Zhejiang province has launched a targeted campaign to simplify and enhance foreign-related notarization services, according to Tide News on June 4.

The initiative was recently introduced by the provincial department of justice. It centers on a "three reductions and one increase" model, focused on reducing documentation requirements, shortening processing times, and lowering costs, while expanding service availability.

To ease the documentation burden, Zhejiang will advance data-sharing across departments, allowing public data relevant to notarization to be accessed digitally. This enables applicants to obtain high-frequency services without repeatedly submitting supporting materials.

For cases requiring urgent attention — particularly those involving enterprise-related foreign notarization — the province will offer expedited processing through a dedicated green channel. Around-the-clock booking and on-demand services will also be made available to ensure timely handling.

In an effort to lower costs and increase accessibility, the province is expanding the use of remote video notarization, allowing overseas Chinese to complete procedures with fewer physical visits and less expense.

Simultaneously, the campaign will deepen the integration of notarial resources into Zhejiang's "15-minute legal service circle." Local governments are encouraged to establish more foreign-related notarization service points in economic development zones, high-tech parks and foreign enterprise clusters.

The campaign will run for one year. By the end of 2025, Zhejiang aims to achieve wider service coverage, faster processing speeds and improved efficiency across its foreign-related notarization system.

In 2024, the province recorded 1,881 outbound investment filings by 1,708 domestic entities, an increase of 388 filings compared with the previous year. The total registered outbound investment reached $17.99 billion, up 6.89 percent year-on-year. Zhejiang-based companies are now active in 153 countries and regions across five continents, leading to growing demand for notarization in support of international business.

The province also remains a major hometown for overseas Chinese. More than 2 million Chinese nationals and Hong Kong and Macao compatriots from Zhejiang are living in over 180 countries and regions, and the frequency of notarization services for personal affairs abroad continues to rise.