Hmm… Never ran into that issue, but then again I had most of my documents notarized in Taiwan since I was short on time and either about to leave or already in Taiwan (long story), but for the 2 documents where my US translations worked (dad’s Oregon death certificate and my Idaho driver’s license, both in TECO Seattle and sent on different dates), the notaries that signed it were both White.
For the background, did you make the FBI send it a physical copy to TECRO Washington or did you use the electronic method? Seems to me, TECRO also accepts people forwarding the email from the FBI to them for authentication.
Electronically is easiest, just have to do live scan at a post office.
You mean you had to scan the PDF FBI report and email it to TECRO? I received my report results via email and a PIN code was given to me.
What I was going to do was to just forward the email to TECRO, along with the Taiwan authentication document form (still unsure…how do I pay for it if done online)? Not sure if this is the right way at all or even the quickest.
No, that is correct. By live scan I meant the fingerprints, which it sounds like you have already done. I sent an email to TECRO saying that I wanted document authentication of a FBI report. After they replied by email, I forwarded the FBI email with PIN, then separately sent them the document authentication form, money order, and return postage by postal mail.
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Ok, so the document authentication form still needs to be send physically by postal mail to TECRO, makes sense! Since I was wondering what they would send back.
Had another fun day at my local TECO this morning.
I brought 4 notarized documents to be authenticated:
- Birth certificate translation
- My kid’s vaccination records (no need for a health certificate for kids if you provide the vaccination records)
- Criminal background check translation
- Health certificate
I got these 4 notarized at the US embassy in my local area, at a cost of $50 USD each. There are other notaries in my city, but they tend cost at least $100 USD per document, so I went with the US embassy instead.
Anyway, at my local TECO, I ran into fun issues with almost every document:
- Birth certificate translation:
They told me that this did NOT need to be notarized. Instead, they said they would stamp it with a statement that said the translation is accurate to the best of my knowledge, and had me sign below it. They then attached the translation (with the stamp) to my authenticated birth certificate. They accepted this document, but I did waste $50 notarizing it. - My kid’s vaccination records:
Though I provided both my and my kid’s NWOHR passports, they asked me for my kid’s authenticated birth certificate to prove the relationship before they would accept the document. Eventually they conceded and let me show them a picture of it. Anyway, they said the vaccination records also did NOT need to be notarized, which means I wasted a 2nd $50 USD. Silly, because the health certificate for adults does need to be notarized- why the difference? Anyway, the vaccination records were luckily accepted. - Criminal background check translation:
This was rejected by them because they said EVERY single line on every page in the background check must be translated. I’m not sure how I will do this, because there are some pieces of text on my background check that I don’t understand (certain numbers, for example). A 3rd $50 wasted. - Health certificate:
Probably the most frustrating one of all- mine was rejected for 2 reasons, leaving me a perfect 4/4 on wasted notarizations, for a total of $200 USD.
The first is because they claimed the US embassy’s notary was not acceptable and that I needed to use a local notary. This is stupid because I have previously used notarized docs from the US embassy to get my NWOHR passport in the first place, at the same exact TECO. Also, I told them that the notary’s job is to confirm that you sign the document in front of them, that they don’t do any actual validation of the authenticity of the document, but the person helping me refused to budge.
The second reason for rejection is related to the certificate itself ( https://www.taiwanembassy.org/uploads/sites/29/2015/05/5-Health-Certificate.pdf ) . They said that the hospital’s stamp not only needs to be on the top left corner, as indicated in the pdf, but ALSO across the photo that you attach to the health certificate. This is mentioned nowhere in the PDF, from what I see.
So, I went back to my hospital to get it stamped again, and then called around to find a notary that could do it. I got quoted $200 at the cheapest place (20 min turnaround), and $450 at the most expensive place (5 day turnaround). I went to the cheap place, watching the notary the whole time. They did NOT call the hospital to verify the document at all, as I suspected. Why the Taiwan government forces us to notarize this doc really is a complete waste of time and money.
Anyway, once I’m done authenticating these docs, I will submit my residence application for both myself and my kid within the next month. I expect there to be more fun hiccups along the way and will update you guys. Best of luck to all of us!
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Your local TECO only has jurisdiction over your city/country. That’s why they can’t accept documents notarized by the US embassy, which is technically part of the USA.
As you stated yourself, the notary’s job isn’t to verify the authenticity of the document, but that still doesn’t mean you can just notarize a document anywhere you want.
Just use Google Translate. You don’t need to translate numbers, but you still need to include them within the translated document.
By the way, it’s easiest to just do the health check and background check notarizations in Taiwan because they know exactly what NIA’s requirements are. If you do them in a foreign country, they’ll just wing it.
Official government-issued documents such as birth certificates and immunization records need only be authenticated. They don’t need to be notarized first because they are already certified documents. Meaning, they were already certified by the state before being issued to you in the first place.
Unofficial documents such as random translations written by you and health results provided by random hospitals need to be notarized first. Because their legitimacy cannot be proven, they need your sworn testimony (notarization) that they are true and correct.
My kid’s vaccination records are from a private hospital, not a government hospital or organization. None of the records have been sent to the government here, or made “official” in any manner whatsoever.
If you are a US citizen, then I assume the covid pandemic made you aware that covid vaccination certificates were hand-written, and in many states, were not submitted to a central database.
In addition, you may have completely misread my post. The “background check notarizations” that you say should be done in Taiwan were actually not required from my TECO.
One more thing, my health certificate’s new (second) notarization does not have sworn testimony that it is true and correct, as you have claimed must happen. The new notarization, which has been accepted by TECO, only says that the document is “original.”
Is there a list of hospitals that specifically do these health checks? Or would any hospital in Taipei work? I remember there was some list out there on NIA website but the link was down.
I also assume we would be paying cash for the hospital services (someone in the forum quoted like $38USD)
Yes, but it is written on a standard immunization card that is obviously not a photocopy, correct? Or is it the hospital’s own immunization form?
This definitely needs to be notarized. I mean the translation. When you come to Taiwan and apply for your residency with the NIA, they will require it.
Tomatoes, to-mah-toes.
I don’t know if there is a list, but most of them do it.
After you arrive in Taiwan, the first thing you’ll want to do anyway is to visit your NIA and ask them exactly what you need to provide (don’t rely on information in this forum). Everyone’s situation will be different depending on how they qualify for residency.
While you are there, you can ask them which hospital to go to. There should be one nearby.
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How much time do people spend in NIA? Like a 4-5 hours? Maybe I’ll try to go morning on a weekday?
I just thought that would have been the last step before getting residency but I do think your approach is correct since they may want additional things from me.
Is the waiting time similar to TECO generally?
It will depend on which one you go to. I can only tell you about my own experience in Kaohsiung. I’m usually in and out within 20 minutes.
I’ve been to the NIA no less than 5 times throughout my entire application process. The first time was to ask what I needed. The second time was to do the application for my TARC. The third time was to pick up my TARC. The fourth time was to retroactively submit another document which they failed to mention I needed to provide in the first place. The fifth time was to apply for my residency and turn in my TARC.
Your experience will be a little different because you no longer need to get a TARC, but you can still expect to make several visits because either you will have some missing documents or they will forget to tell you to provide something.
Yes, there’s a list; no, not any hospital. Shuangho Hospital took card as a payment, but contact the hospital and/or bring cash just in case.
It’s been luck of the draw for me, and considering I encountered Murphy’s Law and even them moving the goalpost once; out of my 5 times being there, I’ve been at the one in New Taipei anywhere from being 2 people from being called (less than 5 minutes), all the way to waiting 3 hours.
The “health book” is from the hospital and not standardized- once we changed hospitals, the new hospital commented that they use their own, different health book.
I was able to get the translations (background check + birth certificate) authenticated without notarization, and have them now. They are attached to the original authenticated docs, and have a stamp that says in Chinese that they are true translations.
Incorrect. Earlier in this thread, we talked about needing to sign our own statement saying that the health certificates were true and correct. The new, second notarization for my health check that was accepted and authenticated by TECO does NOT have my sworn testimony or signature that it is true and correct.
I see where confusion might have popped up.
This is correct, and my local TECO’s web page is pretty clear about “a notary public within the consular jurisdiction of this office”.
HongKonger is working with a dictionary definition of notarization here:
Refer to https://www.roc-taiwan.org/usnyc_en/post/125.html. If you present all documents, such as a birth certificate original with translation to the consular officer at TECO in person, they will ask you to affirm the translation is a true and correct translation.
Alternatively, you can declare the same statement in the presence of a notary public of the consular area of the TECO of your residence, and bring the notarized statement, translation, and original to TECO.
Alternatively, you can bring the original with you to Taiwan, and have it translated and notarized by a district court in Taiwan.
Regarding the health certificate
The TECO of my consular area gave me two options: Either it should be stamped by the hospital (clinic), or it should be notarized by a notary public in the consular jurisdiction of my residency. The health certificate does not need to be translated, it is entered on a form issued by Taiwan CDC, and there is no need to provide a translation of any supporting documents (in my case, negative lab results and negative chest X-ray screening).
I chose to do the latter in the interest of time. For lack of anything better to write, I wrote something to the effect of “This health certificate form is a true and accurate representation of the lab results of ”. I affirmed this statement at a nearby public notary. The notarized statement, health check form, and supporting documents were accepted by TECO.
Regarding translation
Yes, you must include every piece of text in the original document in its approximate position in the original, including all names, dates, addresses, control numbers, etc. etc.
In my birth certificate, all place names, governmental offices, and addresses are translated into Chinese. Names are written with Chinese and English side-by-side. This translation was accepted by TECO New York for authentication.
In my background checks, addresses and names were not translated, but governmental offices and titles of the issuing authority were translated. This translation was accepted by TECO San Francisco for authentication.
This might be obvious but it is not necessary to transclude the duplicate signature of the issuing authority into the translation.
I can include my template of the US FBI background check if you like, but it doesn’t sound like you are based in the US. I shamelessly stole my translation from some Chinese-language blog, because overseas Taiwanese nationals also need to procure these kinds of documents, so it might be worth some quick Googling.
Each time I went to the Taipei NIA I spent less than 15 minutes waiting, and less than 30 minutes with a person. Generally either you have everything or you don’t, and the thing you need will be found elsewhere. There are many staff there which probably helps significantly. Meanwhile at my local TECO I have waited more than an hour before service multiple times.
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