Apostille and Taiwan: How to Get Documents Accepted Abroad Without One

No. Taiwan is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so documents issued in Taiwan cannot be apostilled. They can still be used abroad: the document is notarised in Taiwan, authenticated by the Bureau of Consular Affairs (BOCA), and, where the receiving authority requires it, legalised by the destination country’s office in Taiwan.

What is an apostille, and what does it certify?

An apostille is a single certificate, issued in the country where a public document originates, that replaces the chain of consular legalisation between parties to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention (Art. 3). The Convention has 130 Contracting Parties (HCCH status table, last updated 30 June 2026).

It certifies “the authenticity of the signature, the capacity in which the person signing the document has acted and, where appropriate, the identity of the seal or stamp” (Art. 5) — not the content of the document.

Two limits matter in practice:

• Documents executed by diplomatic or consular agents, and administrative documents dealing directly with commercial or customs operations, are outside the Convention (Art. 1).
• Where an existing party objects to a new member’s accession, the Convention does not apply between those two countries (Art. 12). India, for example, objected to China’s accession.

Is Taiwan a party to the Apostille Convention?

No. The Executive Yuan stated in 2017, citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that Taiwan is currently unable to join (Executive Yuan, 23 February 2017). We found no later official change. No authority can therefore issue an apostille for a document from Taiwan, and an apostille is not the route for foreign documents coming into Taiwan either.

How do you use a Taiwanese document abroad?

1. Notarisation in Taiwan

The document, or the signature on it, is notarised or authenticated by a district-court notary office or a private notary (Notary Act, Art. 1–2).

2. Authentication by the Bureau of Consular Affairs

BOCA, or a MOFA regional office, checks the notary’s seal and signature and issues a document certificate (BOCA procedure). Fees are charged per seal or signature checked: NT$400 for the standard service (2 working days) or NT$600 for express (1 working day) (BOCA fees). The certificate confirms the seal or signature only, not the content (Document Legalization Act, Art. 15).

3. Legalisation by the destination country, if required

BOCA notes that some foreign receiving authorities also require legalisation by their country’s office in Taiwan. Check with the receiving authority before you start. Paraguay is an exception: under a bilateral agreement in force since 8 August 2018, documents authenticated by either side are accepted without further legalisation (BOCA).

There is no separate “court certification” step in this route; earlier guides that list one are mistaken.

How do you use a foreign document in Taiwan?

Complete the steps the issuing country requires (usually a local notary, and its competent authority where necessary), then have the document authenticated by the Taiwan embassy or representative office that covers that country — US$15 per original at overseas missions (BOCA). If a Taiwanese agency asks, BOCA re-authenticates it in Taiwan (BOCA).

BOCA does not say that an apostille alone is accepted in Taiwan; equal effect for another country’s procedure requires a bilateral agreement (Document Legalization Act, Art. 15-1).

Apostille or authentication: which route does your document take?

Document from	Used in	Route
A Convention party	Another Convention party (no objection between them)	Apostille from the issuing country’s competent authority
A Convention party	A non-party, or a party that objected	Authentication and consular legalisation
Taiwan	Any country	Notary → BOCA → destination country’s office in Taiwan, if required
Any country	Taiwan	Issuing country’s steps → Taiwan embassy or office abroad

Can someone handle this for me?

Yes. WHY FIRM handles notarisation, authentication and legalisation through our own channels and partner network — for documents leaving Taiwan, documents coming into Taiwan, and documents moving between other countries. We first confirm what the receiving authority will accept, then quote the fee and expected timeline for your documents before anything is sent.

Frequently asked questions

Does an apostille or authentication prove that the document is true?

No. Both confirm the signature, the signer’s capacity and the seal. The receiving authority still decides what the document proves.

How long does BOCA take?

Two working days for the standard service and one working day for express, per document. Notarisation and any legalisation by the destination country’s office add their own time.

Do I need the original document?

BOCA authenticates the original; certified copies can be added only when the original is authenticated at the same time (BOCA fees).