Kaohsiung is the third most populous city in Taiwan, with 2.73 million inhabitants as of 2023. It is also the largest city in the southern part of the country. Aside from the Taiwanese, there are foreign nationals here as well, including overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
Also read: Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taichung
To avail of passport services, notarial services, assistance to nationals, and more — Filipinos in Kaohsiung can go to the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), which has an extension office in the city. The main office MECO is in Taipei, though there’s another extension office in Taichung City.
Image Credits: meco.org.tw
MECO Kaohsiung Extension Office
MECO is the representative office of the Philippines in Taiwan; one of its extension offices is based in Kaohsiung City. Since 1993, MECO has officially managed people-to-people relations between the two countries. Before this, MECO was known as the Asian Exchange Center, Inc., and even earlier — as the Far East Trade Promotion Center, which had served as the link between the Philippines and Taiwan since 1975.
In the Philippines, MECO has a counterpart office: the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO), which is based in Makati City, Metro Manila.
MECO Kaohsiung Services
In coordination with the MECO main office and other Philippine government authorities, the MECO Kaohsiung Extension Office provides passport services, notarial services, visa services, and other types of assistance to Filipinos in Kaohsiung.
Passport Services
Like other MECO offices, MECO Kaohsiung facilitates passport services such as new passport issuance, passport renewal, and replacement of lost or damaged passports. To avail of these services, applicants need to book an appointment first through this website.
Notarial Services
For Filipinos who will be submitting Taiwan-issued documents (e.g. Special Power of Attorney, affidavits, etc.) to government offices and private firms in the Philippines, they need to have these notarized or authenticated through MECO.
Furthermore, MECO provides other services such as issuance of Reports of Birth, Reports of Marriage, Renunciation/Reacquisition of Philippine Citizenship, and more. It also assists in the verification of Philippine driver’s licenses in Taiwan, along with the translation of Taiwanese driver’s licenses into English.
Visa Services
For foreign nationals who need visas before entering the Philippines, the MECO office, in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), facilitates the issuance of different types of visas. These include transit visas, single-entry individual visas, single-entry group visas, multiple-entry visas, seafarers’ visas, crew list visas, and more.
Assistance to Nationals
Filipino nationals in Taiwan who are experiencing emergencies or legal issues can turn to the MECO for help, particularly to the office’s Assistance to Nationals (ATN) Section. This unit provides an extensive list of services, such as medical assistance, legal assistance, repatriation assistance, travel documents video conference court hearings, and other types of assistance.
Video: How to Go to MECO Kaohsiung
If you are a new OFW in Kaohsiung and you are wondering how to go to the MECO Kaohsiung Extension Office, watch this video shared by “RAMS DIARY” YouTube Channel. In this video, the Taiwan-based vlogger also discussed how to book an appointment with MECO:
Contact Information: MECO Kaohsiung
Address: 9F-2, Grand 50 Tower No. 80, Min Tzu 1st Road Kaohsiung, Taiwan 807
Telephone: (886) 07-3985 935 to 36
Website: https://www.meco.org.tw/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MECO.official/
Google Map:
Speaking of the SSS, visit this guide for more information about how OFWs in Taiwan can pay their SSS contributions.