OK, trying to get some certified copies done and it has turned into an absolute nightmare. The court house won’t certify anything beyond passports/ARC without the original piece of paper having a stamp on it from the company that issued it (meaning your cable TV bill needs a stamp on it from the cable TV company before the court house will copy it). I’ve been told that lawyers and CPAs can do it, but most Taiwanese that I have spoken to absolutely ting bu dong when I tell them the Chinese of certified copy. My de facto embassy in Taipei can do it, but we don’t live there and they obviously charge top dollar (950NT per document). I have no problem paying for this, but see no reason why I need to go to Taipei to get it done. Any help would be appreciated
You need a notary public. Unfortunately I’m not sure where any are in Kaohsiung but I once got a list from the courthouse in Taipei for a number in Taipei (the document has since been lost, sorry).
There are certain documents that they won’t notarize without the right stamps on (wedding certificates from foreign countries for example), but others should be fine - statutory declarations for example (which basically means the notary is merely witnessing your signature). They also make certified copies of documents like local divorce certificates (and the one I went to was generous with the number of copies too).
The service these folks offer is called 公證 and you want to find a 公證人 or 公證處.
The cost varies from $400 to $700 per document, so it’s not really that much cheaper than AIT unless you’re doing a lot of paperwork.
Yeah, I know a dude in Taipei, but not down south.
Check here:
No. 188 Ho-Tung Rd.,
Kaohsiung, Taiwan 801
Telephone: (07)216-1418
President: Wen-Kuei Tsai
That’s the Kaohsiung District Court. They should have notary public there. Or check any District Court near your place.
Yes, I know the court house can do it, but only some documents. Anyway, I ended up getting it sorted. Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it.