The American Institute in Taiwan, Taipei Main Office
100 Jinhu Road, Neihu District
Taipei 114017, Taiwan
Telephone: +886-2-2162 2000 ext. 2306
Emergency After-Hours Telephone: +886-2-2162 2000
Fax:  +886-2-2162 2239
Email:  TaipeiACS@state.gov

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

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 embassies.

Schedule routine American Citizen Services appointments online. Appointments are available Monday through Thursday except on Taiwan and U.S. holidays.

AIT Taipei  
AIT Kaohsiung

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, 10^th 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:

• Letters rogatory and accompanying documents should be in English with certified translations in Mandarin Chinese;
• Letters rogatory should be addressed to the "Appropriate Judicial Authority of Taiwan"; Please note: In accordance with U.S. policy, please refrain from using the terminology "Republic of China" in the letters rogatory or any accompanying documents and translations. Please refer to Taiwan simply as Taiwan.
• Letters Rogatory should be accompanied by a certified check payable to American Institute in Taiwan in accordance with the current schedule of fees at 22 CFR 22.1. Additional fees may also be required by the court.
• If the letters rogatory requests the taking of evidence, the Taiwan court will not permit examination of witnesses by attorneys; witnesses would be examined by the court on the basis of written questions. A full transcript of the deposition, in Chinese, is made at the time of the deposition and should be specifically requested in the letters rogatory.

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.