Marriage Certificate Authentication
If the purpose of authentication is for marriage registration in Taiwan, and one of the parties is from a country that requires an interview, please consult with our office before applying for authentication. The list of countries requiring interviews can be found on the Bureau of Consular Affairs website.
For all other instructions regarding authentication (such as processing time, Fees and Payment Methods, Return Envelope, etc.) please refer to the "General Instructions for Document Authentication."
Please submit the following materials when applying:
Original English document authentication
We only accept original marriage certificates or certified copies (must bear the signature and official stamp of the state agency's handling personnel) issued by government agencies in the six states under our jurisdiction and must clearly indicate the date of marriage. If only a Marriage License is provided, it cannot prove the effective date of the marriage.
For either walk-in applicants or applications via mailing:
- Application Form for Authentication: Each applicant must complete and sign the form. Applicants can submit multiple documents under one application.
- Clear copy of the passports for both parties: The English names on the identifications MUST match the English names on the marriage certificate. Taiwan passport holders must first provide a copy of their Taiwan passport. If the English name on the passport does not match the name on the document, additional passport or identification documents must be provided for name verification.
- Original marriage certificate: The original marriage certificate or certified copy (must bear the signature and official stamp of the state agency's handling personnel) issued by government agencies in the six states under our jurisdiction.
Chinese translation authentication
In most cases, the Chinese translation can be completed and notarized after returning to Taiwan. Please confirm with the relevant authorities whether you need to apply for authentication of the Chinese translation here or not.
If the original English document is issued by a state government not under our jurisdiction, please consult the TECO office in charge of that jurisdiction to authenticate the original document, and then submit the authenticated original document when applying for the authentication of its translated version. If the documents are all from our jurisdiction, they can be submitted together for authentication.
Please prepare the Chinese translation by yourself. When translating, please refer to the instructions for "Regulations for Chinese Translations" below.
For either walk-in applicants or applications via mailing:
- Application Form for Authentication: Each applicant must complete and sign the form. Applicants can submit multiple documents under one application.
- Clear copies of the passports or Taiwanese ID cards for both parties: The Chinese names on the identifications MUST match the Chinese names on the translation. The party that does not have a Chinese name must provide a “Declaration of Chinese Name”. (See the notes for details)
- Chinese translation of marriage certificate: Both parties must be written in Chinese. Corresponding documents must be provided as the basis for verifying their Chinese names. Please do not write the English names. The Chinese translation must be signed by the applicant, stating that the Chinese content is consistent with the English original, and then authenticated by TECO. (See Regulations for Chinese Translations below for details)
Regulations for Chinese Translations:
- The Chinese translation must preserve the same layout as the original document.
- If larger fonts are used in the Chinese translation, additional pages may be necessary; however, strive to preserve the original layout as closely as possible.
- Please do not use simplified Chinese or other special fonts to avoid system failure.
- NON-MAIN RELEVANT names (e.g., witnesses, judges, doctors, etc.) and addresses or place names may be transliterated using translation software.
- Walk-in applicants must sign the translation in front of our officer, declaring that the translation is accurate.
- If signing before our officer is not possible, the translation must instead be signed before a public notary within our jurisdiction, along with the following statement:
I hereby declare that this translation is a true and correct Chinese version of the attached original to the best of my knowledge.
Signature: ___________________。 Date: ___________________。
Notes:
- If the document needs to be notarized by a Public Notary, it must be signed and stamped by a public notary in one of the six states under our jurisdiction.
- If one of the parties is foreign and their Chinese name has not yet been registered with the household registration office of Taiwan, the person concerned must apply for a “declaration” to verify the Chinese name, which will serve as the basis for the Chinese name in the document. This declaration must be witnessed and signed in front of our officer. If the application is submitted via mail, the document must be signed before a public notary within our jurisdiction.
- Additional identification might be requested while the documents are reviewing.
Forms:
