Document Legalization Act for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Overseas Missions Article 3
The terms used herein denote the following:1. Document legalization: document authentication and certificate issuance.2. Document authentication: the process by which the Ministry or an overseas mission, upon application by parties directly concerned with the document(s) or other interested persons, confirms the authenticity of the signature or seal of the document’s issuing authority, authorized signatory, or notary public, or the existence of the document in form, by comparing it against signatures and seals on file, or by other appropriate means.3. Certificate issuance: the process by which the Ministry or an overseas mission, upon application by parties directly related to the document(s) or other interested persons, issues a certificate after comparing the photocopy of the document with the original copy or its exemplification, or confirming that the document’s content conforms to the purpose of the application in accordance with the laws and regulations of the Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as “the ROC”) or request(s) by a foreign agency.4. Consular officer: diplomatic and consular personnel or other personnel assigned by the Ministry to perform consular affairs.
中文原文 外交部及駐外館處文件證明條例第3條
本條例用詞，定義如下：
一、文件證明：指文書驗證及出具證明。
二、文書驗證：指主管機關或駐外館處依有關文書之當事人或其他關係人之申請，以比對簽章式樣或其他適當方法查驗後，證明文書製作人、有權簽字人或公證人之簽章為真正，或文書形式上存在之程序。
三、出具證明：指主管機關或駐外館處依有關文書之當事人或其他關係人之申請，比對文書影本與原本或正本相符，或就中華民國（以下簡稱我國）法律所定或外國機關要求事項，於審查佐證文件所載內容與申請事項相符後，出具相關事項證明之程序。
四、領務人員：指具備外交領事人員資格或經主管機關指定辦理領事事務之人員。
一、文件證明：指文書驗證及出具證明。
二、文書驗證：指主管機關或駐外館處依有關文書之當事人或其他關係人之申請，以比對簽章式樣或其他適當方法查驗後，證明文書製作人、有權簽字人或公證人之簽章為真正，或文書形式上存在之程序。
三、出具證明：指主管機關或駐外館處依有關文書之當事人或其他關係人之申請，比對文書影本與原本或正本相符，或就中華民國（以下簡稱我國）法律所定或外國機關要求事項，於審查佐證文件所載內容與申請事項相符後，出具相關事項證明之程序。
四、領務人員：指具備外交領事人員資格或經主管機關指定辦理領事事務之人員。