What Is a Registered Letter with Proof of Content? How to Write One, Templates and Legal Effect

📖 Definition

A registered letter with proof of content (Chinese: 存证信函, "cunzheng xinhan") is a written notice sent through the post office, which keeps a copy of the letter on file. It is prepared in duplicate or triplicate; the post office stamps it to certify that "this letter with this content was sent to this person at this time." If litigation follows, it can prove that "you did give notice to the other party" - important evidence in civil cases. In Taiwan the service is provided by Chunghwa Post; in Hong Kong, use registered mail with a lawyer's attestation, or have a law firm issue a lawyer's letter.

🔍 3 Core Signs

• Proof of content: the post office keeps a copy, proving the letter's content and the sending time
• Proof of delivery: registered mail has a signature record proving the other party received it (or refused it)
• Legal meaning: it constitutes the delivery of a "declaration of intention" - needed to interrupt limitation periods, issue demands, or terminate contracts

⚠️ Legal Risks and Cautions

A registered letter is not itself a legal document and does not directly create legal effects, but it is key evidence of "delivery of a declaration of intention." Common uses: ① demand for performance (ask the other party to repay money or deliver goods) ② termination of a contract (advance notice) ③ interrupting the limitation period (restarting the clock on a claim) ④ preserving evidence (proving you raised an objection). Under Article 129 of Taiwan's Civil Code, a claim's limitation period is interrupted by a "demand," and the registered letter is the most common form of demand. In Hong Kong, registered mail can prove delivery, but proving content requires a lawyer's attestation or notarisation. Caution: word the letter carefully - do not write anything the other party can use against you.

✅ How to Respond: Practical Steps

Step 1: Decide your purpose - demand? termination? objection? Different purposes need different wording. Step 2: Draft the content - head the letter "Registered Letter", and include: the parties, the facts, the legal basis, what you require the other party to do, a deadline (e.g. "please respond within 7 days of receipt"), and the consequences of non-compliance. Step 3: Prepare copies (keep one for yourself, one for the post office, one to send) and complete the registered letter procedure at the post office. Step 4: Keep every receipt - the registered mail receipt, the stamped copy and the delivery record. Step 5: If the other party refuses delivery - the post office records the "refusal" and the law treats the letter as delivered. Step 6: In litigation, submit the letter and delivery records to the court to prove you completed the demand procedure.

❓ FAQ