The Four-Step Workflow for Taiwan

Where a UK death certificate is required for use in Taiwan, the usual England and Wales process is:

1. Find the GRO index reference, where possible;
2. Order an official paper death certificate from the General Register Office or relevant local register office;
3. Obtain a UK FCDO paper apostille; and
4. Complete TRO London authentication through the Taipei Representative Office in the UK.

After TRO authentication, Ginkgo Advisory can arrange secure DHL delivery to Taiwan, another overseas destination or a nominated lawyer, bank, executor or professional adviser.

An FCDO apostille is not necessarily the final stage for Taiwan. Where the receiving authority requires TRO authentication, the apostilled certificate must proceed to the Taipei Representative Office before it is returned.

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Important: This Guide Covers England and Wales

The GRO search and ordering process described in this guide applies to deaths registered in England and Wales.

The GRO holds civil-registration records for England and Wales from July 1837. Scotland and Northern Ireland operate separate certificate systems, although their death certificates may still require an FCDO apostille and subsequent Taiwan authentication.

A different process may also apply to:

• deaths registered through a British consulate;
• deaths involving members of the armed forces;
• deaths occurring at sea or on certain British installations;
• a coroner’s certificate or report;
• a cremation or burial certificate;
• a grant of probate or letters of administration; or
• a foreign death certificate.

Send us a scan or the available record details where the type or issuing authority is unclear.

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Does a UK Death Certificate Need Solicitor Certification?

An official death certificate issued by the GRO or a local register office is a public-registry document. It can normally be submitted directly to the FCDO because the Legalisation Office recognises death certificates as documents issued by a public registry.

Separate solicitor or notary certification is therefore not normally required before the apostille.

This differs from private documents, passport copies, declarations, powers of attorney and certain electronic records, which may first require certification by a UK solicitor or notary.

A scan, screenshot or ordinary photocopy of a death certificate is not a substitute for the official physical certificate. Where the original certificate has been lost, damaged or is otherwise unavailable, the safer route is to order another official certified copy from the GRO or relevant register office.

Ginkgo Advisory provides solicitor-led oversight by:

• checking the document and issuing authority;
• confirming the appropriate legalisation sequence;
• arranging the express FCDO paper apostille;
• preparing the TRO London application documents;
• managing TRO authentication; and
• arranging secure return delivery.

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What Is the GRO Index Reference Number?

A GRO index reference is the locator used to identify a civil-registration record held by the General Register Office.

For older death entries, it usually includes:

• the registration year;
• the registration quarter;
• the registration district;
• the volume number; and
• the page number.

The registration quarter may appear as:

• March quarter;
• June quarter;
• September quarter; or
• December quarter.

Later index entries may use a different reference format. The safest approach is to copy every reference element exactly as it appears in the relevant index.

The GRO reference helps identify the correct death entry, particularly where the deceased had a common name or where several people with similar names died within the same period.

Every death registered in England or Wales has a GRO index reference. However, the reference is not the death certificate itself. It cannot receive an apostille, cannot be authenticated by TRO London and does not replace the official certificate.

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Why the GRO Reference Matters

Providing the correct reference can:

• reduce the risk of ordering another person’s certificate;
• avoid unnecessary GRO searches;
• shorten the standard certificate-dispatch period;
• help distinguish people with similar names;
• reduce repeated certificate fees; and
• allow the apostille and TRO stages to begin sooner.

Without a reference, the GRO can still search for the record, but an additional fee applies and the standard dispatch period is longer.

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What Years Can You Search Online?

GRO Historic Death Index

GOV.UK publicly confirms that the free GRO online historic death index covers deaths registered in England and Wales from 1837 to 1957.

The logged-in GRO portal may also provide a separate search for later deaths. Because the later range may be expanded or changed, it is better to check the live portal than to describe 1984–2024 as a permanent search range.

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FreeBMD

GOV.UK directs users to FreeBMD as a free source of GRO index-reference information.

FreeBMD contains extensive transcriptions of the England and Wales civil-registration indexes. However, it is an ongoing transcription project, and coverage is not equally complete for every year and quarter. Its coverage charts extend into later years, but the website warns that apparent full coverage does not necessarily mean that every entry has been transcribed.

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FamilySearch

FamilySearch provides an England and Wales Death Registration Index covering 1837–2007.

Its indexed entries may include:

• the deceased’s name;
• registration year and quarter;
• registration district;
• county;
• volume;
• page;
• age at death for many later records; and
• other reference information.

The index can help identify the GRO entry used to order the official certificate. It is a search tool, not the death certificate itself.

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Practical Search Order

For a death registered in England or Wales:

1. Start with the GRO historic death index for a death between 1837 and 1957.
2. Try FreeBMD where the GRO search does not cover the year or does not produce a clear match.
3. Try FamilySearch for broader indexed coverage up to 2007.
4. Where no reliable reference can be found, allow the GRO to conduct a paid search using the information available.

An unsuccessful online search does not necessarily mean that no death was registered. GOV.UK explains that the only complete sets of GRO index references are held on microfiche at certain designated libraries and archives.

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Step 1 — Find the GRO Death Index Reference

Route A: GRO Online Death Index

Use the GRO historic death index where the death was registered between 1837 and 1957. For later records, check whether the live portal provides the relevant later-death search.

Useful search details include:

• surname at death;
• first name and middle names;
• alternative spellings;
• approximate year of death;
• age or date of birth, where known;
• sex;
• registration district; and
• approximate place of death.

What you are trying to identify is:

• registration year;
• quarter, where applicable;
• registration district;
• volume;
• page; and
• any other reference information displayed.

Search the Registration Period, Not Only the Exact Date of Death

A death is indexed by its registration details. A death occurring near the end of a month, quarter or year may have been registered in the following quarter or year.

For example, where a person died in late December, it may be necessary to search both that year and the following year.

FamilySearch similarly distinguishes between the date of death and the date or period of registration in its indexed information.

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Route B: FreeBMD Death Search

FreeBMD is a useful free alternative where:

• the record is outside the GRO historic search range;
• the GRO search produces too many possible matches;
• a spelling variant may have been used;
• the district is uncertain; or
• you need the older district, volume and page reference.

Select Deaths as the record type and search using:

• surname;
• first name or initials;
• a suitable year range;
• quarter, where known;
• registration district; and
• county, where known.

What you are trying to extract is:

• quarter and year;
• registration district;
• volume; and
• page.

Because FreeBMD is an ongoing transcription project, try:

• spelling variants;
• initials instead of full forenames;
• a broader year range;
• a nearby registration district; and
• another index source where no result appears.

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Route C: FamilySearch Death Registration Index

FamilySearch is useful where:

• the entry cannot be located through FreeBMD;
• a broader date range is required;
• only partial information is known;
• the registration district is uncertain; or
• the death occurred within its indexed range of 1837–2007.

The collection can contain the year, quarter, district, county, volume and page reference needed for certificate ordering.

Record the information exactly as displayed. Do not “correct” a historical spelling or replace the registration district with a modern place name when placing the GRO order.

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Search Tips for Difficult Cases

Try All Known Names

Search:

• the full legal name;
• middle names or initials;
• a previous surname;
• a married surname;
• an alternative spelling;
• an anglicised name; and
• the name used at the time of death.

Search More Than One Year

The year of registration may differ from the year the family associates with the death, particularly around the end of a year.

Consider the Place of Registration

The registration district may reflect where the death occurred or was registered rather than the deceased’s usual home address.

Do Not Guess Between Similar Entries

Where several people have the same or similar names, compare:

• age or year of birth;
• district;
• registration period;
• known residence;
• place of death; and
• other family information.

Where the result remains uncertain, a GRO search is safer than ordering a speculative match.

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Step 2 — Order an Official Death Certificate

An official England and Wales death certificate can be ordered from:

• the General Register Office; or
• the local register office where the death was registered.

The online GRO service covers official certified copies of death certificates for England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate ordering systems.

Current GRO Fees and Dispatch Times

Standard order with the GRO reference

• £12.50 per certificate
• normally sent four days after the application

Standard order without the GRO reference

• £12.50 per certificate
• an additional £3.50 search fee
• normally sent 15 working days after the application

GRO priority service

• £38.50 per certificate
• normally sent the next working day where the order is placed by 4pm

These are dispatch periods rather than guaranteed delivery periods. Postal or courier transit requires additional time. Official fees and processing arrangements can change and should be checked when the order is placed.

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Check That You Are Ordering the Correct Document

A death certificate is different from:

• a medical certificate of cause of death;
• a coroner’s report;
• a coroner’s certificate;
• a cremation certificate;
• a burial certificate;
• a funeral director’s document;
• a grant of probate;
• letters of administration; or
• a certificate issued by an overseas authority.

For apostille and TRO authentication purposes, the safest starting point is normally the official civil death certificate issued by the GRO or the relevant register office.

A death certificate generally records information about the deceased and the registered death. It does not establish who is legally entitled to administer or inherit the estate. A bank, court or succession authority may therefore require the death certificate together with probate, inheritance or relationship documents.

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Can Ginkgo Advisory Order the Certificate?

Ginkgo Advisory can assist with:

• reviewing the available death details;
• identifying the likely GRO entry;
• checking the index reference;
• ordering the official certificate;
• arranging delivery directly to our London office;
• checking the issued certificate;
• progressing it to the FCDO paper-apostille stage;
• preparing the TRO London application; and
• arranging secure return delivery.

Direct delivery to our London office can be particularly useful for clients in Taiwan or elsewhere overseas. It avoids sending the certificate internationally and then returning it to the United Kingdom for legalisation.

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Step 3 — Obtain a UK FCDO Paper Apostille

The UK Legalisation Office is part of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

It checks whether the signature, stamp or seal on an eligible UK document matches the official records available to it. Where the check is successful, it attaches an apostille certificate to the document.

Official death certificates are public-registry documents and can normally be legalised directly.

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A Death Certificate Cannot Receive an e-Apostille

The FCDO expressly excludes:

• birth certificates;
• death certificates;
• marriage certificates;
• civil partnership certificates;
• adoption certificates; and
• other GRO documents

from the UK e-Apostille service.

A UK death certificate must therefore use the physical paper-apostille route.

A scan or PDF of the death certificate cannot simply be electronically certified and uploaded as a substitute for the official paper document.

This is also consistent with TRO’s published guidance for death, birth, marriage and no-impediment certificates, which states that it accepts the paper-based apostille route.

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Standard Public FCDO Paper-Apostille Service

The current public standard paper-apostille service costs:

• £45 per document; plus
• return courier or postage charges.

GOV.UK currently states that the standard paper service usually takes up to 25 working days, plus courier or postage time. Additional signature verification may extend the processing period.

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Ginkgo Advisory’s Express FCDO Paper Apostille

Ginkgo Advisory can arrange an express UK FCDO paper apostille, normally completed within approximately two working days after the eligible physical death certificate reaches our London office.

Our service can include:

• checking that the certificate is an eligible official document;
• reviewing its physical condition;
• preparing the legalisation application;
• arranging expedited paper-apostille submission;
• monitoring the application;
• receiving the apostilled certificate;
• checking the attached apostille; and
• progressing the document directly to TRO London authentication.

The two-working-day period applies only to the apostille stage. It remains subject to:

• receipt of the eligible original certificate;
• FCDO acceptance;
• verification of the public signature;
• weekends;
• public holidays;
• unusual document issues; and
• circumstances outside our control.

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What Does the Apostille Confirm?

The apostille authenticates the relevant UK public signature, the official capacity in which the signatory acted and, where applicable, the seal or stamp appearing on the certificate.

It does not:

• determine who is entitled to inherit;
• prove that an applicant is an executor or beneficiary;
• issue a grant of probate;
• resolve a dispute concerning the estate;
• verify a translation;
• determine immigration or citizenship eligibility; or
• replace TRO authentication where the Taiwan authority requires it.

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Step 4 — TRO London Authentication

After the FCDO paper apostille has been attached, a death certificate intended for use in Taiwan may need further authentication through the Taipei Representative Office in the United Kingdom, commonly called TRO London.

The TRO publishes a specific authentication category for marriage, birth, death and no-impediment certificates. Its guidance requires prior FCDO legalisation using the paper-based apostille route.

The Correct Taiwan Sequence

Official GRO or register-office death certificate

↓

UK FCDO paper apostille

↓

TRO London authentication

↓

DHL delivery to Taiwan or another nominated destination

The FCDO apostille and TRO authentication are separate procedures completed by separate authorities.

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What Ginkgo Advisory Handles at the TRO Stage

Our TRO London death-certificate authentication service can include:

• checking the apostilled certificate;
• confirming the appropriate TRO application route;
• preparing the TRO authentication application form;
• preparing the required authorisation letter;
• providing signing instructions;
• reviewing passport and identity documents;
• checking representative-authority documents;
• assembling the application package;
• submitting the physical apostilled certificate;
• monitoring the TRO application;
• receiving or collecting the authenticated document;
• checking the completed authentication; and
• arranging DHL return delivery.

The exact supporting-document requirements can depend on:

• who is applying;
• whose death certificate is being submitted;
• the applicant’s relationship to the deceased;
• whether an executor, administrator or beneficiary is involved;
• whether Ginkgo Advisory is acting as the authorised representative; and
• the purpose for which the certificate will be used.

We confirm the applicable checklist before submission.

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What the Client Normally Needs to Provide

The client will normally need to provide:

1. a clear scan of any death certificate already held;
2. the physical official certificate, where already obtained;
3. the deceased’s full name;
4. the date and place of death;
5. the deceased’s date of birth or approximate age;
6. the GRO reference, where available;
7. confirmation of the Taiwan authority requesting the certificate;
8. the purpose for which it will be used;
9. the applicant’s passport or identity copy;
10. the signed TRO application form;
11. the signed TRO authorisation letter;
12. any probate, relationship or representative evidence requested; and
13. the final delivery address and telephone number.

Additional documents may be required where:

• the deceased used more than one name;
• the name differs across the death certificate and other records;
• an executor or administrator is applying;
• the document forms part of an overseas succession matter;
• a Chinese translation is required; or
• the receiving authority has issued its own document checklist.

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Is TRO Authentication the Same as an Apostille?

No.

The FCDO apostille authenticates the relevant UK public signature, stamp or seal.

The TRO authentication is the subsequent Taiwan-facing authentication of the already apostilled document.

A death certificate carrying only an FCDO apostille has not completed TRO authentication.

Applicants should confirm whether the Taiwan authority requires:

• the official death certificate alone;
• an FCDO paper apostille;
• an FCDO paper apostille followed by TRO authentication;
• a Chinese translation;
• proof of relationship;
• a grant of probate or letters of administration; or
• additional succession documents.

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Does a Death Certificate Prove Inheritance Rights?

No. A death certificate records the registered death. It does not, by itself, establish:

• who the beneficiaries are;
• whether a will is valid;
• who has authority to administer the estate;
• whether a grant of probate has been issued;
• whether someone is the deceased’s lawful heir; or
• how property should be distributed.

For a Taiwan inheritance or succession matter, the receiving authority may also request:

• the will;
• a grant of probate;
• letters of administration;
• birth or marriage certificates proving relationship;
• a family or household registration document;
• renunciation or consent documents;
• a power of attorney; or
• a certified Chinese translation.

Each additional UK document may require its own review, certification and authentication route.

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Does the Death Certificate Need a Chinese Translation?

Translation, apostille and TRO authentication are separate issues.

The Taiwan authority should confirm:

• whether it accepts the English certificate;
• whether a Chinese translation is required;
• whether the translation can be completed in Taiwan;
• whether a UK-prepared translation requires solicitor or notarial certification;
• whether the translation needs its own apostille or TRO authentication; and
• how names and addresses should be transliterated.

Do not attach an informal translation to the original certificate before the FCDO stage without first checking the required legalisation structure.

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Typical Processing Timeline

GRO Certificate With a Reference

The GRO currently states that a standard certificate ordered with the index reference is sent four days after the application. Delivery time is additional.

GRO Certificate Without a Reference

The GRO currently states that a certificate ordered without the index reference is sent 15 working days after the application. An additional £3.50 search fee applies.

GRO Priority Certificate

A priority certificate is normally sent the next working day where the order is placed by 4pm.

Express FCDO Paper Apostille

Ginkgo Advisory’s express paper-apostille stage is normally completed within approximately two working days after receipt of the eligible physical certificate.

TRO London Authentication

TRO authentication has its own processing period. The period begins after the office receives and accepts the correctly prepared apostilled document and supporting application.

DHL Delivery

International courier delivery requires additional time and can be affected by the destination, customs procedures, local holidays and recipient availability.

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How Our End-to-End Death Certificate Service Works

1. Initial Case Review

We review the deceased’s details, the intended use in Taiwan, the available documents and the submission deadline.

2. GRO Index Search Support

Where necessary, we assist with the GRO, FreeBMD and FamilySearch search strategy.

3. Official Certificate Ordering

We order the official England and Wales death certificate and arrange delivery to our London office.

4. Certificate Review

We check the issued physical document before it enters the legalisation process.

5. Express FCDO Paper Apostille

We arrange the required physical apostille, normally within approximately two working days after receiving the eligible certificate.

6. TRO Application Preparation

We prepare the TRO authentication form, authorisation letter and relevant supporting documents.

7. TRO London Authentication

We submit and manage the application through the Taipei Representative Office.

8. Secure Return Delivery

We arrange DHL delivery to the agreed UK, Taiwan or other international address.

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Common Mistakes That Cause Delays

1. Treating the GRO Index Result as a Death Certificate

The online result is only a record locator. It cannot be apostilled or authenticated by TRO.

2. Hard-Coding “1984–2024” as a Permanent GRO Range

GOV.UK publicly confirms the historic GRO death index for 1837–1957. Check the live GRO portal for the current later-year search rather than publishing an end year that may become outdated.

3. Describing FreeBMD as Complete for 1837–1999

FreeBMD is an ongoing transcription project, and coverage varies. An absent result does not prove that the death was not registered.

4. Searching Only the Exact Calendar Year of Death

A death may have been registered in the next quarter or year. Search a wider registration period where necessary.

5. Searching Only the Deceased’s Home District

The registration district may not be the same as the person’s usual residential area.

6. Guessing Between People With Similar Names

Compare age, year of birth, district and known personal information. Use the GRO search service where the correct entry cannot be identified reliably.

7. Ordering the Wrong Type of Document

A coroner’s document, medical certificate or funeral document may not be the official civil death certificate required for apostille.

8. Assuming GRO Covers Scotland and Northern Ireland

The England and Wales GRO process does not apply to Scottish or Northern Irish civil certificates.

9. Sending a Scan for an e-Apostille

Death certificates are expressly excluded from the UK e-Apostille service. The official physical document must use the paper route.

10. Using the Old 15-Working-Day FCDO Estimate

The public standard paper-apostille service is currently stated as usually taking up to 25 working days, plus delivery.

11. Assuming the Apostille Is the Final Taiwan Stage

Where the Taiwan authority requires TRO authentication, the apostilled certificate must proceed to the Taipei Representative Office.

12. Assuming Two Working Days Covers the Entire Process

The two-working-day target applies only to Ginkgo Advisory’s express FCDO paper-apostille stage.

13. Assuming a Death Certificate Proves Entitlement to the Estate

Probate, administration or relationship evidence may also be required.

14. Failing to Check Translation Requirements

TRO authentication does not automatically create or approve a Chinese translation.

How Ginkgo Advisory Can Help

Ginkgo Advisory provides a coordinated UK death-certificate legalisation service for clients in the United Kingdom, Taiwan and other jurisdictions.

Our service can include:

• GRO death-reference search support;
• FreeBMD and FamilySearch search strategy;
• review of possible index matches;
• official GRO death-certificate ordering;
• receipt of the certificate at our London office;
• pre-apostille document checking;
• express UK FCDO paper apostille;
• TRO London application preparation;
• TRO authorisation-letter preparation;
• representative submission support;
• TRO London authentication;
• receipt and checking of the authenticated certificate; and
• secure DHL return delivery.

Clients may instruct us for the complete process or only for the remaining stages.

Where you already hold a suitable official death certificate, send us a clear scan for preliminary review and confirm that you hold the physical document. We can then quote for the FCDO apostille, TRO authentication and delivery stages.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Order a GRO Death Certificate Without the Index Reference?

Yes. The GRO can search using the information supplied. However, an additional £3.50 search fee applies, and the standard dispatch period increases to 15 working days.

What Is the Best Free Way to Find a Death Reference?

For deaths registered between 1837 and 1957, start with the GRO historic death index. FreeBMD is a useful free alternative, and FamilySearch provides an England and Wales death index covering 1837–2007.

Can I Search GRO Deaths After 1957?

The logged-in GRO portal may provide a separate later-death search. Check the live portal for its current coverage rather than relying on a permanently stated end year.

Is FreeBMD Complete From 1837 to 1999?

No single statement of complete coverage should be used. FreeBMD is an ongoing transcription project, and coverage varies by period.

Does an Official Death Certificate Need Solicitor Certification?

Usually not. An official GRO or register-office death certificate is a public-registry document and can normally proceed directly to the FCDO.

Can a UK Death Certificate Receive an e-Apostille?

No. Death certificates and other GRO documents are expressly excluded from the FCDO e-Apostille service.

Does TRO London Accept an e-Apostille for a Death Certificate?

TRO’s published guidance for death, birth, marriage and no-impediment certificates specifies the paper-based apostille route.

Is the Whole Process Completed in Two Working Days?

No. Approximately two working days applies only to Ginkgo Advisory’s express FCDO paper-apostille stage after the eligible physical certificate reaches our office.

Can Ginkgo Advisory Order the Certificate for Me?

Yes. We can assist with identifying the record, ordering the official certificate, receiving it in London and progressing it through the FCDO and TRO stages.

I Already Have the Death Certificate. Can You Handle Only the Apostille and TRO Authentication?

Yes. Send us a clear scan for preliminary review and confirm that you hold the physical official certificate.

How Recent Must the Death Certificate Be?

The FCDO does not impose a single universal rule that every death certificate must have been issued recently. The receiving authority in Taiwan may, however, have its own recency requirement.

Does a Death Certificate Prove That I Am an Heir or Executor?

No. A death certificate proves the registered death. Separate probate, administration, will or relationship evidence may be required.

Is a Chinese Translation Required?

That depends on the Taiwan authority receiving the document. Translation, apostille and TRO authentication are separate procedures.

Can You Assist With a Scottish or Northern Irish Death Certificate?

Yes, but the GRO search and ordering process described in this article does not apply. Scotland and Northern Ireland use separate certificate systems.

Can the Completed Certificate Be Sent Directly to Taiwan?

Yes. After TRO authentication, Ginkgo Advisory can arrange DHL delivery to the client, a lawyer, a bank, an executor, an immigration representative or another nominated recipient.

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Start Your UK Death Certificate Authentication

Send us:

• the deceased’s full name;
• any previous or alternative names;
• the date and place of death;
• the deceased’s date of birth or approximate age;
• the GRO reference, where available;
• a scan of any certificate already held;
• the Taiwan authority requesting the document;
• the intended purpose;
• your deadline; and
• the required delivery country.

We will review the appropriate GRO ordering, FCDO paper-apostille and TRO London authentication route.