in the country. We apologize for this inconvenience, and we will post an update as soon as we have more information. Our office is still offering local, state, and federal certification in the meantime. If you have any more questions or if you’re looking to start the process of authenticating your documents, feel free to call us at (404) 323-4211 or email us at [email protected].