Two pre-treatments were studied for AZ31 Mg alloy substrates, consisting of immersion in cerium nitrate and lanthanum nitrate solutions for various immersion times. The surface composition was investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy that revealed the presence of a surface film containing the rare-earth cation, with a composition which was time dependent in the case of the cerium pretreatment. The corrosion behaviour of the pre-treated substrates in 0.005 M NaCl solutions was assessed by potentiodynamic polarization, open circuit potential monitoring and the scanning vibrating electrode technique (SVET). The electrochemical results show that the pre-treatments reduced the corrosion activity of the AZ31 Mg alloy substrates in the presence of chloride ions. The corrosion protection efficiency is dependent on the treatment time. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.