Amendment to Guidelines for the Online Application for Residence, Extension of Residence, and Change of Residence Reasons for Foreign Professionals and Their Dependents under the Trial Program
- Date：
- Source：Residency Section 2
- Hit：141
(I) Articles 23, 23-1, and 24 of the Immigration Act (hereinafter referred to as "the Act").
(II) Articles 3, 6, and 20 of Regulations Governing Visiting, Residency, and Permanent Residency of Aliens.
(III) Articles 8, 10, 12, and 15 of the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (hereinafter referred to as "the Act for Foreign Professionals").
(IV) Article 46 of the Employment Service Act (hereinafter referred to as "the Employment Service Act").
II. Applicable Subjects:
(I) Foreign professionals or specific foreign professionals (hereinafter referred to as foreign professionals) who have been issued work permits by the Ministry of Labor according to Subparagraphs 1 to 6-1 of Paragraph 1 of Article 46 of the Employment Service Act, along with their accompanying foreign national spouses, children under the age of eighteen (18), and adult children aged eighteen (18) unable to live independently due to physical or mental disabilities, may enter the ROC visa-exempt or with visit or resident visas.
(II) Foreign nationals holding Alien Resident Certificates (ARCs) who intend to change their residence status for the purpose of employment or family reunification (with the family member being a foreign professional).
III. Required Documents:
(I) Foreign Professionals:
1. Those holding valid resident visas with valid passports or travel documents, upon approval of entry by the National Immigration Agency (NIA) of the Ministry of the Interior, or those holding Alien Resident Certificates (ARCs) applying to change their residence status.
(1) Passport (for first-time applicants, must have a validity period of at least six (6) months; for applicants for extending residence, a valid passport is required) and resident visa (applicants for extending residence and changing residence reasons should attach ARCs).
(2) A recent, color, uncovered head photo taken within the last two (2) years (following the same specifications as a national ID photo).
(3) The employment permit issued by the Ministry of Labor and an employee certificate valid within one (1) month (exempt for those with individual work permits without an employer).
(4) Proof of current residence (such as a lease agreement, photocopy of property ownership deed, or photocopy of both sides of the identity card of a national property owner with a statement of consent, or other sufficient documents to prove the actual residential address of the applicant). For applicants requesting a change in the reason for residence, if there has been no change in the residential address, submission is exempted.
2. Those entering the ROC via visa exemption or holding a duration of stay of sixty (60) days or more, and without restrictions prohibiting extension or other limitations endorsed by the visa-issuing authority:
(1) Passport (for first-time applicants, must be valid for at least six (6) months) and a visitor visa. Applicants with visa-exempt entry are not required to submit a visa.
(2) A recent, color, uncovered head photo taken within the last two (2) years (following the same specifications as a national ID photo).
(3) The employment permit issued by the Ministry of Labor (with a validity period of at least six (6) months) and an employee certificate valid within one (1) month (exempt for those with individual work permits without an employer).
(4) Proof of current residence (such as a lease agreement, photocopy of property ownership deed, or photocopy of both sides of the identity card of a national property owner with a statement of consent, or other sufficient documents to prove the actual residential address of the applicant).
3. Other reasons: Relevant proof documents, such as a certificate of resignation (exempt for those with individual work permits without an employer).
(II) Foreign professionals of foreign spouses, children under the age of eighteen (18), and children aged eighteen (18) or older unable to live independently due to physical or mental disabilities.
1. Those holding valid resident visas with valid passports or travel documents, upon approval of entry by the NIA, or those holding ARCs applying to change their residence status.
(1) Passport (for first-time applicants, must have a validity period of at least six (6) months; for applicants for extending residence, a valid passport is required) and resident visa (applicants for extending residence and changing residence reasons should attach ARCs).
(2) A recent, color, uncovered head photo taken within the last two (2) years (following the same specifications as a national ID photo).
(3) Proof of relationship: such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, ARCs, resident visas indicating family relationships, etc.
(4) Applicants who are children aged eighteen (18) or older unable to live independently due to physical or mental disabilities: Attach a diagnosis certificate. The document should sufficiently prove their condition, such as paralysis, inability to care for oneself, or the need for complete assistance in daily life. Alternatively, a Barthel Index score assessed by a physician should be thirty (30) points or below.
2. Those entering the ROC via visa exemption or holding a duration of stay of sixty (60) days or more, and without restrictions prohibiting extension or other limitations endorsed by the visa-issuing authority:
(1) Passport (for first-time applicants, must be valid for at least six (6) months) and a visitor visa. Applicants with visa-exempt entry are not required to submit a visa.
(2) A recent, color, uncovered head photo taken within the last two (2) years (following the same specifications as a national ID photo).
(3) Proof of relationship: such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, ARCs, etc. However, if the relationship with the family member, spouse's name, and permit number is indicated in the visa annotation field according to the visa code table, it is considered verified by the overseas mission and proof of identity documents for the family member are not required (For visa-exempt entry or visas with annotation "P" [tourism, visit, family visit], if the relationship with the family member, spouse's name, and permit number are not indicated, proof of relationship verified by the overseas mission is still required).
(4) Applicants who are children aged eighteen (18) or older unable to live independently due to physical or mental disabilities: Attach a diagnosis certificate. The document should sufficiently prove their condition, such as paralysis, inability to care for oneself, or the need for complete assistance in daily life. Alternatively, a Barthel Index score assessed by a physician should be thirty (30) points or below.
(5) Health examination certificate issued within the last three (3) months:
A. Applicants from visa-exempt countries (excluding those from visa-exempt trial countries) are exempt from this requirement.
B. Children aged six (6) or below may submit a "vaccination certificate" instead.
C. Health examination certificates must be processed according to the items specified for health examination for residence or permanent residence of foreigners announced by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (refer to the Ministry of Health and Welfare website).
D. Health examination certificates obtained overseas must be verified by the overseas missions. If the examination items are incomplete, individuals must supplement the unexamined items domestically.
E. The health examination certificate is valid for three (3) months from the date of issue and must be submitted within this validity period (obtained through examination at a qualified medical institution within the ROC after entry).
(6) Criminal Record Certificate:
A. Spouses of foreign professionals, whose marital relationship existed before entry into the ROC, are exempt from this requirement.
B. The applicant's home country criminal record certificate issued within one (1) year, and it must not exceed the validity period stated on the certificate. The term "home country criminal record certificate" refers to a nationwide record from the applicant's country of origin. For example, if the applicant is a U.S. citizen, the home country criminal record certificate must be issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). If the applicant is a Vietnamese citizen, the criminal record certificate should be the Vietnamese "Bản Kê Khai Tư Pháp số 2" (Judicial Record No. 2).
C. The criminal record certificate must include records from the last five (5) years.
D. Applicants who were previously granted residency in ROC and reapply for residency cases by entering with a visitor visa within three (3) months of leaving the ROC are not required to submit a criminal record certificate from their home country.
(III) For individuals born in mainland China and originally holding Chinese citizenship, in addition to providing supporting documents according to Article 7 of the Act Governing Relations between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, proving residence overseas for more than four (4) years (such as passport entry and exit records and a certificate of entry and exit issued by the competent authority at the place of residence), one of the following proof documents should be submitted:
1. The original certificate verified by the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) proving that the individual is not registered in mainland China.
2. The original certificate of cancellation of mainland China household registration verified by the SEF.
3. The document certifying the loss of mainland China citizenship, verified by the overseas mission.
4. Other documents sufficient to prove the loss of mainland China citizenship.
(IV) For personal data change registration: passport, Alien Resident Certificate, document for changes (attach relevant proof if data needs to be updated, such as updated passport, for lost or reissued documents attach a statement of loss or police report), and one recent colored, clear, frontal, half-body photograph (in the same format as the national ID photo) taken within the last two (2) years.
Documents produced overseas must be authenticated by the overseas mission; those produced domestically by foreign embassies or their authorized representative agencies in the ROC or authenticated, certified, or verified by them must be further authenticated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If the documents are in a foreign language, the NIA may request the applicant to provide a Chinese translation verified by the overseas mission or notarized by a domestic notary public.
IV. Application Procedure and Certificate Collection:
(I) Applicants shall register an account and apply for the Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) through the online system of the NIA, accessible via the website: https://coa.immigration.gov.tw/coa-frontend/foreign-white-collar.
(II) After completing the online application and uploading relevant documents, applicants shall make the payment within five (5) working days from the approval date, using various methods such as international credit cards, domestic credit cards, online ATMs, virtual accounts, e-Bill nationwide payment network, and convenience stores.
(III) Method of certificate collection: Applicants shall download and print the payment receipt from the online system and present it at the service stations of NIA in various municipalities and counties three (3) working days later to collect the ARC (if the applicant previously held a valid ARC, it must be returned).
V. Fees:
The Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) is charged at NTD 1,000 per item per year of validity. Applicants entering the ROC with visa-exempt entry or holding a visitor visa are subject to an additional fee of NTD 2,200. For replacement or reissuance of ARCs due to loss, damage, or personal information changes such as Chinese name, date of birth, gender, or photograph, a fee of NTD 500 is charged (new card issuance required).
VI. Duration for the Review Process:
Five (5) working days, starting from the date of completion of the online application (excluding the time required for rectification and consultation with relevant authorities, as well as any delays caused by force majeure events). Applicants with incomplete or deficient documentation must rectify the issues within fifteen (15) days from the date of notification. For applicants who need to apply from overseas, mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau, the period for rectification is three (3) months. Applications that are not rectified by the deadline or are only partially rectified will be rejected. If rectification is not possible, the application will be rejected directly (the review period will be recalculated to five (5) working days after rectification).
VII. Notes:
(I) The required documents must be uploaded to the online system as color images with a file size of no more than 512KB, formatted as PDF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, or BMP. The content must be clear and legible, and the file names should correspond to the type of document. The applicant's photo uploaded must be a color image with excess blank space cropped out to form a file. The face should occupy approximately two-thirds of the image area, and it must be recognizable as the same person as shown in the passport.
(II) Applicants with a visitor visa valid for 180 days and marked with "No Extension" may apply according to the regulations for those entering with a visitor visa, as stipulated in Point 3. However, individuals with working holiday visas (except as otherwise stipulated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and visas annotated with restrictions against converting to a resident visa or applying for a residence certificate in the ROC are ineligible to apply.
(III) Any ROC national residing in the Taiwan Area with a registered household, who has entered the ROC with a foreign passport and is applying for residency or an extension of residency, shall first apply to a household registration office for household de-registration. Applications from individuals who are either approaching the age of mandatory military service or are already of military service age, but do not possess proof of exemption or residency endorsement in their ROC passport, or who have resided in Taiwan for over a year as overseas compatriot military conscripts, or are subject to mandatory conscription but have not fulfilled their military service obligation, and are subject to travel restrictions, will not be processed.
(IV) Foreign nationals entering the ROC with a residence visa must apply for an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) within thirty (30) days from the day following their entry into the ROC.
(V) Applicants with visa-exempt entry or visitor visa must submit their online application at least fifteen (15) days before the expiration of their stay. If the remaining stay is less than fifteen (15) days, applicants must apply in person at the service stations of the NIA in various municipalities or counties.
(VI) Applicants who are unable to obtain an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) due to changes in their residence status before the expiration of their original residence permit must depart within the specified period.
(VII) In the event that a foreign national changes his/her resident address or his/her place of employment during the period of his/her residence, he/she shall prepare the necessary documents and register the change within thirty (30) days, calculating from the next day of the occurrence of the event. Failure to do so will result in a fine according to the law.
(VIII) For the extension of the ARC, it should be applied for within three (3) months before the expiration of the residence period. If the individual overstays their residency period for less than thirty (30) days and the original reason for residency still exists, they may reapply for residency after being penalized according to regulations. However, if the overstay exceeds thirty (30) days, apart from being fined, the individual must still leave the ROC and then apply for the ARC again upon re-entry, following the relevant regulations.
(IX) Applicants who depart the ROC during the application process will have their applications discontinued. Applicants who re-enter the ROC and meet the circumstances stipulated in Subparagraphs of the second point may reapply.
(X) According to Article 8 of the Act for Foreign Professionals, foreign nationals designated as specific professionals and permitted to reside by the NIA are granted a residence permit with a maximum validity of five (5) years from the day of approval. If there is a need for continued residence upon expiration, an extension of up to five (5) years can be applied for before the expiration of the residence period, without being subject to the restrictions stipulated in Paragraph 3 of Article 22, and Paragraph 2 of Article 31 of the Act. The same applies to the validity period and extension period of the ARC for the spouses of such foreign professionals, their minor children under eighteen (18), and children aged eighteen (18) or older with physical or mental disabilities who are unable to live independently, as permitted for their stay by the NIA.
Related File(s)
- 0927 Amendment to Guidelines for the Online Application for Residence, Extension of Residence, and Change of Residence Reasons for Foreign Professionals and...... pdf