When a relative dies in Texas leaving a bank account in China, or when you need to operate or close a Chinese account from the United States, the bank will require US documents that carry an apostille together with a certified Chinese translation. A Texas death certificate or power of attorney has no effect in China until it is authenticated. This page explains the apostille and what Chinese banks expect.
What an apostille is
An apostille is a certificate that authenticates a public document — a notary's signature, a court seal, a registrar's certification — so it will be accepted by authorities in another country. For countries in the Hague Apostille Convention, the apostille is the finish line. For countries outside it, the same Texas certificate is the first step in a short legalization chain.
Does an apostille work in China?
Yes. China joined the Hague Apostille Convention, effective November 7, 2023, so a document apostilled by the Texas Secretary of State is now accepted directly, replacing the older and slower consular legalization process. The apostille itself, and the underlying documents, must be accompanied by a certified Chinese translation.
How the Texas Secretary of State apostille works
Texas apostilles come from a single office: the Secretary of State's Authentications Unit in Austin. There is no county-clerk step — a document notarized by any Texas notary, in any of the 254 counties, goes straight to the state. Since October 2023 Texas issues one Universal Apostille (Form 2102) that works for every destination, whether or not the country belongs to the Hague Apostille Convention.
The state fee is $15 per document. Mailed requests can take up to 25 business days; in-person and appointment service in Austin is same-day for up to 10 documents, and a bulk drop-box handles larger batches in 24–48 hours. There is no online submission — every request is handled by mail or in person. Certified copies of vital records (birth, death, marriage, divorce) must be less than five years old.
Federal documents — FBI background checks, USCIS naturalization certificates, IRS letters — cannot be apostilled by Texas; they go to the U.S. Department of State. We confirm the correct authority before anything is filed, so your documents are never rejected on a technicality.
Claiming or operating a Chinese bank account from the US
To claim a deceased relative's account or to operate a Chinese account from abroad, banks require an apostilled US death certificate and heirship documents, each with a certified Chinese translation. In practice, Chinese banks also typically expect the inheritance to be notarized in China — a Chinese notary office reviews the foreign documents and issues a notarial certificate confirming the heirs, which the bank then relies on to release funds.
If you cannot travel to China, a representative can act on your behalf under an apostilled power of attorney. Note that the POA and its apostille pages must also be rendered into Chinese by a certified translator. Requirements can vary between banks and between cities, so confirm the exact document set with the specific branch before you begin.
Documents you'll need
- Apostilled US death certificate, with certified Chinese translation
- Apostilled heirship / proof-of-relationship documents, with certified Chinese translation
- The deceased's account details and your identity documents
- An apostilled power of attorney (with certified Chinese translation of the POA and apostille pages), if acting through a representative
- A Chinese notarial inheritance certificate, where the bank requires it
Translation
Every foreign document, including the apostille page, must be translated into Chinese by a certified translator and, in most cases, notarized in China. Complete the apostille first, then arrange the certified Chinese translation so the apostille itself is translated. Build in time, as the in-China notarization of the inheritance is a separate step.
We handle the whole apostille — you don't travel to Austin
Our firm provides full-service apostille handling: we prepare your document, coordinate Texas notarization or certified copies, file the Universal Apostille request with the Secretary of State, add U.S. Department of State and embassy legalization when a country requires it, arrange certified translation, and deliver the finished documents to you or your recipient abroad.
We also coordinate directly with your counsel overseas — a barrister or solicitor in Commonwealth countries, an advocate in South Asia, a notario público in Latin America — so the document is drafted with the exact wording their registry, court, or bank requires before anything is apostilled.
- 📞 Phone: (281) 348-6723
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A note on accuracy
Apostille and legalization requirements change, and each receiving institution — a foreign land registry, bank, pension office, or consulate — can impose its own rules. This article reflects requirements verified in 2026 and is general information, not legal advice. Contact us so we can confirm the current requirements for your specific document and destination before you file.
For the full statewide process — fees, timelines, document types, and the Hague vs. non-Hague paths — see our complete Texas Apostille Guide.