Alongside recent China-property Powers of Attorney, Miao He apostilled same-name / same-person declarations for clients whose passport, Chinese ID or property-deed names do not match. That mismatch is where filings in China often stop. The drafts were accepted on the first pass. Urgent originals were available the next day.
When you need it
The passport is in pinyin. The Chinese ID is in characters. The property deed may use a former name, traditional characters, or drop a middle name. A housing bureau, notary office or bank in China will ask for an apostilled declaration that these records belong to one person.
- selling, buying or registering title when the passport name and the registered name differ;
- inheritance or a waiver of succession when hukou, ID and Canadian documents do not match;
- a bank or securities firm that requires an explanation of Chinese and English names.
Miao He is a dual-licensed litigation lawyer. She lists each name as it appears on each document, instead of a one-line “I am the same person.”
What to bring
- passport, Chinese ID, PR card or citizenship card;
- the property deed, hukou, old passport or former-name proof;
- copies of the China documents that have to be matched.
This declaration is often issued together with a China property Power of Attorney. Drafting, notarizing and apostilling them as one file is cleaner than running two separate trips.
Why urgent files come here
- One-stop service. No separate translator or Notary Public. Miao He drafts the Chinese–English text and is the notary. For documents that require a signature, you come to the Markham office once. Drafting, notarization and the Apostille are done in one place.
- Dual-licensed litigation lawyer. Miao He is licensed in both China and Ontario. She knows how receiving offices and courts actually read these documents — authority, names, subject matter, and format — not just that a notary stamp is present.
- Fast Apostille. Urgent originals the next day. After Ontario notarization, the file goes to Ontario Official Documents Services (ODS) for the Apostille. Urgent clients can pick up the original the following day.
- First-pass filings. Recent files — China property powers of attorney, same-name declarations, parent-child declarations, inheritance waivers, and Canadian divorce certificates — were accepted without supplementary materials or rewrites.
Next-day pickup depends on the ODS window, the document type, and complete materials. Recent first-pass results are not a guarantee for every file. Call 647-930-6688.
Process for Ontario documents
Ask the housing bureau, notary office, civil-affairs bureau or bank in China what template they want, how many originals, and how names must appear.
Miao He drafts or revises so the authority, names and subject matter match what the receiving office will accept.
Documents that require a signature are signed once at the Markham office. Miao He is a commissioned Ontario Notary Public and notarizes on the spot. Court-issued documents usually go straight to ODS.
Ontario-issued or Ontario-notarized documents receive an Apostille from Official Documents Services. Federal documents (for example an RCMP criminal-record check) go to Global Affairs Canada.
Collect the apostilled original and send it to China, or have your agent file it there.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Do I need to find a translator and a Notary Public myself?
A: No. Miao He drafts the Chinese–English text and is a commissioned Ontario Notary Public. For documents that require a signature, you come to the Markham office once. Drafting, notarization and the Apostille are handled in one place. Court-issued documents such as a Certificate of Divorce can go straight to Apostille. Call 647-930-6688.
Q: What is a same-name declaration?
A: A one-and-the-same-person statement: it proves that the English name on your passport, the name on your Chinese ID, and the name on a property deed or hukou are the same person. Housing bureaus, notary offices and banks in China often stop a file here. Call 647-930-6688.
Q: Can I skip this if I already have a Power of Attorney?
A: Only if every name matches exactly. Pinyin, a former name, traditional characters, or a missing middle name often trigger a separate same-person declaration. Miao He reviews the IDs before deciding whether both documents should go out together.
Q: Is next-day pickup available for this file too?
A: Yes, urgent originals can be collected the next day. Recent same-name declarations filed with property POAs were accepted on the first pass. Call 647-930-6688 to confirm the slot.
Apostille for other documents
China property POA · sell, buy, title registration
You are in Canada; the house is in China. Drafted to the local registry’s requirements. Urgent originals next day.
Parent-child relationship declaration
Used for inheritance, household registration, school, or other filings in China that require proof of parentage.
Renunciation of inheritance
An heir in Canada must apostille a waiver so a China estate can proceed without them.
Canadian divorce certificate / divorce order
Remarriage, civil affairs, banking or property filings in China usually require an apostille first.
If you need it urgently, call
Mandarin & English · Markham · Initial consultation 30 minutes · $220 + HST · Phone or Zoom
Book now 647-930-6688