If you are applying for a China work visa (Z visa / Z字签证) or a China work permit, Chinese employers and work-permit agents often require your UK degree certificate (and sometimes transcript) in a format that is:
Verified (authenticity confirmed) → Certified by a UK solicitor → Apostilled by the UK FCDO
This page targets UK university graduates worldwide (not only UK citizens).
China changed the legalisation route — embassy legalisation is no longer required
Since 7 November 2023, the Chinese Embassy/Consulates in the UK have stopped providing consular legalisation for UK public documents used in mainland China, and direct applicants to obtain a UK apostille instead.
That means your standard route is now:
UK solicitor certification + UK apostille → use directly in mainland China
The #1 rule to avoid rejection: follow the correct order
Most rejections happen because applicants get the order wrong.
China-accepted order (remote-friendly):
- Confirm what your China recipient needs (degree only? degree + transcript? translation?)
- Academic verification (Parchment/Digitary, HEDD, or university-direct)
- UK solicitor certification (reflecting verification + true copy)
- FCDO apostille (UK apostille / 海牙认证)
- International courier / submission
Why the order matters: the UK Legalisation Office issues apostilles by checking signatures/stamps/seals against records, then attaching the apostille certificate. If the underlying certification/format is wrong, you lose time and may need to redo the whole chain.
What documents China usually asks for (UK graduates)
Most China-side employers/agents request one or both:
- UK degree certificate (学位证书)
- UK academic transcript (成绩单)
Some cities/agents specifically ask for the “highest-level education certificate/diploma” as part of work permit pre-approval document preparation.
Step 1 — Academic verification (3 routes)
China recipients often want authenticity-verified academic documents. Here are the practical verification routes UK graduates use.
Route A (best when available): Parchment / Digitary secure digital Academic Verification
If you received an email like:
“A secure digital Academic Verification … issued … shared online … access valid until … digitally signed … tamper-evident …”
That is typically a Parchment / Digitary verification link.
For example, University of Cambridge states it uses Parchment (formerly Digitary CORE) for academic verifications and will not respond to third-party verification requests outside that route.
Common Parchment/Digitary University Users
These institutions often use Parchment/Digitary-style digital issuance/sharing for official documents (process can vary by programme):
- De Montfort University
- London School of Economics
- Manchester Metropolitan University
- Newcastle University
- University of Manchester
- University of Derby
- University of London
How to use it for China:
Use the secure verification link as verification evidence, then proceed to solicitor certification and apostille if your China recipient still requires apostilled documents.
Route B: HEDD (Higher Education Degree Datacheck) verification (third-party route)
Many UK universities support verification via HEDD, a centralised verification portal.
Common examples include:
- University of Oxford
- University College London (UCL)
- University of Glasgow
- University of Edinburgh
- King’s College London
- University of Sheffield
- University of Birmingham
- University of Nottingham
- Imperial College London
Important: HEDD states it is not for students/graduates to verify their own awards; graduates should use their university’s own route for self-verification.
Route C: University-direct verification (when HEDD is not available)
Some universities require direct registry confirmation rather than HEDD. A solicitor can coordinate this remotely depending on the institution’s rules and response process.
Common examples include:
- London Business School
- Royal Academy of Music
- City St George’s, University of London
- Glasgow Caledonian University
- University of Northampton
- University of South Wales
- Glasgow School of Art
- University of Wales
Step 2 — UK solicitor certification (remote possible)
Once verification is complete, the UK solicitor certifies your degree certificate and/or transcript.
For China “highest level / authenticity-verified” requirements, the certification usually needs to confirm both:
- the copy matches the original document, and
- the award has been verified (via Parchment / HEDD / university-direct route)
This is the most common failure point in DIY applications: applicants obtain a basic “certified true copy” only, without verification context, and the China recipient rejects it.
Step 3 — UK FCDO Apostille (UK Apostille / 海牙认证)
After solicitor certification, the document is submitted for a UK apostille issued by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
The Legalisation Office checks the relevant signatures/stamps/seals and then attaches an apostille certificate.
Because consular legalisation in the UK is no longer the route for mainland China, apostilled documents can typically be used directly in mainland China (subject to the recipient’s exact checklist).
Common China rejection reasons (quick checklist)
If your file gets delayed or rejected, it is usually because:
- Verification was skipped (only a copied degree was certified)
- Wrong verification route was used (e.g., university expects Parchment link, not manual email)
- Certification happened before verification
- Apostille was applied too early (wrong sequencing)
- China-side agent wants degree + transcript, but you submitted degree only
Working in China (Z Visa) — how the document pack fits together (2026)
If you are working in China, the Z visa is an entry visa and your employer typically handles the work permit steps, but your document pack must be correct before they can submit. A common pre-approval document is the Notification Letter of Foreigner’s Work Permit (外国人工作许可通知), which many local government guides reference as part of the process.
Typical UK documents that trigger rework
- Degree certificate (and transcript if required) — must be verified → certified → apostilled
- Criminal record certificate — requirements vary by type (some are unsigned and require solicitor certification before apostille; confirm your recipient’s checklist)
(City-by-city requirements differ. The “no regrets” approach is always: verify first, then certify, then apostille.)
How Ginkgo Advisory helps (remote, China-ready, first-time acceptance)
Ginkgo Advisory coordinates a remote end-to-end workflow for UK academic documents used in mainland China:
- Confirming the China recipient checklist (degree only vs degree + transcript; translation requirements)
- Selecting the correct verification route (Parchment/Digitary vs HEDD vs university-direct)
- Coordinating UK solicitor certification (remote)
- Managing UK apostille submission within 3 working days
- Secure international courier delivery
Note: We do not issue academic records. Verification is completed through the appropriate verification route (Parchment/HEDD/university registry), coordinated by a UK solicitor.
FAQ
Do I still need Chinese Embassy legalisation in the UK for China?
For UK public documents used in mainland China, the Chinese Embassy/Consulates in the UK state consular legalisation is no longer provided from 7 Nov 2023, and applicants should obtain a UK apostille instead.
Does an apostille prove my degree is genuine?
An apostille confirms the authenticity of the signature/stamp/seal checked by the Legalisation Office; the degree authenticity is handled via verification (Parchment/HEDD/university-direct) before certification and apostille.
Can I use HEDD to verify my own degree?
HEDD states it is not for students/graduates to self-verify; graduates should use their university’s route for self-verification.
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