Guidelines for Online Application and Extension of Employment PASS Card or Alien Resident Certificate for Foreign Professionals and Their Spouses and Children, and for Change of Registration
- Date：
- Source：Residency Section 2
- Hit：189
(I) Articles 23, 23-1, and 31 of the Immigration Act (hereinafter referred to as "the Act").
(II) Articles 6, 7, 9, and 10 of Regulations Governing Visiting, Residency, and Permanent Residency of Aliens.
(III) Articles 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, and 13 of the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (hereinafter referred to as "the Act for Foreign Professionals").
(IV) Articles 46 and 48 of the Employment Service Act (hereinafter referred to as "the Employment Service Act").
(V) Directions for Online Application of Employment PASS Card for Foreign Professionals (hereinafter referred to as “the Directions”).
(VI) Articles 4, 6, and 7 of the Fee Standards for Employment Gold Card, Employment PASS Card, and Entrepreneur Visa
II. Applicable Subjects:
(I) Foreign Professional: Individuals engaged in the following professions within the territory of the Republic of China (ROC) as stipulated by Subparagraphs 1 to 3 of Paragraph 1 of Article 46, Subparagraphs 5 and 6 of Article 46, Subparagraph 1 of Paragraph 1 of Article 48 of the Employment Service Act, and Item 3 of Subparagraph 4 of Article 4, Paragraph 1 of Article 10 of the Act for Foreign Professionals, are eligible to apply for an Employment PASS Card in accordance with the Guidelines.
1. Specialized or technical works.
2. Supervisors approved by the government to invest or establish businesses, including overseas Chinese or foreign nationals.
3. Teachers at the following schools:
(1) Teachers at public or registered private colleges and universities, or at schools for international residents (SIR).
(2) Qualified foreign language course teachers at public or registered private junior high schools and below.
(3) Teachers of subject areas at public or registered private experimental senior high schools with bilingual departments or bilingual schools.
4. Teachers specializing in foreign languages in short-term cram schools registered under the Supplementary Education Act, or individuals with specialized knowledge or skills, and designated by the Ministry of Education in consultation with the central competent authority of the industry concerned for short-term cram schools.
5. Sports coaches and athletes.
6. Religious, artistic, and performing arts work.
7. Consultancy or research work hired by government agencies at all levels and their affiliated academic research institutions.
8. Artists.
(II) Spouses, minor children under the age of eighteen (18), and children aged eighteen (18) or older unable to live independently due to physical or mental disabilities (hereinafter referred to as "dependent family members") of applicants mentioned in the preceding subparagraph may apply for residency under the following circumstances:
1. Enter the ROC via visa exemption or hold a duration of stay of sixty (60) days or more and without restrictions prohibiting extension or other limitations endorsed by the visa-issuing authority.
2. Hold a valid Alien Resident Certificate (ARC).
III. Required Documents:
(I) Application for Employment PASS Card by foreign professionals:
1. Passport (must have a validity period of at least six (6) months).
2. A 2-inch color photo with an uncovered head, full face, clear features and a white background taken within the most recent six (6) months (same as the specifications of the photo on the National ID Card).
3. Documents certifying foreign professional qualifications as announced by the Ministry of Labor or the Ministry of Education.
4. Other required documents for applying for a work permit are a resident visa, Alien Resident Certificate (ARC), and re-entry permit.
(II) Application for residence by dependent family members:
1. Passport (must have a validity period of at least six (6) months).
2. Resident visa (not required for those entering via visa-exempt) or Alien Resident Certificate (ARC).
3. The Employment PASS Card of the dependent family member.
4. A recent, color, uncovered head photo taken within the last two (2) years (following the same specifications as a national ID photo).
5. Proof of relationship: Such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, and visas indicating the relationship between family members. If the relationship, spouse's name, and permit number are already indicated in the remarks section of the aforementioned visa, it is considered verified by the overseas mission and hence exempt from submitting separately verified birth certificates and marriage certificates. (This exemption applies to visa-exempt entry or visas with annotation "P" [tourism, visit, family visit]. If the remarks do not specify the relationship of the relative, name, and permit number, verification of the relationship by the overseas mission is still required.)
6. 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.
7. Health examination certificate issued within the last three (3) months:
(1) Applicants from visa-exempt countries (excluding those from visa-exempt trial countries) are exempt from this requirement.
(2) Children aged six (6) or below may submit a "vaccination certificate" instead.
(3) 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).
(4) If the examination items are incomplete, individuals must supplement the unexamined items domestically.
(5) 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).
8. Criminal Record Certificate:
(1) 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, are exempt from this requirement.
(2) 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).
(3) The criminal record certificate must include records from the last five (5) years.
(4) 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) Application for the extension of the Employment PASS Card for foreign professionals or for the extension of residence for dependent family members:
1. Application for Employment PASS Card by foreign professionals:
(1) Passport (must be valid).
(2) A recent, color, uncovered head photo taken within the last two (2) years (following the same specifications as a national ID photo).
(3) Employment PASS Card.
(4) Documents certifying foreign professional qualifications as announced by the Ministry of Labor or the Ministry of Education.
(5) Other required documents for applying for a work permit are a resident visa, Alien Resident Certificate (ARC), and re-entry permit.
2. Extension of Residence for Foreign Professionals and Dependent Family Members:
(1) Passport (must be valid).
(2) A recent, color, uncovered head photo taken within the last two (2) years (following the same specifications as a national ID photo).
(3) Employment PASS Card or Alien Resident Certificate (ARC).
(4) Relevant proof documents, such as a certificate of resignation issued within one (1) month (exempt for those with individual work permits without an employer).
(IV) Amend Registration:
1. Passport (must be valid).
2. A recent, color, uncovered head photo taken within the last two (2) years (following the same specifications as a national ID photo).
3. Employment PASS Card or Alien Resident Certificate (ARC).
4. Relevant proof documents, such as a renewed passport, proof of address change, etc.
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 National Immigration Agency (hereinafter referred to as "the NIA") may request the applicant to provide a Chinese translation verified by the overseas mission or notarized by a domestic notary public. However, this does not apply if there are other regulations specified by the respective reviewing agencies.
IV. Application Procedure:
(I) Employment PASS Card:
1. Employers or entrusted agencies log in for the first time to the NIA "Foreign Professionals Online Application Platform" (hereinafter referred to as “the Platform”) system using an account or certificate. Applicants who are eligible for Employment PASS Cards under Items 7 and 8 of Subparagraph 1 of Point 2 may apply directly through the Platform.
2. The Employment PASS Card is available in three (3) durations: one (1) year, two (2) years, or three (3) years. Applicants should upload the relevant documents on the Platform and select the desired duration of the Employment PASS Card ("one year," "two years," or "three years"). For the renewal of the Employment PASS Card, applicants can also choose the duration of "one year," "two years," or "three years." The applicable fee for the selected duration ("within the ROC" or "outside the ROC") can be paid through various methods such as international credit card, domestic credit card, online ATM, virtual accounts, the e-Bill national payment network, and at the four major convenience stores.
3. After the application has been reviewed and deemed eligible by the Ministry of Labor or the Ministry of Education, the applicant must, within six months, print the "Passport Verification Notice" from the Platform. Along with the original passport (with a validity period of at least six (6) months), the applicant must proceed to the Bureau of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or its branch offices in central, southern, Yunlin-Chiayi-Tainan, or eastern Taiwan for passport verification. Upon successful verification of the passport, the applicant will be issued a resident visa by the overseas mission, the Bureau of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or its branch offices in central, southern, Yunlin-Chiayi-Tainan, or eastern Taiwan. However, applicants who enter the ROC via visa exemption or hold a duration of stay of sixty (60) days or more, and without restrictions prohibiting extension or other limitations endorsed by the visa-issuing authority, may be exempt from review by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs upon application.
(II) Dependent Family Members:
1. The applicant, or their authorized representative or agent, shall log in to the Foreign Professionals Application System for the first time using an account or certificate.
2. 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 card, domestic credit card, online ATM, virtual accounts, the e-Bill nationwide payment network, and at the four major convenience stores.
V. Fees:
(I) Employment PASS Card:
1. Application by Foreign Nationals Prior to Entry:
(1) For the subject who is subject to the special processing fee as defined in Subparagraph 4 of Paragraph 1 of Article 4 of the Standards for Visa Fees for Foreign Passports (hereinafter referred to as “the subject of the special processing fee”), payment of the special processing fee and the following fee per item is required:
A. For individuals under Subparagraphs 1 to 6 of Paragraph 1 of Article 46 of the Employment Service Act or Paragraph 1 of Article 10 of the Act for Foreign Professionals: NTD 1,500 per item for a one-year validity, NTD 2,500 per item for a two-year validity, and NTD 3,500 per item for a three-year validity.
B. For individuals under Subparagraph 1 of Paragraph 1 of Article 48 of the Employment Service Act: NTD 1,000 per item for a one-year validity, NTD 2,000 per item for a two-year validity, and NTD 3,000 per item for a three-year validity.
(2) For applicants other than those mentioned in the preceding paragraph:
A. For individuals under Subparagraphs 1 to 6 of Paragraph 1 of Article 46 of the Employment Service Act or Paragraph 1 of Article 10 of the Act for Foreign Professionals: NTD 3,700 per item for a one-year validity, NTD 4,700 per item for a two-year validity, and NTD 5,700 per item for a three-year validity.
B. For individuals under Subparagraph 1 of Paragraph 1 of Article 48 of the Employment Service Act: NTD 3,200 per item for a one-year validity, NTD 4,200 per item for a two-year validity, and NTD 5,200 per item for a three-year validity.
2. Application by foreign nationals via visa-exempt entry or visitor visa after entering the ROC:
(1) For individuals under Subparagraphs 1 to 6 of Paragraph 1 of Article 46 of the Employment Service Act or Paragraph 1 of Article 10 of the Act for Foreign Professionals: NTD 3,700 per item for a one-year validity, NTD 4,700 per item for a two-year validity, and NTD 5,700 per item for a three-year validity.
(2) For individuals under Subparagraph 1 of Paragraph 1 of Article 48 of the Employment Service Act: NTD 3,200 per item for a one-year validity, NTD 4,200 per item for a two-year validity, and NTD 5,200 per item for a three-year validity.
3. Application for foreign nationals holding valid Alien Resident Certificates or other documents with equivalent functions to convert their status:
(1) For individuals under Subparagraphs 1 to 6 of Paragraph 1 of Article 46 of the Employment Service Act or Paragraph 1 of Article 10 of the Act for Foreign Professionals: NTD 1,500 per item for a one-year validity, NTD 2,500 per item for a two-year validity, and NTD 3,500 per item for a three-year validity.
(2) For individuals under Subparagraph 1 of Paragraph 1 of Article 48 of the Employment Service Act: NTD 1,000 per item for a one-year validity, NTD 2,000 per item for a two-year validity, and NTD 3,000 per item for a three-year validity.
4. The total fees for the extension of the Employment PASS Card are as follows:
(1) For individuals under Subparagraphs 1 to 6 of Paragraph 1 of Article 46 of the Employment Service Act or Paragraph 1 of Article 10 of the Act for Foreign Professionals: NTD 1,500 per item for a one-year validity, NTD 2,500 per item for a two-year validity, and NTD 3,500 per item for a three-year validity.
(2) For individuals under Subparagraph 1 of Paragraph 1 of Article 48 of the Employment Service Act: NTD 1,000 for each year of validity.
(II) Dependent family members: NTD 1,000 per item for each year of validity of the Alien Resident Certificate (ARC). However, for applicants entering the ROC via visa-exempt entry or holding a visitor visa, an additional fee of NTD 2,200 is charged.
(III) Other reasons for ARC: NTD 1,000 per item for each year of validity of the ARC.
(IV) For replacement of lost or damaged Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) and for changes in personal information such as Chinese name, date of birth, gender, and photo for personal reasons: NTD 500 (reissuance of the certificate is required).VI. Review Process Duration:
(I) Employment PASS Card: Thirty (30) working days (counted from the date of completing the online application, excluding holidays, and subject to waiting periods for passport verification as stipulated in Paragraph 2 of Point 4 of the Directions, correction periods in Point 5, consultation periods for opinions provided by the central competent authority for the intended business, and any delays caused by force majeure events).
(II) Dependent Family Members: Five (5) working days (excluding the time required for rectification and consultation with relevant authorities).
VII. Rectification and Collection of Employment PASS Cards and Dependent Alien Resident Certificates:
(I) Rectification: In cases where the submitted application data is incomplete or incorrect, applicants are required to rectify the issues within thirty (30) days from the day following the notification sent by the reviewing authority via email. For applicants who apply from overseas areas, mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau, the rectification period is extended to three (3) months. If the applicant fails to rectify or incompletely rectify within the stipulated period, their application shall be rejected.
(II) Collection: The applicant shall personally download the "Payment Electronic Receipt" from the “Download” page of the Platform. With the original receipt in hand, the applicant shall proceed to the designated service station of the NIA to collect the Employment PASS Card or the Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) for dependent family members (if the applicant previously held a valid ARC, it must be returned).VIII. 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 additional uploaded photo of the applicant must be a color image with excess whitespace cropped out, forming a picture file. The facial area should occupy approximately two-thirds of the entire image, and it must be identifiable as the same individual as depicted 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, unless stated otherwise.
(III) Applicants for the Employment PASS Card, upon completing payment through the Platform, will not be entitled to a refund, regardless of whether their application is approved. The same applies to applicants who fail to submit their passports for verification as stipulated in Item 1 of Point 4.
(IV) 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.
(V) Foreign nationals entering the ROC with a resident visa must apply for an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) within thirty (30) days from the day following their entry into the ROC. Those who fail to apply as required shall be subject to a fine according to the law.
(VI) Dependent family members with visa-exempt entry or visitor visas 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.
(VII) Applicants who are unable to obtain an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) before the expiration of their residency period, or who are unable to complete the procedures for changing their residence status and obtaining a new ARC before the expiration of their original residency period must depart within the specified period.
(VIII) Foreign nationals who change their address or place of employment during their residency period shall prepare the necessary documents and complete the change registration within thirty (30) days from the date of the change. Failure to comply with this requirement shall result in a fine imposed in accordance with the law.
(IX) Employment PASS Card holders who do not meet the circumstances stipulated in Point 6 or Point 8 of the Directions, and still qualify as foreign professionals, may apply for an extension of the validity period through the Platform within four (4) months before the expiration of the work permit or the expiration of the residency period stated on the Employment PASS card. Applicants must submit the required documents stipulated in Point 3 and a color-scanned electronic copy of the Employment PASS Card. Each extension may be granted for a period of one (1) to three (3) years.
(X) Prior to the expiration of the validity period of the Employment PASS Card, if an extension of the Employment PASS Card has not been obtained but there is a need for residency, the individual and their dependent family members who were previously granted residency permission, in accordance with Article 13 of the Act for Foreign Professionals, may apply for an extension of residency through the Platform. Upon approval, an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) will be issued. The validity period of the ARC shall be extended for six (6) months from the day following the expiration of the validity period of the Employment PASS Card. Upon expiration of the extended period, if necessary, one additional extension may be applied for, with the total extended residency period not exceeding one (1) year. During the extended period of residency, individuals are not permitted to work in the ROC unless they hold an employment permit issued by the Ministry of Labor, except where otherwise specified by law.
(XI) The extension of the Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) for dependent family members should be applied for within three (3) months before the expiration of the residency period. If an individual overstays but remains eligible for the original residency purpose for less than thirty (30) days beyond the expiry date and has not lost the basis for residency, 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.
(XII) Applicants who leave the ROC during the application process will have their applications discontinued. However, if such applicants re-enter the ROC and meet the conditions stipulated in Subparagraphs of Point 2, they may reapply.
Related File(s)
- 0930 Guidelines for Online Application and Extension of Employment PASS Card or Alien Resident Certificate for Foreign Professionals...... pdf