Legalising Malaysian Documents for Hong Kong
Short answer: Hong Kong uses apostilles, which its High Court issues, but Malaysia is not a party to the Apostille Convention, so a Malaysian document cannot carry one. Hong Kong has no single rule for documents from places outside the Convention: each office decides what it accepts. The High Court Probate Registry's guide describes two steps for such documents: certification in the issuing country, which for Malaysia means attestation at Wisma Putra, then the Chinese Embassy or Consulate in that country. Other offices ask for less. So ask the Hong Kong office first, then legalise.
We handle it for you: notarisation, Wisma Putra, the Chinese Embassy in Kuala Lumpur when the Hong Kong office asks for it, and translations into English or Traditional Chinese. Send your document on WhatsApp for a quote.
Last reviewed: October 2026. For translation rules, see certified translation of Malaysian documents for Hong Kong.
Step by step
Ask the Hong Kong office what it needs. Ask whether Wisma Putra attestation is enough or whether it also wants the Chinese Embassy step, and get the answer in writing if you can.
Start with the original or a certified copy. Private documents such as powers of attorney, affidavits and company resolutions are signed before a notary public first.
Attest it at Wisma Putra. Wisma Putra confirms the Malaysian signature or seal. Its fee is RM 20 for civil-status, notarised and Certificate of Good Conduct documents, and RM 10 for translations, certified true copies and school certificates.
Add the Chinese Embassy in Kuala Lumpur if the office asks for it. The embassy endorses Wisma Putra's stamp, so Wisma Putra comes first. See our guide to Chinese Embassy legalisation for how the embassy works.
Translate after authenticating, if the document is in Malay. For probate, the Registry's guide says to "do the authentication first, followed by translation". See translation for Hong Kong.
What different Hong Kong offices ask for
High Court Probate Registry (estates with assets in Hong Kong): its guide says a foreign public document "can only be accepted if it is authenticated", by apostille or, for places outside the Convention, the two-step route ending at the Chinese Embassy or Consulate. Authentication is done on the original, not the translation.
Immigration Department (for example, dependant visas): its page lists marriage and birth certificates as proof of the relationship and does not mention legalisation. It does want a certified Chinese or English translation of any document in another language.
Banks, employers, universities and solicitors set their own rules. Follow their written instructions, and send them to us with your documents.
Why Hong Kong practice varies
A 2014 note by the law firm Herbert Smith Freehills reported that, from 2013, the Office of the Commissioner of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong no longer required Chinese embassy legalisation for documents from Commonwealth countries, which include Malaysia: authentication by the country's foreign ministry was enough. The same note said the Probate Registry was still considering the change, and the Registry's guide still describes the Chinese Embassy step. That is why the first step above is to ask the Hong Kong office.
Malaysian documents that often need legalising for Hong Kong
Death certificates, Malaysian grants of probate and letters of administration, for estates with assets in Hong Kong.
Birth, marriage and divorce certificates from JPN, for dependant visas and family matters.
Degrees and transcripts, for jobs, talent schemes and further study.
The Certificate of Good Conduct, for work and residence applications.
Powers of attorney and company documents, for property, banking and business.
What delays documents
Legalising without asking the Hong Kong office, then finding it wanted an extra step.
Going to the Chinese Embassy before Wisma Putra.
Translating and legalising the translation when the office wanted the original authenticated first.
A photocopy without certification by a notary or the issuing office.
A name spelled differently on the passport, the certificates and the translation.
中文說明（香港）
香港適用《海牙認證公約》，但馬來西亞並非締約國，因此馬來西亞文件無法辦理海牙認證（Apostille）。香港沒有統一規定，由接收文件的機構決定要求。例如，高等法院遺產承辦處的指引列明，非公約地區的文件須先在簽發國認證（在馬來西亞即外交部 Wisma Putra），再經中國駐該國使領館認證；入境處則要求非中英文文件附上經核證的中文或英文譯本。辦理前請先向香港的機構確認所需程序。
Common questions
Can I get an apostille on a Malaysian document for Hong Kong?
No. Malaysia is not a party to the Apostille Convention, so Malaysian offices do not issue apostilles. Wisma Putra attestation, and the Chinese Embassy step where the Hong Kong office asks for it, take its place.
Do I need the Chinese Embassy for Hong Kong?
It depends on the office. The Probate Registry's guide describes the Chinese Embassy step for places outside the Apostille Convention. Other offices may accept Wisma Putra attestation alone, or no legalisation at all. Ask the office before you start.
Does my English degree need a translation for Hong Kong?
No. Chinese and English are both official languages in Hong Kong, so documents issued in English can be used without a translation.
Related guides
Sources: