Authenticating a foreign marriage certificate at a US Embassy?

[Rhizome 0]

The Taiwan consulate in the US is urgently requesting that I authenticate my foreign marriage certificate at the US Embassy in the country where it was issued. I can't visit the country because its border is closed, and the US embassy is delayed in responding due to COVID. Alternative methods of authentication are not accepted.

Do US Embassies authenticate marriage certificates issued in the countries they're located in? Is this part of their notary services, or is it a different service? Can I do it by mail while I am outside the country? If not, can I give someone power of attorney to do it for me?

[Redro 4,611]

2 hours ago, Rhizome said:

The Taiwan consulate in the US is urgently requesting that I authenticate my foreign marriage certificate at the US Embassy in the country where it was issued. I can't visit the country because its border is closed, and the US embassy is delayed in responding due to COVID. Alternative methods of authentication are not accepted.

Do US Embassies authenticate marriage certificates issued in the countries they're located in? Is this part of their notary services, or is it a different service? Can I do it by mail while I am outside the country? If not, can I give someone power of attorney to do it for me?

Where did you get married and where are you located now? 

Is the Taiwanese Consulate in the US requesting the information or is it the US Embassy in Taiwan requesting the information? 

Edited December 18, 2021 by Kor2USA

[millefleur 5,046]

I'm confused. So you married in a 3rd country that is not Taiwan nor the US, but Taiwan wants you to get the US embassy to authenticate this 3rd country marriage certificate? I've never heard of that.

 

What country did you get married in and what exactly is this for? Are you applying for a visa? We need more info to help.

[Rhizome 0]

17 minutes ago, millefleur said:

What country did you get married in and what exactly is this for? Are you applying for a visa? We need more info to help.

 

We got married in Mongolia. The authentication is needed for a Taiwan residence visa application.

17 minutes ago, millefleur said:

I'm confused. So you married in a 3rd country that is not Taiwan nor the US, but Taiwan wants you to get the US embassy to authenticate this 3rd country marriage certificate? I've never heard of that.

It's weird, but that is what they're asking. Taiwanese consulates require documents submitted for visa applications to be authenticated by the government of Taiwan (Apostilles and other types of authentication aren't recognized). For documents issued outside Taiwan, that usually means getting them authenticated at the Taiwanese consulate in the country where they were issued. However, the Taiwan consulate in Mongolia does not offer authentication services. In this case, there is an alternative requirement to first get the document authenticated by the US embassy in Mongolia, and then get that authentication certificate authenticated by the Taiwanese consulate in the US.

Edited December 18, 2021 by Rhizome

[Rhizome 0]

15 hours ago, Kor2USA said:

Where did you get married and where are you located now? 

Is the Taiwanese Consulate in the US requesting the information or is it the US Embassy in Taiwan requesting the information? 

Married in Mongolia; currently living in the US (we are US citizens). The Taiwanese consulate in the US is requesting the authentication.

[millefleur 5,046]

**Moved from US Embassy and Consulate Discussion to Asia: East and Pacific; topic concerns getting a Taiwanese residence visa**

 

 

OK I follow, so you are both US citizens but you married in Mongolia. Why not just get an Apostille directly from Mongolia on the marriage certificate? I've never heard of the US Consulate authenticating non-US documents. Did you email or call the consulate in Mongolia to see what they said?

 

 

[Rhizome 0]

1 minute ago, millefleur said:

Why not just get an Apostille directly from Mongolia on the marriage certificate?

Apparently Taiwan does not recognize Apostilles at all. The Taiwanese consular reps I've been working with to figure out this issue have told me that there are no alternative paths to getting a document issued in Mongolia authenticated.

 

4 minutes ago, millefleur said:

I've never heard of the US Consulate authenticating non-US documents. Did you email or call the consulate in Mongolia to see what they said?

This worries me. I emailed them some time ago, and have been trying to call. Their automated messages say that their availability and response times are significantly delayed due to COVID.

[millefleur 5,046]

16 minutes ago, Rhizome said:

This worries me. I emailed them some time ago, and have been trying to call. Their automated messages say that their availability and response times are significantly delayed due to COVID.

OK maybe this is what they want. US Department of State can provide authentication for documents. I would call the DoS and ask if you can get your Mongolian Marriage Certificate with an Apostille from Mongolia, can they authenticate it?

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/records-and-authentications/authenticate-your-document/office-of-authentications.html

 

This is the only thing I can think of. If this ends up being a dead end, this problem seems beyond the scope of VisaJourney. I would reach out to other forums who specialize in Taiwan and getting visas there, it's so specific to Taiwan and they are the ones demanding it.

 

The only other thing I can think of is the "notarial services" that US Embassies offer. I have no idea if they would notarize a non-US marriage certificate, though. Call or email? P.S. Pretty sure this has to be done in person so you would have to physically go to the US Embassy in Mongolia to do it.

https://mn.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/notarial-services/

 

Edited December 18, 2021 by millefleur

[Rhizome 0]

6 minutes ago, millefleur said:

US Department of State can provide authentication for documents. I would call the DoS and ask if you can get your Mongolian Marriage Certificate with an Apostille from Mongolia, can they authenticate it?

I hadn't thought of that (adding another layer of authentication via DoS). I will look into that.

6 minutes ago, millefleur said:

The only other thing I can think of is the "notarial services" that US Embassies offer. I have no idea if they would notarize a non-US marriage certificate, though. Call or email?

I asked about the notarial service in my email to them. I'll see what they eventually respond, if they do.

 

Thank you for your suggestions.

Edited December 18, 2021 by Rhizome

[millefleur 5,046]

5 minutes ago, Rhizome said:

Thank you for your suggestions.

If they marriage certificate is the main blocker to your application, there also might be a possibility to re-marry in the US via your local court. We saw an incident here where someone had to do that because of some bureaucratic red tape where their foreign marriage certificate was not accepted. Might be something to look into if the other options don't work out.

[Rhizome 0]

12 minutes ago, millefleur said:

If they marriage certificate is the main blocker to your application, there also might be a possibility to re-marry in the US via your local court. We saw an incident here where someone had to do that because of some bureaucratic red tape where their foreign marriage certificate was not accepted. Might be something to look into if the other options don't work out.

We are considering that option. Since the US gives no way to register a foreign marriage, it's not clear to me whether we are allowed to divorce for the purpose of remarrying to change where our marriage is filed, or if there is a way to re-marry in the US without divorcing. I'm a little leery of having a divorce due to "irreconcileable differences" on our record if we do a no-fault divorce and remarry.

 

It even occured to me to look for some other country that allows registering a marriage that already exists, get a marriage certificate as a tourist there, and authenticate it at the Taiwan consulate there. Not sure if such a country exists, though. (All the Taiwanese consulate here needs is a valid marriage certificate authenticated by the Taiwanese consulate where it was issued. It could be issued anywhere).

Edited December 18, 2021 by Rhizome

[Chancy 6,241]

23 hours ago, Rhizome said:

Since the US gives no way to register a foreign marriage, it's not clear to me whether we are allowed to divorce for the purpose of remarrying to change where our marriage is filed, or if there is a way to re-marry in the US without divorcing.

 

Seems New Jersey allows re-marriage for those currently married outside of NJ, including marriage outside of the US -- https://www.nj.gov/health/vital/registration-vital/marriage-licenses/#6

 

[millefleur 5,046]

1 hour ago, Chancy said:

 

Seems New Jersey allows re-marriage for those currently married outside of NJ, including marriage outside of the US -- https://www.nj.gov/health/vital/registration-vital/marriage-licenses/#6

 

It's probably easier for OP to just fly/drive to NJ and do this than attempting to get DoS or the embassy in Mongolia to authenticate their marriage.

[Rhizome 0]

2 hours ago, Chancy said:

 

Seems New Jersey allows re-marriage for those currently married outside of NJ, including marriage outside of the US -- https://www.nj.gov/health/vital/registration-vital/marriage-licenses/#6

 

Thank you!