Your application must be sent by post. If any questions, please email us at: consular.gbr@mofa.gov.tw
What documents do I need to authenticate?
1. Documents to be authenticated by the TRO are for use in Taiwan only.
2. When the authority in Taiwan requires the TRO to authenticate your UK documents.
The TRO only authenticates documents issued from:
- Southern Britain (south of Durham and Cumbria, including Guernsey and Jersey)
- the British Virgin Islands
- the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands
- Gibraltar
- Northern Ireland
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leona
- Ghana (Excluding Marriage Certificate and Single Status Letter)
Other documents issued by the authorities in northern Britain (Durham, Cumbria, and Scotland) and the Isle of Man must be sent to theTaipei Representative Office in the UK, Edinburgh Office for authentication.
Documents issued by Taiwan (ROC) entities/individuals must be sent to Bureau of Consular Affairs and MOFA's branch offices in Taiwan for authentication. Please refer to "Authentication of domestic documents."
Before submitting your application:
1. Document(s) by the authorities of the countries, territories and areas listed above must be legalised by the FCDO Legalisation Office before being sent to the TRO. We accept paper-based apostille only.
2. If your document is not an original hard copy issued by the British government or the British authority, you must have your document notarised by a notary or solicitor to confirm the content and authenticity in writing. Please be advised that your notary or solicitor should check with the authorities about the authenticity of the documents. We accept statements such as “I certify that the document(s) is genuine/authentic.”, and “I certify this is a true copy of the authentic/genuine document. (eg. passport, court order and certificate …etc. )”
3. Please note that the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office(FCDO) will not apostille PDF documents from issuing authorities. You will need a notary or solicitor who will carry out checks on the certificates with the issuing authorities to ascertain their authenticity, and can then notarise the certificates, if required by Taiwan authorities. Once notarised, the FCDO will attach paper-based apostilles to the documents.
How to submit your application:
By post only
- Please enclose a self-addressed, pre-paid return envelope inside your postal application.
- Applicants with an overseas address must provide a return envelope with receiver's name, full address (with post code), and contact number for DHL overseas courier service so that TRO can arrange services on behalf of the applicant.
For professional agent or a friend/family member:
The application should come with an authorisation letter, a high-quality, accessible copy of the agency’s passport, and the agency’s certificate of incorporation(if applicable).
Contact Information:
Consular Division
Taipei Representative Office in the UK
50 Grosvenor Gardens
London
SW1W 0EB
Email: consular.gbr@mofa.gov.tw (please do not use qq.com email to contact our office)
Authentication Requirements:
The TRO does not hold responsible for any services provided by third parties such as agents, the post office and delivery service providers.
1 | Application Form |
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2 | The applicant’s identification documents |
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3 | Original document(s) and one photocopy with the FCDO’s Apostille | The Following document(s) must be legalised by the FCDO Legalisation Office(paper-based apostille only) before being submitted to the TRO:(1)Marriage Certificate;(2)Death Certificate;(3)Birth Certificates must carry both parents’ names on the document. Please ask the competent British authority for more information;(4) medical report;(5)Police Certificate**For any applications for a resident visa, please note that we only accept the Police Certificate issued by the ACRO Criminal Records Office;(6)No Impediment Certificate issued by UK Registry Office in a local council. **For couples to get married in Taiwan, we only authenticate CNI as proof of single status due to the requirements set by Taiwan registration offices. Find your local Registry Office: https://www.gov.uk/register-offices(7) UK passport/UK driving license: The TRO cannot authenticate the UK driving license/passport. Please provide a notarized photocopy of a UK passport/driving license with FCDO paper-based Apostille. |
4 | Payment Methods |
Please make the payment payable to “TRO in the UK” (cheques with an incorrect account name will not be accepted). |
5 | Collection | By post only: The applicant must provide an A4-sized self-addressed return envelope and choose from the following options:
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The TRO does not hold responsible for any services provided by third parties such as agents, post offices, and delivery service providers. | ||
When agents, friends or family members act on your behalf, they must enclose the following documents: | ||
6 | Application form (the same form signed by the applicant) |
It is acceptable if the agent uses the form with the applicant’s scanned signature, but the agent must fill in the agent information section on the form with their wet signature. |
7 | Original Letter of Authorisation with one photocopy | An authorisation letter signed by the applicant (please note: the applicant’s signature must be notarised as genuine by a Notary , solicitor or any R.O.C. overseas office). The TRO does not accept alternative formats. |
8 | Agent’s identification | A high-quality unobstructed photocopy of:1. the agent’s valid passport;2. the agent company’s certificate of incorporation (if applicable). |
As the circumstances of each application may vary, the TRO reserves the right to request any additional supporting documents. In addition, due to Covid-19, the TRO may extend the processing time.
Authentication fee and processing time:
The working days of each application starts from the date when the TRO receives the payment (or the proof of the payment) and all the required documents specified above. The processing time does not include postal delivery.
Authentication Fee | Processing Time | |
Standard: per document (per apostille) | £12 | Collection or the document will be posted on the 9th working day |
Express: per document (per apostille) | £18 | Collection or the document will be posted on the 5th working day |
Postage: for overseas addresses only | Delivery Schedule | |
DHL Overseas Express Worldwide service | £54 | 3-4 working days (delivery aim by DHL) |
Postage: for UK address | Delivery Schedule | |
Special Delivery | £10 | 1-2 working days |
Mandarin translation:
Before applying for authenticating your Mandarin translation, please check with your receiving authority in Taiwan. The TRO does not provide any translation services. However, applicants can attest to the Mandarin translation in the following ways:
1. Have your translator attend in person to sign the document in the presence of assigned personnel at the consular division. You must include the following statement at the end of the translation:
“I, _________________, hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and correct Chinese translation of the English original document. Translator’s name:___________ Date: __________”
**Please do not sign it beforehand.
2. Please get your document notarised by a notary public or a solicitor and then legalized by the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO).
3. Please have your document authenticated in Taiwan by a notary public or district court with the original English document, which the TRO has certified.
Other Important information:
1. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all requirements as specified above have been fulfilled. Any incomplete application will be returned to the applicant without processing.
2. The TRO will only verify document(s) with FCDO paper-based Apostille and will not approve the contents of any documents or give any advice on individual applications.
3. The TRO does not hold responsible for any services provided by third parties such as agents, post offices, and delivery service providers.