For Taiwan, get it authenticated by TECO; for mainland China, get an Apostille
If you need to use a U.S. marriage certificate abroad, start with where it's going. To register the marriage in Taiwan, send it to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) for authentication; Taiwan is not on the list of parties to the Apostille Convention. To use it in mainland China, since November 7, 2023 you only need an Apostille, with no further authentication by a Chinese embassy or consulate in the U.S.
The two routes have different issuing offices, fees and processing times, and sending it the wrong way means starting over. Below, each is covered separately.
What an Apostille is and where to get one
An Apostille (a certificate attached under the Hague Convention) is a document certification that parties to the Apostille Convention recognize from one another. It certifies the signature and the identity of the signer, not the content of the document. According to the status table of the Hague Conference on Private International Law, the convention entered into force for the United States on October 15, 1981 and for China on November 7, 2023; the table lists 130 parties, and Taiwan is not among them (Hague Conference on Private International Law, checked 2026-10-22).
For a marriage certificate issued by a state, the Apostille is issued by that state's Secretary of State (or equivalent office), not the county, and not the state you live in:
- California: The California Secretary of State charges US$20 per Apostille; in-person requests carry an additional special handling fee of US$6 per signature. You can apply by mail (processed only in Sacramento, in the order received, with no expediting) or at the counter in Sacramento or Los Angeles for same-day pickup. The document must be an original signed by a California public official; photocopies are not accepted (California Secretary of State, checked 2026-10-22).
- Nevada (Las Vegas): Clark County states that the county does not provide Apostilles and that they're handled by the Nevada Secretary of State; before applying, get a certified copy of the marriage certificate from the County Clerk (Clark County, checked 2026-10-22).
- Utah: Utah County helps submit the request and the Lieutenant Governor's office issues it; it takes several weeks, and an electronic Apostille is also available (Utah County, checked 2026-10-14).
Documents issued by the federal government go through the U.S. Department of State instead; a marriage certificate is issued by a state or county, so follow the steps above.
For use in mainland China
From the notice of the Chinese Embassy in the United States (checked 2026-10-22):
- China joined the Apostille Convention on March 8, 2023, and it took effect between China and the U.S. on November 7, 2023.
- From that same day, Chinese embassies and consulates in the U.S. stopped providing consular authentication.
- U.S. documents for use in mainland China only need an Apostille, with no further authentication by U.S. authorities or by Chinese embassies or consulates in the U.S.; you can apply to the U.S. Department of State or a state Secretary of State's office.
- An Apostille only certifies that the signature is genuine and confirms the signer's identity; it doesn't mean the receiving office will necessarily accept the document. Check with the receiving office first about its requirements for format, content, time limits and translation.
Guides online written before 2023 still tell you to "get state Secretary of State authentication, then send it to a Chinese embassy or consulate in the U.S." That's the old system.
For registering in Taiwan
On the Taiwan side, the Department of Household Registration of the Ministry of the Interior requires that documents made abroad be authenticated by a Taiwan overseas mission (Department of Household Registration, Ministry of the Interior, checked 2026-10-22). So if you married in the U.S. and want to register in Taiwan, send the certified copy of your marriage certificate to TECO for authentication, not to the Secretary of State for an Apostille.
- Which office to use depends on the state that issued the certificate, not where you live. For example, a certificate issued in Nevada goes to the TECO office in San Francisco. See Which TECO office to send your marriage certificate to.
- For the offices whose official pages we found, the authentication fee is US$15 per document; you have to prepare the Chinese translation yourself.
- After authentication, TECO can forward it to the household registration office, or you can take it back to Taiwan yourself. For the full steps, see Married in the U.S., registering in Taiwan: five steps.
The three most common ways people send it to the wrong place
- Getting an Apostille for use in Taiwan: The Department of Household Registration requires authentication by an overseas mission, and an Apostille can't replace it.
- Following an old guide and going to the consulate for use in mainland China: Since November 7, 2023, Chinese embassies and consulates in the U.S. no longer provide consular authentication.
- Submitting a photocopy or a commemorative certificate: The California Secretary of State says plainly that photocopies are not accepted, and the commemorative certificate a church gives you isn't a certified copy issued by the county either. See "A commemorative certificate is not a certified copy" in A Las Vegas marriage can be registered in Taiwan.
Whether other countries require an Apostille depends on whether that country is a party to the convention, and then on what the receiving office says. Ask before you send anything; don't get one in advance, and don't skip it in advance either.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an Apostille on a U.S. marriage certificate to use it in Taiwan?
No. Taiwan isn't on the list of parties to the Apostille Convention, and the Department of Household Registration requires foreign documents to be authenticated by an overseas mission, so send it to TECO for authentication.
How do I certify a U.S. marriage certificate for use in mainland China?
Since November 7, 2023, an Apostille from the Secretary of State of the issuing state (or from the U.S. Department of State for federal documents) is enough; Chinese embassies and consulates in the U.S. no longer provide consular authentication. Confirm in advance that the receiving office will accept it.
Where do I get an Apostille, and how much does it cost?
From the Secretary of State of the state that issued the document. In California it's US$20 per document, with same-day pickup at the counter; for other states, go by the fees on that state's Secretary of State website.
Where your marriage certificate needs to go and how many copies you need depend on both partners' nationalities. Once you choose both partners' status in My Wedding Plan, the relevant items are added to your list: certified copies are item 10, and registering in Taiwan is item 15. There's a free version, and you can start without leaving an email address.
Sources (checked 2026-10-22)
- Hague Conference on Private International Law: Apostille Convention status table (checked 2026-10-22)
- Chinese Embassy in the United States: Notice on China's accession to the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (checked 2026-10-22)
- California Secretary of State: Request an Apostille (checked 2026-10-22)
- Clark County (Nevada): What Is Proof of Marriage (checked 2026-10-22)
- Utah County: Ordering Guide (checked 2026-10-14)
- Department of Household Registration, Ministry of the Interior: Marriage registration guide (checked 2026-10-22)