An APRC (short for Alien Permanent Resident Certificate, aka PR) is perhaps the most desirable immigration status for most foreigners in Taiwan. By simply living in Taiwan for five years or more in a row and meeting a few other requirements, you can enjoy permanent residency in Taiwan and an open work permit. However the process and requirements are not so straight forward depending on your situation, therefore we have created this guide to help answer some common questions.
Foreword: Please note that this guide is for reference only. The ultimate authority on what documents are required and whether or not your application will be accepted is the immigration bureau. Some of the information in the blog may be inaccurate for your specific situation. For clarifications, please call the foreigner hotline directly (toll free): 0800-024-111. This information for this blog was taken from the NIA website and personal experience such as from calls to the immigration office, and in person visits to the immigration office. Personally I applied for an APRC as the spouse of a Taiwan national.
Q: What are the benefits to having an APRC vs. normal work ARC?
A:
Q: What are the benefits to having an APRC over a foreign spouse/family ARC (JFRV)? A:
What are the dangers/disadvantages of having an APRC? A:
Q: What are the basic requirements to qualify for an APRC? A: The basic requirements for all APRC holders are as follows (these will vary depending on your status:
Q: What kinds of APRC are there? A: The types of APRC are listed below, and full details are covered in this blog:
Q: What are the specific requirements to apply for an APRC as a normal foreigner living in Taiwan for employment purposes? A: If you are a normal foreigner working in Taiwan, are not married to a Taiwanese citizen, and do not have large investments in Taiwan, then in general the requirements are as follows: 1. Pass one of the following residency tests:
Q: What are the specific requirements to apply for an APRC as a foreign spouse or child of a Taiwanese national (currently has JFRV, aka "依親 Yiqin" or family dependent ARC)? A: If you are a foreigner married to a Taiwanese citizen or a child of an ROC citizen, and do not have large investments in Taiwan, then the requirements are as follows: 1. Pass one of the following residency tests:
Q: How do I apply for permanent residency as a dependent of a permanent residency card holder? A: If you are a dependent of a permanent residency card holder then the requirements are as follows: 1. Pass one of the following requirements:
Q: How do I apply for permanent residency investment visa as an investor/business owner in Taiwan (Also known as APRC Plum Blossom Card)? A: If you are an investor/business owner in Taiwan, you must meet the following requirements: 1. Complete one of the following investment requirements:
Q: How do I apply for permanent residency as a missionary in Taiwan? A: If you are a missionary in Taiwan, you must meet the following requirements: 1. Pass one of the following residency tests:
Q: What are the residency requirements to get an APRC? A: If you are a foreign professional, spouse/child of an ROC national, or a missionary, then the residency requirements are one of the following:
For example: If I first received my work ARC August 20th, 2016, I would have to wait until August 20th, 2021 to be eligible to apply for an APRC. If I left for more than 183 days between August 20th, 2016 and August 20th 2017, or between August 20th, 2017 and August 20th, 2018 etc. I would not be able to apply for an APRC. Note 1: If you leave for more than 90 days in this period you will have to get a health check and obtain a criminal record from your home country. Note 2: The time toward your APRC residence test does not count if your ARC was a student ARC or related to marine fishing/netting work, household assistant and nursing work, or workers designated by the Central Competent Authority in response to national major construction project(s) or economic/social development needs. Note 3: If the nature of your ARC changes from missionary to professional worker or vice versa, then the count starts over. Q: Does my student visa count toward the five years? A: No. Q: Is there an electronic copy of the APRC application that I can fill out on my computer first? A: Yes, you can download the file below and fill it out first using Microsoft Word. ![]()
Q: How do I apply for a Taiwan ROC police criminal record (良民證 Liángmín zhèng)?
A: Applying for a Taiwan ROC police criminal record (良民證 Liángmín zhèng) is pretty easy. You can go in person first or online here to apply. If you apply online, you will have to fill out the form shown below:
After about three days, your criminal record will be ready for pickup. They will not notify you, so you need to call if you want to make sure it is ready.
The cost for this document is 100 NT. Required documents: To pick up your criminal record certificate you need to bring the following:
List of police stations that offer criminal records: Only a few police stations around Taiwan offer this service. Here is the full list: (Taipei City) 臺北市政府警察局 Address: 臺北市中正區延平南路96號 hours: 08:30-17:00 周三至20時 phone: 02-23817494 (New Taipei City) 新北市政府警察局 Address: 新北市板橋區府中路32號 hours: 08:30-17:00 周三至20時 phone: 02-80725454 轉4095或4096 (Taoyuan) 桃園市政府警察局 Address: 桃園市桃園區縣府路3號 hours: 08:00-17:00 周三至20時 phone: 03-3335107 (Taichung) 臺中市政府警察局 Address: 臺中市潭子區豐興路一段500號 hours: 08:00-17:00 phone: 04-23273875 (Tainan) 臺南市政府警察局 Address: 臺南市新營區中正路3號 hours: 08:00-17:30 phone: 06-6354531 (Kaohsiung) 高雄市政府警察局 Address: 高雄市前金區中正四路260號 hours: 08:00-17:30 phone: 07-2215796 (Keelung) 基隆市警察局 Address: 基隆市信二路205號 phone: 02-24252787; hours: 08:30-17:30 (Hsinchu City) 新竹市警察局 Address: 新竹市中山路1號 phone: 03-5242103; hours: 08:00-12:00; 13:00-17:00 (Hsinchu County) 新竹縣政府警察局 Address: 新竹縣竹北市光明六路12號 phone: 03-5557953; hours: 08:00-17:00 (Chiayi City) 嘉義市政府警察局 Address: 嘉義市中山路195號 phone: 05-2220772; hours: 08:00-12:00; 13:30-17:30 (Chiayi County) 嘉義縣警察局 Address: 嘉義縣太保市祥和一路東段3號 hours: 08:00-12:00; 13:00-17:00 phone: 05-3620220 (Miaoli) 苗栗縣警察局 Address: 苗栗縣苗栗市府前路2號 phone: 037-356950; hours: 08:00-12:00; 13:00-17:00 (Changhua) 彰化縣警察局 Address: 彰化縣彰化市中正路2段778號; phone: 04-7615463; hours: 08:00-17:30 (Nantou) 南投縣政府警察局 Address: 南投縣南投市南崗二路133號 hours: 08:00-12:00; 13:30-17:30 phone: 049-2234302 (Yunlin) 雲林縣警察局 Address: 雲林縣斗六市大學路3段100號 hours: 08:00-13:00; 13:30-17:30 phone: 05-5329033 (Pingtung) 屏東縣政府警察局 Address: 屏東縣屏東市中正路119號 hours: 08:00-12:00; 13:30-17:30 phone: 08-7336283 (Yilan) 宜蘭縣政府警察局 Address: 宜蘭縣宜蘭市中山路2段167號 Hours: 08:00-17:00 Phone: 039-353921 (Hualien) 花蓮縣警察局 Address: 花蓮縣花蓮市府前路21號 Hours: 08:00-17:00 Phone: 03-8224023 (Taitung) 臺東縣警察局 Address: 臺東縣臺東市中山路268號 hours: 08:00-12:00 13:00-17:00 phone: 089-334756 (Penghu) 澎湖縣政府警察局 澎湖縣馬公市治平路36號 hours: 08:00-12:00; 13:30-17:30 phone: 06-9278466 (Kinmen) 金門縣警察局 Address: 金門縣金城鎮金山路15號 hours: 08:00-12:00;13:30-17:30; phone: 0823-25653 (Matsu) 連江縣警察局 Address: 連江縣南竿鄉介壽村260號 hours: 08:00-12:00; 13:30-17:30 Phone: 0836-25859轉2102
The ROC police certificate looks like this.
Q: How do I apply for a police permit from my home country? A: The requirements are as follows:
Q: Do I need to apply for an open work permit with the labor bureau after I receive my APRC? A: If you are a foreign professional: Yes. This step is kind of a formality. If you are a spouse/child of an ROC national: No. In this case you do not need a work permit. Q: Where to I go to receive my open working permit? A: If you are a foreign working professional, you should get this from the nearest Ministry of Labor office. Q: How long does it take to receive my APRC? A: After applying for an APRC, it will go through two stages of review. It usually takes 3 weeks to two months to receive your APRC. Q: What is the minimum salary requirement to get an APRC? A: 47,600 NT per month as of 2020. "Having an average monthly income in Taiwan in the previous year that is more than twice of the Monthly Minimum Wage promulgated by the Council of Labor Affairs;" Q: Where do I get a withholding tax certificate (扣繳憑單 Kòu jiǎo píngdān)? A: You can only receive a withholding tax certificate "扣繳憑單 Kòu jiǎo píngdān" from your employer. Please note the certificate must have your company’s stamp on it. or proof that you have at least 500,000 NT in your bank account
Example of a withholding tax statement above.
A: Where do I get a a tax payment certificate (納稅證明 Nàshuì zhèngmíng)? A: You can receive one by applying at your local tax office.
Example of a tax payment certificate above.
Q: Where do I get a Certificate of employment (在職證明 Zàizhí zhèngmíng)?. A: You must get a certificate of employment within one (1) month of applying from your employer, who should have a business entity in Taiwan. The certificate should have the company stamp on the document. Q: Do I need to show the work permit for the most recent year or all prior years? A: Just show your most recent work permit. Q: Can I apply for an APRC based on my time as a tourist, student, migrant fisherman, or care taker? A: No. Q: What is the requirement to keep my APRC if I need to leave Taiwan for a few years? A: For white collar professionals: All you have to do is come back to Taiwan once every five years. For everyone else (missionaries, dependents, foreign spouse/child): You must apply for an exemption at the government website here, otherwise if you do not your APRC will be canceled. You can apply for multiple times in a row (two years per application). Legal reference: Article 18 Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals: Where a foreign professional, after having obtained approval for permanent residence from the National Immigration Agency, Ministry of the Interior, leaves the State for more than five years without re-entering, the National Immigration Agency, Ministry of the Interior, may revoke said person’s permanent residence permit and cancel said person’s Alien Permanent Resident Certificate, and the provisions of Article 33 Paragraph 1 Subparagraph 4 of the Immigration Act do not apply. Also please note that you should end your health insurance and also the tax rate will go to 18% if you stay over 90 days but less than 183 days in a year. Q: Do I need to apply in advance if I plan to leave Taiwan for five years? A: Yes if you are an ROC spouse/dependent. No if you are a white collar professional. Also please note that you should end your health insurance and also the tax rate will go to 18% if you stay over 90 days but less than 183 days in a year. Q: Does my student ARC count toward the APRC residency total? A: No. Q: Does my time on a missionary ARC count toward my professional/foreign child spouse ARC for the APRC total? A: No. Each ARC type must be valid over the 5 consecutive years (or ten consecutive years for spouse/child ARC). If you changed the nature of your ARC from a missionary to something else, the timing starts over. Q: Does my time on a white collar professional ARC count toward APRC time after my spouse ARC? A: Yes. Q: Do I still require a health check/police report from my home country if I am using the 10 year residency test for spouses/children of ROC nationals? A: If you left Taiwan for longer than three months in that period, then yes you still need these two things. If you did not leave Taiwan for more than 90 days, then no. Q: If I am a working professional (white collar worker) with an APRC, can my dependents and minor children receive their APRC immediately without having to wait 5 years? A: Yes. Q: What happens when my dependent with an APRC turns 21? A: Their APRC will be cancelled and they must find another form of ARC/APRC to stay in Taiwan. Q: When must I update my address/passport no./name etc. on my APRC? A: Within 15 days of the change, otherwise you will be fined at least 2000 NT. Q: What are the qualifications for Taiwan's employment gold card? A: Check out our employment gold card FAQ here. Q: Is there a facebook group for general APRC questions? A: Yes, check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaiwanAPRC/ I would recommend only asking general questions about the process and about other's experiences. For specific questions about APRC required documents and whether or not you meet requirements, contact the immigration agency directly. Q: If I have specific questions about my APRC application, who should I ask? A: Ask the immigration agency closest to you, or call the foreigner hotline in Taiwan toll free at 0800-024-111. Be sure to check out more of our Taiwan related frequently asked questionshere.
9 Comments
Gladys Roxan Abellana
7/23/2020 04:41:15 am
Question: does being a factory worker includes the qualifications for having or getting a APRC?
Reply
Foreigners in Taiwan
7/23/2020 11:32:25 am
For blue collar workers, the regulation seems to be 6 years working in a row or seven years living in Taiwan: https://www.businesstoday.com.tw/article/category/80392/post/201805160019/%E7%A7%BB%E6%B0%91%E6%94%BF%E7%AD%96%E9%AC%86%E7%B6%81%EF%BC%81%E5%A4%96%E7%B1%8D%E5%8B%9E%E5%B7%A5%E5%9C%A8%E5%8F%B0%E5%B9%B4%E8%B3%87%E5%85%AD%E5%B9%B4%E5%8F%AF%E6%B0%B8%E5%B1%85
Reply
Li
8/25/2020 11:07:46 am
Hi, this link (business...) creates a horizontal scrollbar on the computer version (not in the mobile version), which makes the page distorted and very hard to read. It would be great if you could fix this. Very helpful page otherwise! 9/26/2020 12:08:43 am
Thank you for the reply... and if ever i can make the 7years here in Taiwan, is that mean i can apply by myself for APRC? Or can get any help from my employer for that?? I am 6years already here in Taiwan with the same employer..
Lei Yiming
9/13/2020 12:37:36 am
Hi there,
Reply
9/25/2020 10:15:47 pm
if i complete all 5 years on a Gold Card, do I need to show the minimum wage stuff for proof of financial assets? or do I just qualify under the "special foreign professional" definition? (number 3 under that portion -- see below...)?
Reply
Simon
9/29/2020 12:08:25 pm
Thank you for the excellent info, much of what is on the web is out of date. I learned of some options from the post that I never knew I had...I may follow up with an email.
Reply
Simon
10/13/2020 07:51:11 am
HI looks like the figure in section 3. is incorrect/typo:
Reply
Miguel
1/18/2021 08:32:07 am
I’ve been a long time APRC holder, now I’m retired.
Reply
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Author 作家We are US Expats that have extensive experience living, working, and travelling in Taiwan. In our day, we had to learn many things about Taiwan the hard way. But we have come to learn that Taiwan is one of the best places in the world for Foreigners to live. Our blog does not represent the opinions of every foreigner in Taiwan. We are just trying to help others learn more about this beautiful country. Archives 檔案
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