In an effort to treat foreign residents equally, Taiwan's Ministry of the Interior responded to complaints of foreign residents by changing the ARC Uniform ID numbering system to match the format used by Taiwan citizens. Because of this, every foreigner must change their ARC number the next time they change or update their ARC card starting Jan. 1 2021. So what do you need to do after your ARC number has changed?
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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. My personal experience getting my APRC was a confusing and difficult process. I made many mistakes along the way. I have listed some of the key takeaways from this process as follows.
Need help obtaining a visa to Taiwan? We recommend using Ivisa.com. Now let's start the Q+A. 
Hengchun Airport (also known as Kenting Airport or HCN) has had no commercial flights in the past 10 years due to strong katabatic crosswinds coming down from the mountains. Now it just sits there in the middle of Hengchun (near Kenting), a giant waste of taxpayer money. Do not go there.
Background: Hengchun Airport was completed in 2004 to provide greater access to the Hengchun Peninsula especially from population centers like Taipei and Taichung. Commercial flights ran regularly until 2007 when Taiwan's high-speed rail was completed. In 2014, the last airport mostly stopped passenger flights. In 2019 the last passenger flight route to the airport was cancelled. Talks have been ongoing on what to do with the airport. It has been considered to give the military control of the airport, although there are not yet concrete plans to do so. Hours: Permanently closed Tours and Activities in Pingtung: There are many activities available in Pingtung, such as snorkeling, diving, SUPing, surfing, submarine riding, and river tracing. You can find more tours of Kenting on Klook here or KKday here. Accommodation: Looking for a hotel? Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan. I have stayed at many hostels and hotels in Kenting, and even almost bought a house here. Some places that I have stayed at and can recommend are Nanwan Kiki (book on Agoda here, Booking.com here), a B&B next to Nanwan Bay, Kenting's most popular Beach. There are also a few decent hotels near Kenting Street Night Market like Kenting Star Inn 888 (book on Agoda here, Klook here, Hotels.com here, Expedia here, or Booking.com here), or Kenting Dajianshan Hotel (book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, or Expedia here). You will notice that none of these hotels are five star resorts (I do not come to Kenting to waste my time at a resort, but you can still search Agoda, Booking.com, Hotels.com, or Expedia for those) but they are in my opinion the above have the best value for the money. How to get there: By Car/Scooter: Take Provincial Highway 1 south to the bottom of Taiwan until you reach Hengchun. The airport is on the right just before you enter the city. Looking for scooter rental in Pingtung? Click here or here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here. By Bus: You can reach Mudan from Pingtung Bus 1773, but it will take over three hours. You can book tickets to Kaohsiung via high speed rail (HSR) on Klook here or KKDay here, or book tickets via the normal train (TRA) on Klook here. You can book tickets to travel to Pingtung via inter-city bus on Klook here. By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. Map: Please see below: 
Mudan Reservoir is an important water source for the Hengchun Peninsula. It includes a large spillway, and the aboriginal village of Mudan lies at the bottom of its dam. It is a beautiful part of Kenting that is definitely worth a visit.
Background: Mudan Reservoir was completed in 1995 to provide more water to the residents of the Hengchun Peninsula which was desperately needed at the time. The Dam is 65 meters high and 445 meters long and includes a large spillway. There is also a hydroelectric plant as part of the facilities which became operational in 2020. The area around the Hengchun Peninsula was once coral that has been uplifted over millions of years. The first people to live here were Taiwan aboriginals, from the Paiwan and Puyuma tribes (who caused the Rover Incident as portrayed in Seqalu: Formosa 1867). Kenting was first settled by Han farmers and fishermen during the Qing Dynasty. The word Kenting comes from two words that mean cultivate (ken3 墾) and strong man (丁 ding1). During that time, a group of strong men (or Zhuang Ding 壯丁) came from Guangdong, who were basically Chinese pioneers of the area to cultivate the land, hence the area was named Kenting for them. The aboriginal people were mostly assimilated with the local Chinese population. Hours: 24/7 Price: Free Tours and Activities in Pingtung: There are many activities available in Pingtung, such as snorkeling, diving, SUPing, surfing, submarine riding, and river tracing. You can find more tours of Kenting on Klook here or KKday here. Accommodation: Looking for a hotel? Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan. I have stayed at many hostels and hotels in Kenting, and even almost bought a house here. Some places that I have stayed at and can recommend are Nanwan Kiki (book on Agoda here, Booking.com here), a B&B next to Nanwan Bay, Kenting's most popular Beach. There are also a few decent hotels near Kenting Street Night Market like Kenting Star Inn 888 (book on Agoda here, Klook here, Hotels.com here, Expedia here, or Booking.com here), or Kenting Dajianshan Hotel (book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, or Expedia here). You will notice that none of these hotels are five star resorts (I do not come to Kenting to waste my time at a resort, but you can still search Agoda, Booking.com, Hotels.com, or Expedia for those) but they are in my opinion the above have the best value for the money. How to get there: By Car/Scooter: TTake Provincial Highway 1 south to the bottom of Taiwan until it Checheng. Then travel east to Mudan Township until you reach the reservior. Looking for scooter rental in Pingtung? Click here or here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here. By Bus: You can reach Mudan from Pingtung Bus 1773 or 302, but it will take over three hours. You can book tickets to Kaohsiung via high speed rail (HSR) on Klook here or KKDay here, or book tickets via the normal train (TRA) on Klook here. You can book tickets to travel to Pingtung via inter-city bus on Klook here. By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. Map: Please see below: 
Taipei Expo Park is a huge area in northern Taipei that encompasses three separate parks: Yuanshan Park, Fine Arts Park, and Xinsheng Park. Near the Fine Arts Park, you can visit the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei Expo Dome, Lin Ai-tai Historic House, and the Yuanshan Villa (former Taipei Story House). Within Xinsheng Park, one can also find the Taipei Collectible Botanical Garden, Garden Maze, and the Taipei Rose Garden. It is a great place to spend an afternoon and a must-stop in Taipei.
Background: The Taipei Expo Park was created in 2010 for the Taipei International Flora Exhibition which ran from November 2010 to April 2011. It used land from Yuanshan Park, Fine Arts Park, and Xinsheng Park, and Dajia Riverside Park. Before the three parks were built, it was home to the former Taipei Children's Park and former Taipei Yuanshan Zoo, old military housing and military complexes, farmland, and a driver's education course. The park includes the following:
Hours: 8:30 AM to 9 PM, closed Mondays Price: Free Tours: You can book a tour of Taipei on Tripadvisor here, KKday here or Klook here. Hotels in Taipei: We have stayed at and recommend the Yuanshan Grand Hotel, once the tallest building in Taiwan and still the most grand (book on Booking.com here or Agoda here). We have stayed at and also recommend Fu Chang Hotel in Ximending, which is within walking distance of Ximending shopping district (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan. Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. How to get there: By MRT: The closest MRT station is Yuanshan Station, and is about a 10 minute walk. You can also book an MRT travel pass on Klook here. By Car/Scooter: Driving or taking a scooter there can be hard because there is limited paid parking nearby. Looking for scooter rental in Taipei? You can search on Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here. By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy, however bikes are no allowed in the park. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can use Taiwan's many Youbike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. You can also book a Sunset Riverside Bike Ride and Historical Tour, 4 Hour Cycling in Taipei, Ultimate 8-Hour Cycling City Tour, or Taipei City Bike Tour with Night Market Experience on TripAdvisor here. For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here. Map: See below: |
Author 作家I am an American expat who has extensive experience living, working, and traveling in Taiwan. In my day, I had to learn many things about Taiwan the hard way. But I have come to learn that Taiwan is one of the best places in the world for Foreigners to live. This blog does not represent the opinions of every foreigner in Taiwan. I am just trying to help others learn more about this beautiful country. Categories
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