Step-by-Step Guide: How to Legalize U.S. Documents for Use in Taiwan (via TECRO)

To submit documents for use in Taiwan, it’s important to understand that:

Taiwan is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so apostilles are NOT accepted.

Instead, Taiwan follows a document authentication and consular legalization process, and final legalization must be done through the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in the United States.

✅ Step-by-Step Guide: How to Legalize U.S. Documents for Use in Taiwan (via TECRO)

🔹 Step 1: Prepare Your Document

Common documents requiring legalization:

• Birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates

• Power of attorney, affidavits

• Diplomas, transcripts

• FBI background checks

• Business documents (articles of incorporation, bylaws, etc.)

🔐 For notarized documents: ensure a valid California notary acknowledgment or jurat is attached.

🔹 Step 2: State-Level Authentication

If your document was issued in California or another U.S. state:

• Submit it to the Secretary of State for an Authentication Certificate, not an apostille.

• This certifies the notary public, county clerk, or state official’s signature.

📌 California Authentication Info

🔹 Step 3: Federal Authentication (U.S. Department of State)

After the state authentication:

• Submit your document to the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., for federal authentication.

📌 U.S. Department of State Authentication

🔹 Step 4: Legalization by Taiwan’s TECRO Office

Once your document is authenticated by the U.S. Department of State, it must be submitted to TECRO (Taiwan’s de facto embassy) for final legalization.

Taiwan has several TECRO offices in the U.S., and your submission must go to the one with jurisdiction over your state.

🔍 For California, the correct office is:

Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Los Angeles

3731 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700

Los Angeles, CA 90010

📞 (213) 389-1215

🌐 https://www.roc-taiwan.org/uslax

📄 Required Documents for TECO Legalization

• Original document with state + federal authentication

• Completed TECO application form for authentication

• Copy of your ID or passport

• Photocopy of the document

• Legalization fee (varies by document type—confirm directly with TECO)

• Prepaid return envelope

• Translation into Traditional Chinese (if required, especially for documents to be used by a Taiwan government agency)

🕒 Processing Time

❌ Do NOT Submit an Apostille

Taiwan does not accept apostilles. Submitting an apostille instead of following this process will result in rejection. You must use the full authentication + legalization method.

✅ How Orange County Apostille Can Help

We handle the entire process for you:

• State authentication (California Secretary of State)

• Federal authentication (U.S. Department of State via our D.C. office)

• Submission to the proper TECRO office

• Optional certified translation into Traditional Chinese

📦 You send us the document, and we send it back fully legalized—ready for Taiwan.

📞 Contact us or start your request at: https://orangecountyapostille.org