Services for Australians

Passport fees

For Passport fees and notarial service fees, please see Document Fees

Consular services

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) may provide help to Australians who find themselves in trouble overseas. This support is known as consular services.

The Consular Services Charter sets out the assistance that we can and cannot provide, and the standards of service you can expect from us when seeking consular assistance. For information about collecting your personal information please read the Consular Privacy Collection Statement.

If you require consular / passport assistance while in Taiwan you can visit or call the Australian Office (AO) in Taipei.

Consular services are provided on weekdays, between 8:45am and 5:15pm, except for public holidays. Telephone enquiries can be made on +886 2 8725 4100.

DFAT also provides Australians with emergency consular services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can contact the Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 555 135 within Australia or +61 2 6261 3305 from outside Australia or SMS +61 421 269 080.

Travel information for Australians

“Smartraveller has the latest, authoritative travel advice so you can be informed and prepared about overseas travel. Subscribe to receive travel advice updates - by simply supplying your name and email address – straight to your inbox.

Visit www.smartraveller.gov.au to subscribe or connect with Smartraveller on Facebook and Twitter.”

Visit Smartraveller for travel advice and on-line registrations. The Smartraveller website is also available in traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese.

Are you a dual citizen travelling to Taiwan? Smartraveller covers information on advice levels, travel insurance, the importance of following local laws and the implications of dual nationality, including limitations of consular services. Be sure to visit smartraveller.gov.au before you go.

Passports

Visit our passport page for more information on passport services.

Notarial Services

For a fee (contact us for the local currency equivalent), the AO can provide a limited range of notarial services. If you require notarial services, appointment bookings can be made here http://aotw.setmore.com/

The services we can provide include:

certifying copies of original documents
witnessing signatures on certain documents, including statutory declarations
administering affidavits, oaths and affirmations

Please ensure that documents relating to the notarial services you require from the Australian Office, are presented in the correct form and that you provide the correct instructions for the notarial service you require. If you are unsure of the legislative requirements relating to the notarial service you require, you should seek independent legal advice. Please note that neither the Australian Government nor the Australian Office guarantees the legal effectiveness of the notarised document or the accuracy of its content. Fees paid for notarial services are non-refundable.

The AO will not sign or complete any other 'Identifiers Certificates' or 'Verification of Identity Certificates' for a land transfer or mortgage document. The AO can however complete a DFAT Identity Certificate for you. You should check with your Australian representative what is required, and if the DFAT Identity Certificate is suitable, before visiting the AO. You will need to provide written instruction from either your Australian legal practitioner, law practice licensed conveyancer or mortgagee to receive this service.

Please note, by witnessing a signature on a document, neither the Australian Government nor the AO guarantees the legal effectiveness of the document or the accuracy of its contents.

Alternative Providers of Notarial Services in Taiwan

An Approved Consular Employee is neither a Justice of the Peace (JP) nor a Notary Public, and is only able to sign a limited range of specific documents.

Unless your document specifies an Approved Consular Employee as an approved signatory, please confirm with the intended recipient of your document whether an Approved Consular Employee will be an acceptable substitute. You may wish to investigate whether your document can be witnessed by a local Notary Public, a local court or another professional in Taiwan (for instance a doctor, school teacher or accountant). If the recipient of your documents will accept a local witness, you may find this more convenient or economical.

Please click these links for the details of court notaries public and civil notaries public.

Voting

The AO provides voting facilities for Federal Election only.

Police clearances from Australia

Under the Australian Privacy Act, the AO cannot obtain confidential information on Australian citizens or residents of Australia from any Australian police force. Only the individual may obtain this information directly from the relevant state, territory or federal police force. Australian Citizens requiring police clearances should contact the appropriate Australian Federal, State or Territory Police Force.

Other services for Australians living overseas

Local services for Australians in Taiwan

Emergency medical assistance

In case of a medical emergency, dial 119.

Australian organisations present in Taiwan