Business, Adoption, or Professional Document Authentication
I. Required Documents
(1) The original document and one photocopy issued within the jurisdiction of this office (Northern California, Nevada, and Utah).
For business documents issued outside this jurisdiction—for example, Articles of Incorporation issued by the State of Delaware—please submit the document to the TECRO (Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States) for authentication.
(2) Complete the “APPLICATION FORM FOR AUTHENTICATION.” Please be sure to provide your telephone number and email address so that this office can contact you if necessary.
(3) Each document must first be notarized by a Notary Public within the jurisdiction of this office. If the original document consists of two or more pages, the pages must be securely bound and bear the notary’s seal/stamp across the pages so that the pages cannot be separated or replaced.
The notarized document must then be submitted to the Secretary of State’s Office (or equivalent state authority) for authentication of the notary’s signature before it can be submitted to this office for authentication:
- California: California Secretary of State
- Nevada: Nevada Secretary of State
- Utah: Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Utah
(4) The original and one photocopy of a valid Taiwan passport or National Identification Card belonging to the applicant. If the Taiwan passport has expired, please also provide a valid foreign passport, driver’s license, residence permit, or other valid government-issued photo identification.
For applications submitted by mail, you do not need to mail the original passport or National Identification Card. Instead, please provide a photocopy, write “This copy is identical to the original” on the back, and sign it.
※For documents issued by U.S. federal government agencies, including branch offices located within the jurisdiction of this office, please first have the documents authenticated by the U.S. Department of State. The authenticated documents must then be submitted to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO) for further authentication.
II. Fees
Document authentication costs : US$15 per document:
Payment may be made by:
- Cash
- Cashier’s check or Money order, please make the payment payable to TECO.
Please do not mail cash, as it may be lost. Personal checks and credit cards are not accepted.
III. Application Methods
Applications may be submitted:
- In person
- By mail
a. For mail-in applications, if any required identification documents or other documents are missing, this office will notify you by telephone or email to provide the missing materials.
b. If the missing materials are not submitted within one month after notification, your application will be returned using the return envelope you provided.
Mailing address:
TECO (Authentication)
345 4th Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
III. Processing Time
Processing takes approximately 3–4 weeks.
IV. How to Receive Your Documents
(1) Pick Up in Person
Please bring: Your receipt and the ID of the person picking up the documents
(2) Have TECO Mail the Documents to You
Because there are many visitors to the office, mail delivery is recommended to save you time. TECO will mail the completed documents back to you. When submitting your application, please include a self-addressed return envelope with sufficient postage. The postage cannot be paid by check; please affix the stamps directly to the return envelope. Once TECO has mailed the documents, it does not assume responsibility for delays or loss of mail. If the mail is lost, you should contact the postal service directly to inquire about it.
(3) Available return-mail options:
a. Within the United States: USPS Flat Rate Priority Mail, postage US$12.90. Please prepare the return envelope in advance.
When purchasing stamps from the post office, you must purchase physical stamps with printed color designs. Do not purchase black-and-white barcode labels printed by the postal machine. Barcode postage labels are time-limited and typically become invalid after 3–5 day We do not accept FedEx or UPS return envelopes.
b. International mailing service to Taiwan: International Express
Postage is US$80. Please prepare and complete the return-address label. If the applicant is located within the United States, TECO does not provide international return-mail service.
※ Please note that if any of the information above has not yet been updated, the latest information published on our Chinese-language website shall prevail.
