Travel.State.Gov >
Legal Resources > Judicial Assistance Country Information > Taiwan Judicial Assistance Information
DISCLAIMER: THE INFORMATION IS PROVIDED FOR GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY AND MAY NOT BE TOTALLY ACCURATE IN A SPECIFIC CASE. QUESTIONS INVOLVING INTERPRETATION OF SPECIFIC FOREIGN LAWS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE APPROPRIATE FOREIGN AUTHORITIES OR FOREIGN COUNSEL.
The American Institute in Taiwan, Taipei Main Office
No. 100 Jinhu Road
Neihu District, Taipei 114017, Taiwan
Telephone: +886 2-2162-2000
Emergency After-Hours Telephone: +886-2-2162 2000
Fax: +886 2-2162-2239
Email: TaipeiACS@state.gov
Our Navigator Assistant will guide you to the information you need.
The American Institute in Taiwan, Kaohsiung Branch Office
5th Floor, No. 88, Chenggong 2nd Road
Qianzhen District, Kaohsiung 806618, Taiwan
Telephone: +886-7-335 5006
Emergency After-Hours Telephone +886-2-2162 2000
Fax: +886-7-338-0551
Email: KaohsiungACS@state.gov
Our Navigator Assistant will guide you to the information you need.
The United States maintains unofficial relations with the people on Taiwan through the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), a private, nonprofit corporation, which performs U.S. citizen and consular services similar to those at U.S. embassies and consulates general.
Schedule routine American Citizen Services appointments online. Appointments are available Monday through Thursday except on Taiwan and U.S. holidays.
The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) is a non-profit, private corporation established shortly after the United States Government changed its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing on January 1, 1979. The Taiwan Relations Act (PL 96-8) of April 10, 1979, authorized the continuation of "commercial, cultural and other relations between the people of the United States and the people on Taiwan." It also provided that "any programs, transactions, or other relations conducted or carried out by the President or any Agency of the United States Government with respect to Taiwan shall, in the manner and to the extent directed by the President, be conducted and carried out by or through the American Institute in Taiwan." AIT's Taipei Office undertakes a wide range of activities representing U.S. interests, including providing consular services related to judicial assistance. AIT Washington, located in Arlington, Virginia, is the headquarters office of the American Institute in Taiwan. It serves as a liaison with its counterpart organization, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO). Judicial assistance is provided by authorities on Taiwan in response to letters rogatory from foreign courts in accordance with Taiwan’s "Law Governing Extension of Assistance to Foreign Courts."
Service of process in Taiwan can be effected by international registered mail/return receipt requested; by agent, generally a local attorney; or pursuant to letters rogatory. Affidavits of service can be executed before a travel officer at the AIT. If enforcement of a judgment is anticipated, however, Taiwan may not consider service by registered mail or by agent acceptable and may require that service be effected pursuant to letters rogatory. See below for a discussion of special elements necessary in preparation of a letter rogatory for use in Taiwan.
Letters Rogatory: Requests to transmit letters rogatory may be sent to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Overseas Citizens Services, Office of Legal Affairs, CA/OCS/L. Mailing address: ATTN: Judicial Assistance Officer, U.S. Department of State, CA/OCS/L, 2201 C Street, NW, SA-17, 10th Floor, Washington, DC 20522-1710. Letters rogatory can be used to effect service of process and to compel production of documents or testimony of an unwilling witness in Taiwan. For general information about preparation of letters rogatory, see our information flyer Preparation of Letters Rogatory. Letters rogatory for use in Taiwan must comply with the following requirements:
To arrange to conduct a voluntary deposition of a willing witness in Taiwan before a Travel Services Officer of the American Institute in Taiwan, contact AIT Taipei directly. Private U.S. litigants are responsible for making their own arrangements for stenographers, interpreters, videotape operators, etc. AIT Taipei may be able to provide lists of such private commercial services. Applicable fees are listed at 22 CFR 22.1.
The AIT seal can be authenticated by the Department of State's Authentication Office. See the U.S. Department of State Authentication Office page. For information about having a public document issued by a state agency or state court in the United States authenticated for use in Taiwan, first contact the state Secretary of State’s office or other designated state authority. Such documents may then be authenticated by the U.S. Department of State’s Authentication Office. That seal may then be authenticated by TECRO.
You are about to leave travel.state.gov for an external website that is not maintained by the U.S. Department of State.
Links to external websites are provided as a convenience and should not be construed as an endorsement by the U.S. Department of State of the views or products contained therein. If you wish to remain on travel.state.gov, click the "cancel" message.
You are about to visit: