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The Canadian Trade Office in Taipei (CTOT)

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NOTE: This is an important reminder that, effective February 1, 2010, limited validity passports (LVPs) may no longer be extended.

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Hours of Operation

The Consular Services Hours are from 9 am to 11:30 am, Monday to Friday (except Statutory Holidays).

Services to Canadians in Taiwan

After-Hours Emergency Consular Services

The Canadian Trade Office in Taipei offers 24-hour emergency service to Canadian citizens who are in distress. During non-office hours, the telephone answering system at (886)2- 8723-3000 will direct you to a consular officer in the Foreign Affairs Canada in Ottawa, Canada. It is essential that you leave a clear and detailed message including your name, location, telephone number, and nature of the problem, so that the consular duty officer in Ottawa can provide the necessary assistance.

If you are unable to reach the consular officer in Ottawa using the above method, you can make a collect call to (613) 996-8885, and a consular officer at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade will take your call and offer assistance.

General Services

Important Message to Canadians

Military action by coalition countries, including Canada, in Afghanistan, has raised the possibility of significantly increased dangers for Canadians abroad. Canadian involvement may result in strong anti-Canadian sentiments and retaliatory actions throughout the world.

Canadians are advised to be especially vigilant and avoid situations where political violence and demonstrations may occur. They can contact the Foreign Affairs Canada or call (613) 996-8885 for the most update travel report. Canadians should monitor local developments and news broadcasts carefully, and follow the advice of local authorities. There could be increased delays at airports and other transportation facilities. Please plan accordingly.

If you have not already done so, you should register with us by mail, in person or on-line via the Consular Affairs Web site. Canadian government offices overseas are ready to assist Canadians who encounter problems or who require advice and guidance in the days ahead.

Traveling to certain countries may be more dangerous than others. Foreign Affairs Canada provides travel reports and updates on such countries.

Citizenship Services

Instructions for Submitting Canadian Citizenship Certificate Applications

Please note that the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei pre-screens and sends all citizenship certificate applications to the Registrar for Canadian Citizenship in Sydney, Nova Scotia, for processing. After the certificate is issued, it will be sent to the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei. Once received, the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei will notify the applicant for pickup. The entire processing time can take 9 to 13 months.

Download the citizenship application

To obtain a Canadian Citizenship Certificate for a Newborn child:

The present Canadian Citizenship Act (which came into force February 15, 1977) provides that a child who is born to a Canadian citizen parent (in or out of wedlock) outside of Canada has a claim to Canadian citizenship. In addition to the completed citizenship certificate application form, the documents we must see to establish this claim are:

1. Two sets of Canadian Citizenship Certificate application forms. Please prepare one set of the original application, and one set of photocopy together with all the other supporting documents submitted to our office.
2. The child's original, official birth certificate which shows the child's personal birth details and indicates the full names of the natural parents. If this document is in any other language than French or English, then you must arrange to have the certificate translated by a licensed or notarized translator before it will be accepted by the Registrar of Canadian Citizenship for processing. This translated copy should be certified by the local district court.
3. Both parents' passports and the Canadian parent(s)' proof of Canadian citizenship ie: a Canadian Birth Certificate or a Canadian Citizenship Certificate. We must see the ORIGINAL documents, photocopies will not be accepted.
4. If available, the original marriage certificate of the child's parents.
5. Two identical citizenship photos.

Please note that the child must come in person at the time of lodgement due to security reasons.

To obtain a Replacement Canadian Citizenship Certificate for a child or adult:

You must surrender, with your completed application form, the small photo citizenship card and large ceremonial certificate which originally accompanied the citizenship certificate.

Replacement of a lost or stolen citizenship certificate may take up to one year for processing as an investigation is required.

General

Applications must be submitted in person by the Canadian applicant or by the Canadian parent of the Minor child (under 14 years of age).

All original documents submitted with the citizenship certificate application will be returned immediately.

Fees
Photo Specifications for Citizenship Certificates

* Please note that the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei requires 2 photos.

Past experience has been that if the photographs are not submitted as specified, the citizenship certificate application will be considered as pending until the correct photographs are received in Nova Scotia. This may delay the process by several weeks or months.

The photos required for Canadian citizenship certificates are Not the same size as photos required for Canadian passports.

Consular Services

• Notarizations, Affidavits, and Certifications of Documents
• Marriage in Taiwan
• Working and Teaching in Taiwan
• Arrest and Detention in Taiwan
• List of Lawyers Practising in Taiwan
• Consular Services - Foreign Affairs Canada
• Bon Voyage, But....Information for the Canadian Traveller
• Travel Advisories from the Foreign Affairs Canada

Notarizations, Affidavits, and Certifications of Documents

A Canadian consular officer in the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei has the same powers of a notary public to perform notarial services such as the attestation of legal documents, witnessing signatures on a Power of Attorney, certifying true copies of original documents, and administering affidavits and statutory declarations. As this is a service which has legal effect, the individual making the declaration must appear in person before a Canadian consular officer at the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei.

To apply for this type of service, we require to see your valid passport. We also suggest that you bring other valid English Identification cards as well in case further verification is needed.

For the related fees, please refer to Fees.

Marriage in Taiwan

Canadian citizens intending to marry in Taiwan will require an affidavit signed in front of a Canadian consular officer at the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei. Basically, this is a sworn declaration by the applicant that he/she is single or divorced and eligible for marriage in Taiwan. As the affidavit is a legal document, it must be attested in person by the Canadian citizen making the declaration, and cannot be done by fax or by mail.

We would require to see your Canadian passport and proof of Canadian citizenship (Canadian birth certificate or Canadian citizenship certificate), and in cases involving a previous marriage, a divorce document issued by a court order.

For the related fees, please refer to Fees.

Working and Teaching in Taiwan

Over the past few years, the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei has received many inquiries from Canadian citizens wishing to teach English in Taiwan. Taiwanese government regulations state that ALL foreigners require a work permit Before any form of employment can be undertaken. Many schools and institutions may promise that they will make appropriate arrangements after you begin working. You need to be aware that this is illegal and should you choose to accept such an arrangement, you do so at your own risk. In Taiwan, as in Canada, working without proper documentation and authorization is against the law and could result in a fine, deportation and/or prison sentence.

The Canadian Trade Office in Taipei is not permitted to enter into any dispute, conduct an investigation, nor act as a lawyer in legal or contractual mishaps experienced by Canadian citizens. We can neither investigate nor certify employers. It is up to the individual to evaluate a potential employer before signing a contract.

Individuals who are involved in a contractual dispute should consult a lawyer practising in Taiwan who is familiar with the local legal system and can advise you properly on your rights and obligations. The Canadian Trade Office in Taipei has available a list of lawyers practising in Taiwan to which you may refer.

If you are detained or arrested in Taiwan and you wish to have the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei notified, you should clearly make that request to the arresting authorities. This can be done through our switchboard (02) 8723-3000 (Monday to Thursday 8:15am to 12:00 pm , 12:30pm to 5pm Friday 8:15am to 12:45pm) or by collect call to (613) 996-8885 (after our working hours). The Canadian Trade Office in Taipei cannot seek preferential treatment for you nor exempt you from the due process of local law, but it can make every effort to ensure that your treatments by the courts and your conditions of detention are fair and equal to those accorded to local person. At your request, consular officials can assist you in a number of other ways, including notifying your family or friends of the situation, providing a list of lawyers, providing you with information on the local judicial and prison systems and facilitating the transfer of funds to you.

Guide for Canadians Imprisoned Abroad

List of Lawyers Practising in Taiwan

The Canadian Trade Office in Taipei accepts no responsibility for the probity or ability of the practitioners on this list of lawyers (all of whom offer services in English and Chinese) nor for the fees which they may charge. The information on the list was provided by the firms themselves and does not imply endorsement by the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei.

Should you wish to consult with a lawyer regarding legal matters and require the list of lawyers, please contact our office at tapei-cs@international.gc.ca.

List of hospitals in Taiwan

If you have a medical situation and would like to obtain a list of hospitals, please contact our office at tapei-cs@international.gc.ca

Passport Services

• Instructions for Obtaining/Renewing a Passport
• Lost, Stolen, Inaccessible or Destroyed Passports
• Passports for Children Under the Age of 16
• Photo Specifications for Passports
• Passport pick-up and mail-back service

Travelling in Asia

For travel in Asia, please ensure your passport is valid for at least six months before your planned entry into another country or your return to Taiwan. Without the six month's validity, you may be refused entry by the immigration authorities upon arrival. Non-compliance with entry requirements of the host country may result in either deportation or considerable delays.

Instructions for Obtaining/Renewing a Passport

Passport application forms are available from the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei, or they can be downloaded from Passport Canada.

All Passport applications must be made in person. Please be advised that 15 working days are required to process passport applications. The application processing time is counted from the date that all the required documentation and information are received by our office.

In order to process a passport application, you need to:

1. Complete the passport application form.
2. Provide the following Originaldocumentations (photocopies or certified copies are NOT admissible as substitutes):
   • Proof of Canadian citizenship:
     • if you were born in Canada : the Canadian birth certificate issued by the province in which you were born
     • if you were born outside of Canada : the Canadian citizenship certificate (note: only the photo card is acceptable - the large commemorative certificate is NOT acceptable), or a Certificate of Registration of Birth Abroad or Certificate of Retention of Citizenship, depending on your date of birth
   • your current Canadian passport (it will be cancelled and returned to you with your new passport)
3. Provide two (2) identical photographs of the correct size as per the passport application form. For passport integrity reasons, photos may be rejected if the quality is not of a reasonable standard or is not appropriate for use in a passport. As such instant photos from photo booths are NOT acceptable for Canadian passports.
4. Documents, in the name to appear in the passport, to support your identity must be submitted with your application form. Further documentation may be required. For a child, only the proof of Canadian Citizenship is required. Documentation to support your identity must be issued by a federal, provincial, municipal authority, or local equivalent. The documents must be valid and must include the bearer's name and signature. For example, provincial driver's licence, provincial health care card, other provincial/federal identification card, certificate of Indian Status, Old Age Security card, Federal, provincial or municipal employee identification card, R.O.C (Taiwan) Passport and ARC, and Canadian passport (the passport is still valid or submitted up to one year after its expiry date; the passport is submitted with the application form. Photocopies will not be accepted; and the name indicated in the passport is the same as the one on the application form.)
5. Provide children's original birth certificate or the original household registration record if you are applying for the first Canadian Passport on behalf them. Both parents' names should be clearly indicated on these two documents.

Preparing for the application

In addition to the personal information, please note that the following essential information is also required when you complete a passport application:

•  Guarantor: please refer to Guarantor Info
•  Addresses in the last TWO years if different from current address
•  Occupation or School in the last TWO years: Name of your employer/school or other,address, contact number, nature of employment/studies, Date (from ~ to ~)
•  TWO references: these TWO persons should not be your relatives or your guarantor,and should know you for at least TWO years. Please provide the following information of your references: full name, contact numbers, contact address,relationship with you,and the number of years that this person has known you for. Due to time difference, it is strongly recommended that you provide local references in order to avoid the delay in your application.

Photo Specifications for Passports

• Photo Specifications for Passports

Guarantor

The guarantor does not have to be a Canadian citizen, BUT must be chosen from the groups specified on the passport application form, and must work or practice in Taiwan. This individual must have known you personally for at least two years to qualify as a guarantor. The guarantor must sign the guarantor portion on the passport application form only after the application is completed in full signed and dated by you. Applications submitted with a date of signature for the guarantor preceeding the date of signature of the applicant will be rejected.

Details of a qualified guarantor, please consult the instructions sheet of the passport application form.

If you do not have a guarantor which satisfies these conditions, you can fill out the form PPT 132 "Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor" and sign it in the presence of a commissioner for oaths, notary public, lawyer, or a Canadian consular officer at the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei.

For the related fees, please refer to Fees.

Please Note: The PPT 132 form may not be accepted in some situations. For example, if you have been living in Taiwan for over 3 years, you will be expected by Passport Canada to have a guarantor and the form will likely be refused.

PPT 132 Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor

If you do not have a guarantor, you will be required to complete PPT 132 Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor, and an additional fee is applied. The following information is to be completed in the PPT 132; therefore, in order to save your time, please come with this information prepared.

• Applicants Personal Information
  
  Please provide complete addresses of your last FIVE years (if different from the current one) as well as your Business / School details for the last FIVE years. Please note that there should not be any breaks between the dates. You can write down the additional details in the PPT132 - Additional Information (upon request from the receptionist at our office) if there is not enough room for you to write in the PPT132.
• TWO Additional References 
  
  You need to provide us with the details of TWO Additional References, who can be contacted to confirm your identity. These two references cannot be your relatives and they have to have known you for at least TWO years. Please provide the following information of your references: full name, contact numbers, contact address, relationship with you, and the number of years that this person has known you for. Due to time difference, it is strongly recommended that you provide local references in order to avoid the delay in your application.
• Declaration of Applicant
  
  In addition to providing a valid reason for not being able to find a qualified guarantor, you need to provide us with 2 valid IDs which have your name and signature, one of which should have a picture. Acceptable supporting IDs are documents that are issued by a federal, provincial or municipal authority in Canada, or local equivalent. For example:
  
  Provincial drivers licence
  Certificate of Indian Status
  Provincial health care card
  Other federal identification card
  Other provincial identification card
  Alien Residence Certificate (ARC)
  Firearms Licence Possession Acquisition
  ROC (Taiwan) passport
  Federal, provincial or municipal employee ID card
  Old Age Security Card

Lost, Stolen, Inaccessible or Destroyed Passports

Applicants must fill out the form PPTC 201 "Report-Lost, Stolen, Inaccessible or Found Passport" and report any of these conditions to the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei immediately. Lost or stolen passports must also be reported to the nearest local police department. The complete police report/memo must accompany your application for a replacement Canadian passport.

In addition to filling out the passport application form, you will need to complete an additional form PPT 203 "Statutory Declaration Concerning a Lost, Stolen, Inaccessible, or Destroyed Canadian Passport or Travel Document" which must be notarized by a Canadian consular officer at the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei, or by a Notary Public.

For the related fees, please refer to Fees.

Passports for both adults and children who do not have the proof of citizenship but need to meet the visa/residence requirements of the local country

It is mandatory in some countries that a resident or traveller possesses a valid passport at all times. In such cases, a limited validity passport may be issued, and the applicant must complete a written declaration attesting the reasons of applying for a new passport.

Passports for Children Under the Age of 16

The parent who applies (called the "applicant") for the child under the age of 16 will need to present his/her own passport and own birth certificate or citizenship certificate to prove their identity. For the other parent, we need the passport as an identification.

If you are the parent applying on behalf of a child, it is imperative that the other parent sign the passport application form as well. If the other parent is not living in Taiwan, he/she should go to the nearest Canadian passport office to complete a Consent for a Minor Child form PPT028. The passport office will fax a copy of the completed form to the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei and allow us to proceed with processing the application.

If the other parent is not available, we will require documentary proof of the custody or a divorce agreement indicating that the parent applying for the child has custody.

In situations where the parents are unable to find a qualified guarantor, the child must also be present during the time of application submission.

New proof of parentage requirements for a child's (travel document application)

To protect Canadian children against child abduction and to further enhance the security of the Canadian passport program, Passport Canada will soon require that travel document applications for children under 16 years of age be accompanied by proof of parentage documentation*.

Effective December 1, 2011, along with standard application requirements, parents or legal guardians must provide with their child’s travel document application, either:

• A detailed birth certificate indicating the name of the parent(s) issued by a Canadian provincial or territorial vital statistics agency if the child was born in Canada. This document will serve as both proof of parentage and proof of citizenship;
  • A certified copy of birth registration (original only) is also accepted for a child born in Ontario; and
  • A Copy of an act of birth (original only) issued after January 1, 1994, by the Directeur de l’état civil of Quebec is also accepted for a child born in Quebec;
• An order of adoption indicating the name of the adoptive parent(s); or
• A foreign birth certificate indicating the name of the parent(s) (documents in a language other than English or French must be translated to either English or French) if the child was born outside of Canada.

All legal documents that refer to custody, the mobility of, or access to the child must be provided. If a divorce has been granted, a copy of the divorce judgment or order must also be provided. If a separation agreement exists, it must also be provided with the application.

*Exception: Applications submitted on behalf of a child will be accepted without proof of parentage only if all of the following criteria are met:

A Canadian travel document has previously been issued to the child in his or her name;

The previously issued travel document is still valid or expired for less than one year; and

The previously issued travel document accompanies the new application.

Passport Canada wishes to make Canadian travellers aware of these changes well in advance of the implementation date and encourages Canadians to initiate their travel document application process as soon as they begin to plan to travel to ensure that the proper documentation is obtained in time for a trip abroad.

It is important that parents and legal guardians factor in additional time to acquire proper documentation prior to submitting a travel document application for their child. Failure to provide the proper documentation will result in your child’s travel document application being rejected.

Passport Pick-up and Mail-back service

Please note that, due to security reasons, every application needs to be made in person. However, for passport collection, applicants may pick up the passport in person, choose to authorize a person to pick up the passport on their behalf or may request a mail-back service. Applicants should make their decision clear to the passport examiner when submitting the application. To authorize a person to collect the passport, applicants needs to complete an authorization slip and the authorized person is required to bring his/her own English identification card (for example, a passport) for verification. Applicants who wish to have their passports mailed back should provide our office with a self-addressed (address in Chinese is suggested) and self-stamped envelope (NTD$60 for double registered mail) when submitting the application.

Fees

Please note that we only accept cash, in NT dollars.

Please pay NT dollars in cash at the window.
When filing applications, please prepare the exact amount of application fees, as our consular section does not keep any small change. There are several banks located downstairs from the office. Thank you for your co-operation.

Federal Elections

• Information on elections in Canada

Useful Websites and Information for Canadians

Websites to find birth certificate application procedure for each province and territories:

• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Manitoba
• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Northwest Territories
• Nova Scotia
• Nunavut
• Ontario
• Prince Edward Island
• Quebec
• Saskatchewan
• Yukon

Taiwan Websites

Ministry of Foreign Affairs - info of the Department of foreign affairs, embassies overseas, ROC information, general statistics, other related links, and etc.

Bureau of Consular Affairs - info of the issuance of ROC visas, visa application forms, frequently asked questions...etc.

National Police Administration - information for foreigners, related laws and regulations, employment, education, tax, health insurance...etc.

National Immigration Agency- information for foreigners in Taiwan in regards to visa, ARC, APRC, and immigration related matters.

Taipei City Gov - contains info of city government, business and investment, living in Taipei , arts & culture, and etc.

Ministry of Education - ROC education system, education resources, contact details of schools, general statistics...etc.

Bureau of Employment and Vocational Training - info on working in Taiwan and applying for work permit, and etc.

information on teaching English in Taiwan

Taiwaneaseinformation for foreigners in Taiwan in regards to visa, ARC, APRC, and immigration related matters

National Immigration Agency - Information, including articles and classifieds, for foreigners living in Taiwan

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are your hours of operation?
Please refer to Hours of Operation.

2. Do you offer notary services to non Canadians?
Yes. You do not have to be a Canadian to receive notary service. However, we can only notarize documents for use in Canada. Please bring your passport as well as other valid English IDs.

3. Do I have to make an appointment for notary services?
No, you can come on a walk in basis during our regular business hours. Hours of Operation.

4. What do I need to submit a passport application?
Please see Passport Services.

5. My citizenship card has my baby photo on it. How do I update my photo on my citizenship card? Is it compulsory?
You can update your photo on your citizenship card by completing a "Proof of Canadian Citizenship (CIT0001 E)". Although it is not compulsory by law to update your photo, an updated photo can avoid unforeseen inconveniences. Please click Citizenship Services for citizenship application information.

6. Do I need a guarantor need to sign on the citizenship application form? What about my citizenship photos?
No, you do not need a guarantor to sign the citizenship application form and your citizenship photos. However a guarantor's signature is required for the passport application.

7. Does my child have to come in person when I submit his/her citizenship application form?
Yes, every application has to be submitted in person. For children's citizenship applications, children must come in person. Please refer to Citizenship Service.

8. How do I obtain a certified criminal record check from Canada?
If you are Outside of Canada: contact the nearest police force which offers fingerprinting services. The RCMP will accept fingerprint forms from foreign countries that contain the following: * rolled and flat impressions of all ten fingers taken with black ink
* full name, date of birth and sex of the applicant
* the name and address of the police agency
* the signature of the official taking the fingerprints

Please visit RCMP website at Royal Canadian Mounted Police for information.

9. Non-Machine Readable Passports & USA Entry Requirements?
As stipulated in the United States Visa Waiver Program, effective October 26, 2004 travelers must present machine-readable passports (MRP) at US ports of entry in order to enter without a visa. Passports currently issued by the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei are security enhanced, machine readable passports.

For specific details on the Visa Waiver Program including a section directed at Canadian citizens, we wish to direct you to the U. S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs - Visa services which can be accessed by clicking on the following link: Visa Waiver Program

10. Can I travel to Canada using my Canadian citizenship card?
It is not advisable that you travel using only your proof of Canadian citizenship (citizenship card or provincial birth certificate). For international travel purposes, the Canadian Certificate of Citizenship (citizenship card) accompanied by a non-Canadian passport is not reliable evidence that the holder is a Canadian citizen. A passport is the only reliable and universally accepted identification document. It proves that you have a right to return to Canada.

11. Can I apply for my newborn's passport before he / she has received a citizenship card?
It is only possible to apply for your child's passport before receiving a citizenship card if urgent travel is required. If urgent travel is required than proof of this travel is must be provided upon application. Furthermore, we may request additional information. In order to avoid any unforeseen inconveniences we recommend that parents apply for the child's citizenship card as soon as possible, and apply for the child's passport only after receiving the child's citizenship card.

Feedback

If you have any comments to our services, please complete the Client Feedback Form PDF ^* (118 KB).

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Date Modified:

2013-04-02