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Taiwan visa applications in the US require supporting documents from outside Taiwan to be authenticated by the government of Taiwan. TECO informed me of two ways to do this:

  1. Have it authenticated at the Taiwanese consular office for the jurisdiction where is was issued.

  2. If the document is from outside the US, and that option is not available, have it authenticated by the US embassy for the jurisdiction where it was issued, and then have the authentication certificate authenticated by TECRO in Washington, D.C. (It is unclear what type of authentication the US embassy would provide in this case).

In my case, I have a document from Mongolia that I need to authenticate, but TECO in Mongolia does not offer authentication services, and the US embassy there may be unable to authenticate a document for me when I am not there in person. I haven't been able to contact the US embassy due to COVID-related suspensions, and I cannot enter Mongolia due to border closure.

Are there other pathways to getting the document authenticated for TECO?

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  • I also thought that governments only authenticate their own documents, but it seems there may be exceptions, for example law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/22/92.39. I believe the DoS offers two kinds of authentication, apostille and certificate of authentication for countries that are not part of the Hague Convention.
    – Chalcosoma
    Commented Dec 19, 2021 at 1:08

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According to the US Department of State, US consular offices can authenticate foreign documents:

An authentication is the placing of the consular seal over the seal of a foreign authority whose seal or signature is on file with the United States Embassy or Consulate in order to verify the authenticity of the foreign seal or signature. A consular authentication in no way attests to the authenticity of the contents of a document but merely to the seal and signature of the issuing authority.

You'll need to contact the US Consulate in Mongolia re the process, or the USDS directly.

It appears that Taiwan is not a party to the Hague Apostille convention, which is why they're asking for authentication instead.

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  • Thank you. On that DoS page, it says "Notarials at United States Embassies and Consulates require the personal appearance of the person requesting the notarial service", but does not explicitly say the same about authentications. Would another person with power of attorney be able to request authentication on my behalf there?
    – Chalcosoma
    Commented Dec 19, 2021 at 1:25
  • @Chalcosoma you'll have to call them and ask. Since it's not a signature notarization, I'd think that anyone can come with the document and request the authentication.
    – littleadv
    Commented Dec 19, 2021 at 1:29
  • I am continuing to try calling. Hopefully I will eventually reach someone or get a reply.
    – Chalcosoma
    Commented Dec 19, 2021 at 1:31

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