Taiwan Immigration FAQ 臺灣移民常見問題

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Presidential Office Building in Taipei

​​Foreword: Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of questions and answers. This is meant to only give a basic overview of Taiwan's immigration landscape to those who have never been there. 

Q: What is an ARC? 
A: Alien Resident Certificate, which is equivalent to a resident permit or "green card" in Taiwan.
 
Q: How do I apply for an ARC?
A: Go to the Taiwan immigration office in Taiwan, or contact the TECRO (Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office) in your home country.
 
Q: How do I apply for an employment gold card?
A: Please see our full employment gold card FAQ here.

Q: What kind of resident permits are there?
A: According to the Bureau of Consular Affairs, there are 9 different types of resident permits:
CODE-A: Employment
CODE-TR: Changing a visitor visa to a resident visa
CODE-P: Touring, visiting relatives
CODE-TS: Foreign spouses
CODE-B: Business
CODE-FR: Studying Chinese
CODE-R: Religious
CODE-FC: Overseas Chinese students
CODE-FS: Foreign students

Q: How do I apply for a marriage ARC?
A: After you get married to a Taiwan national, you then need to apply for a marriage ARC from the Taiwan representative office in your home country or the immigration office in Taiwan. This may require that you leave Taiwan and apply from the TECRO in Hong Kong or elsewhere. This process will likely include proof of marriage and proof that you are single from your home country. For more information, please visit this website: https://www.immigration.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=1091979&ctNode=31674&mp=se05
 
Q: How do I apply for a work ARC?
A: Your company should do this, but technically you are supposed to do it from your home country, otherwise there will be extra fees for visa conversion. For more information, please visit the government’s website here: https://www.immigration.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=1090287&ctNode=30085&mp=2
 
Q: What limitations does my ARC have?
A: There should be an expiry date before which you have to renew it. If you are working in Taiwan, you have to stay with the same company as stated on your ARC and register any changes. Also, you have to register change of address within 15 days.
 
Q: When do I need to renew my ARC address?
A: Within 15 days after you move.

Q: How do I renew my ARC?
A: Go to the immigration office, take a waiting number, and fill out the form. Click here for a list of immigration office service centers around Taiwan: https://www.immigration.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=1092844&ctNode=32289&mp=2
 
Q: What is an APRC?
A: Alien Permanent Resident Certificate.
 
Q: What are the requirements for an APRC (permanent residency in Taiwan)?
A: First you must live in Taiwan for 5 consecutive years. If you are married to a Taiwanese spouse or are a dependent of a Taiwan national, another qualification is that you have lived in Taiwan for a ten year period (over 183 days in the first year), and you stayed over 183 days for 5 years within that 10 year period.
There are also other requirements such as minimum salary requirement of at least double minimum wage, clean criminal record, etc.

Q: How do I apply for an APRC?
A: There is a Facebook group made specifically to answer questions about the APRC application process here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaiwanAPRC/. You can join the group and ask further questions if you would like.
 
Q: How do I apply for dual citizenship in Taiwan?/Can I apply for dual citizenship in?/ Does Taiwan allow dual citizenship?
A: If you are a foreigner, no. You must reject your original citizenship to become a Taiwanese national, along with fulfilling other educational, residency, and/or work requirements. Only if you are originally Taiwanese can you have dual citizenship. Here and here are specific guides on the subject:
Just Landed Guide:
https://www.justlanded.com/english/Taiwan/Taiwan-Guide/Visas-Permits/Getting-Taiwanese-citizenship
Taiwanease Guide:
https://articles.taiwanease.com/2017/07/09/turning-taiwanese-a-step-by-step-guide-to-acquiring-taiwanese-citizenship/
 
Q: Does Taiwan need Visas?/ Does Taiwan require a Visa?/ Does Taiwan need Visas?
A: If you are a foreign national from one of the 46 countries that have Visa free entry, then no. Otherwise, yes.
 
Q: Does my Country’s passport have a Visa free entry into Taiwan?
A: Currently there is a total of 46 countries that are visa free to come to Taiwan. They are listed below according to number of days and geographic area:

14 days visa-exempt: Philippines (trial)

30 days visa-exempt countries: Malaysia and Singapore
 
90-day visa-free countries:
Asia Pacific: Japan
North America: Canada and the United States of America
Europe Region: United Kingdom, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Slovenia, Vatican City State, Bulgaria, Romania, Cyprus, Andorra, and San Marino (36 in total)
 
Passport validity should be more than six months. (Formal passports, official and diplomatic official passports are applicable, excluding emergency, temporary, other informal passports or travel documents). However, the validity period of a Japanese passport must be longer than three months. The validity period of a U.S. passport (including the U.S. emergency passport) should only be longer than the planned date of stay.
Persons holding emergency or temporary passports (except for nationals of the United States) should apply for a visa from my embassy or apply for a visa when arriving in Taoyuan or Kaohsiung airport. U. S. emergency passport holders are eligible for visa-free treatment.
 
Click here for a full list of countries that Taiwanese nationals do and do not need visas to visit.

Q: If my country’s passport does not have Visa Free Entry into Taiwan, what should I do?
A: First, you should decide which visa type you need. There are four different types of visas:

1. VISITOR VISA: is a short-term visa for stays in Taiwan for less than 6 months.
2. Resident Visa (RESIDENT VISA): It is a long-term visa for stays in Taiwan for 6 months or more.
3. Diplomatic visa (DIPLOMATIC VISA).
4. Privilege Visa (COURTESY VISA).

Visa Required Documents:
Fill in the visa application form online at https://visawebapp.boca.gov.tw. Fill in the visa application information and print the application form, then write your signature. You will also need to provide the following (as applicable):

• 2-inch 2-color photos in 6 months, background must be white.
• The original passport, valid for 6 months or more and must have a blank page.
• Proof of financial resources, such as bank savings certificates.
• Schedule
• Round-trip airfare, airfare, e-ticket or travel agency certification.
• Relatives in Taiwan relatives to prove (visit relatives), copy of household register, birth certificate, alien residence permit or permanent residence permit and other relevant identity documents. (Spouse and immediate blood relatives limited).
• Invitation (Visit) The invitation unit is issued.
• Other documents as the case may require.
• Application Procedure: The applicant shall check the required documents and visa fees to apply for a residence visa to the Immigration Department. The applicant will be required to interview if necessary.

Sample regulations you may find at the TECRO office in your home country:
"The Visa Department has the right to refuse and need not explain the reason. Proposed visa applicants regardless of whether or not issued a visa, visa fees paid in accordance with the law is not refundable. For a one time, the visa fee is US $ 50; multiple entry visa fee US $ 100; relative processing fees is US $ 160 (currently only applies to US nationals). Any changes to this statement are subject to the latest information published by the Consular Affairs Bureau website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."
Please check the local Taiwan representative office in you country for the latest information relevant to your home country.

Q: How much is a Taiwan Visa?
A: Check the local Taiwan representative office in you country for the latest information relevant to your home country. If you are not from a visa free country, for a one time visa, the visa fee may be around US $50; multiple entry visa fee US $ 100; relative processing fees may be around US $ 160. 
 
Q: How much is a Taiwanese Visa in the Philippines?
A: For a visitor visa, currently the Philippines has a 14 day trial Visa Exemption. Otherwise please check with the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines.
 
Q: How much for a Taiwan trip?
A: For a week of vacationing in Taiwan, you can budget for 1000 USD and probably have a few hundred dollars left over. But this depends on what you want to do, what kind of hotels you want to stay in, and what your budget is. For a one week trip for one person, plan to spend about 1500-3000 per night for a decent hotel (10,500-21,000 NT), 100-150 NT per meal for low end restaurants (2,100-3,150), maybe 3,000-5,000 on travel (depending on where you want to go), and 1,000 NT or so to buy small gifts for your family back home. This would be a grand total of 16,600-30,150 NT (553-1005 USD).

Q: I just came to Taiwan on a working visa. Can my dependents get national health insurance?
A: Yes! New legislation has come into affect as of 2018 so that dependents of foreign workers can be enrolled immediately into the national health insurance system. Before there was a waiting period of 6 months. 

Q: I just came to Taiwan on a working visa. Can my dependents start working here?
A: Yes but they must apply for a work permit through their employer.

Have any more questions about immigration in Taiwan? Please leave them in the comments below, and we might just add them to the list!
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