Permanent Residence In Taiwan: Complete Guiude

Ready to trade in that expat tag for something more permanent in Taiwan?

Perfect, you’re in the right spot!

Navigate the twists and turns of securing permanent residence with this straight-shooting guide.

What Is A Permanent Permit In Taiwan?

The permit allows foreign residents to work and live freely in Taiwan without the hassle of renewing their visas. Achievement of such status refers to permanent residency in Taiwan.

 A document that verifies the identity of a long-term foreign resident, who does not have household registration, is known as the Resident Certificate in Taiwan. In Taiwan, all nationals with household registration are issued National Identification Cards at 14.

However, foreign residents are given Resident Certificates, which the National Immigration Agency of Taiwan issues. Two such certificated issued to foreign residents are:

  • ARC (Alien Resident Certificate)
  • APRC (Alien Permanent Resident Certificate)

APRC is the residency status that lets one enjoy permanent residency in Taiwan. Obtaining an Alien Permanent Resident Certificate would legalize one’s status as a permanent resident in Taiwan and permit one to enjoy the benefits of permanent residency.

Initially, one would qualify for APRC when one is 20 years of age or above and has legally resided in Taiwan for 5 years. Also, one had been physically staying for more than 183 days in a year consecutively in Taiwan.

Now, the rules have become more flexible. Thus, it’s become more straightforward for people to apply for APRC as people can stay for an average of 183 days annually rather than consecutively for 183 days.

Similarly, foreign professionals’ consecutive stay requirement has been reduced to three years from five years if they had obtained a master’s or Doctor’s from Taiwan. Thus, applying for APRC in Taiwan has become more accessible.

What Are The Differences Between ARC And APRC in Taiwan?

The two main types of resident certificates discussed in this article are ARC and APRC.

Knowing the differences between both types of resident certificates is essential to ensure that permanent residency takes advantage of regular residency.

1. ARC

Alien Resident Certificate is best for people who are staying in Taiwan for a limited period. One can easily apply for it within 15 days of one’s arrival.

For a better understanding of the residency certificates, some advantages and disadvantages of ARC have been mentioned below:

Advantages Of ARCDisadvantages Of ARC
Validity lasts from 1-3 yearsCannot sponsor a family or any other person with ARC
Can apply for a re-entry permit after exiting TaiwanOne needs to have a work sponsor with ARC
Can get access to National Health Insurance after living in Taiwan for 6 months with ARCIt needs to be renewed once it expires.

2. APRC

APRC is best suited for people who want to stay for an extended period in Taiwan or want to avail citizenship in Taiwan. Once one has ARC for five years, one can apply for APRC.

A few of the advantages and disadvantages of APRC have been given below:

Advantages Of APRCDisadvantages Of APRC
It does not expire, and APRC can work anywhere.Certain crimes can revoke APRC.
Does not require reapplication if one exists or enters Taiwan againOne is bound to stay in Taiwan for 183 days per year after acquiring APRC.
One can sponsor a family or other dependents in TaiwanOne needs to stay for 5 consecutive years to apply for APRC.
One can avail immediate access to National Health InsuranceThe passport of ARPC has restricted travel access compared to the passports of the national citizens of Taiwan.

What Is The Process To Avail Permanent Residency In Taiwan?

A foreign resident can get permanent residency in Taiwan. But there is a long process that one needs to go through to avail permanent residency in Taiwan.

One has to be eligible to apply for it. Specific criteria make one either eligible or ineligible for APRC in Taiwan.

The information about these criteria has been given below:

1. Eligibility

One can apply for Alien Resident Permanent Certificate after having Alien Resident Certificate and living in Taiwan for 5 consecutive years. To be eligible for applying for APRC, one needs to fulfill either of the following areas:

  1. At least 5 years of continued residency in Taiwan
  2. Stable and continued work experience in Taiwan
  3. Studied for 3-5 years or more at Taiwan’s Higher Educational Institute
  4. Got married to a Taiwanese citizen.
  5. Or has a Gold Card.

2. File Required Documents

Suppose one finds oneself to be eligible to apply for APRC in Taiwan. The next step is to gather the required documents and submit the documents to the official authority.

The official authority that deals with issuing Resident Certificates to foreign residents is the National Immigration Agency of Taiwan. The following documents will be required:

  1. Passport of the country where one is a citizen.
  2. Copies of passport
  3. Colored Photo of oneself.
  4. Unexpired and Valid ARC
  5. Application form received from NIA.
  6. Household Registration Certificate
  7. Evidence of continued Residency
  8. Record of Employment
  9. Record of Investment history
  10. Clear Criminal Record
  11. Medical History
  12. Marriage Certificate
  13. Tax Record
  14. Letter of authorization (Power of attorney, POA)
  15. MOFA or Taiwan Rep Office overseas needs to certify any foreign documents.

3. Submission Of Form

After completing the application form and attaching the needed documents, it’s time to submit the form to the relevant authorities.

However, all the things need to be double-checked so that one can verify that all proofs have been attached to support the claims made. Falsifying any information can result in punishment by Taiwanese law.

4. Review Of Application:

One may need to wait several weeks after applying for APRC. The official authorities may conduct background checks about the person’s residence, employment, tax returns, or investment history.

The individual will be evaluated in all the criteria mentioned above. One may conduct the National Immigration Agency of Taiwan or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan to get further information regarding one’s application.

5. Issuance of ARPC

Before the issuance of ARPC, one may be called in for an interview. One might get notified through the email submitted on accepting or rejecting one’s applications.

What Are Different Means Of Attaining Permanent Residency In Taiwan?

The eligibility criteria have been mentioned above under the heading of the process to attain APRC. It can further be detailed as a means to attain permanent residency in Taiwan.

To understand the criteria better, one can see the following details:

1) Through work:

One can apply to APRC through work to attain permanent residency in Taiwan. One must have worked for 5 consecutive years and have a valid work permit.

The main prerequisite for attaining APRC through work is that one’s salary needs to be double the minimum wage every year. For example, It can cost about NT$ 52,000 per month, which equals $1630.00.   

2) Marriage To A Taiwanese Citizen

One can also apply for APRC if one gets married to a Taiwanese citizen. The citizen should have an official Household Registration Certificate and National Taiwan ID card.

One would thus need to register one’s household under one’s partner’s household registry, who is a Taiwan-born national.

3) By Opening A Representative’s Office In Taiwan

One needs to have a central office outside of Taiwan and then can establish a representative office in Taiwan. To do so, one must declare one’s salary and pay yearly taxes.

How To Open A Representative Office In Taiwan?

  1. Certify the required documents by Taiwan Embassy.
  2. Submit application and documents.
  3. Find an office, either a virtual or a material space, in Taiwan.
  4. Apply for the work permit next.
  5. Once the work permit is approved, apply for the visa change from a landing visa to a visitor visa.
  6. Apply for ARC next.
  7. Apply For Health Insurance
  8. Yearly Renewal Documents
  9. After 5 years of work, apply for APRC.

4) Via Gold Card

Professionals earning twice the average wage per month in Taiwan, which is NT$47,000 per month, or owning real estate value worth NT$5,000,000 or more can have an Employment Gold Card.

One can apply for APRC via an employment gold card. These professionals can apply for APRC after residing in Taiwan for 3-5 years.

People who have received PhD. from a university in Taiwan can apply after 2 years.

What Are Some Of The Rewards Of Permanent Residency In Taiwan?

Having permanent residency, as compared to a temporary permit, allows one to gain access to many different facilities that are only available to citizens. It provides one with a less restricted life as a foreign resident.

Some of the advantages that one can access after getting permanent residency in Taiwan are given below:

1. Indefinite Duration And No Visa Renewals

With permanent residency, one would be able to apply for renewal of one’s visa again and again before the expiration date. The whole renewal process can be expensive and takes a lot of time and effort.

Permanent residents will not require to dwell in renewing visas as permanent residency permits one to live and work in Taiwan indefinitely.

 2. Flexible Work Permit

All the countries have specific rules, particularly for foreign residents. Taiwan also requires one not just to have a temporary visa but also a work permit for the non-nationals who want to work in the country.

However, the permanent residency permits one to not apply for a separate work permit. The permanent residency permit works to authenticate oneself and works as a work permit.

Thus, foreign residents can work for an indefinite amount of time on a permanent residency permit without a need for a separate work permit.

3. Insurance And Other Benefits

People need a permanent permit to access many insurance programs in Taiwan.

With access to a permanent residency permit, one can become a part of different insurance programs like National Health Insurance, Labor Pension Program, Labor Insurance Program, Unemployment Insurance, etc.

4. Long-term Steadiness

One can easily make long-term plans when one does not need to worry about the expiration dates and the process of visa renewal. One can also enjoy the benefits of being a legal citizen.

Having free reign on one’s decisions allows one to be less restricted. Which in turn leads to more content-ness and firm footing in the work and other arenas of life.

What Are The Requirements Of Permanent Residency For Family Members In Taiwan?

There are specific requirements regarding access to permanent residency for the spouse and the child of the resident who has availed the permanent residency in Taiwan are given below:

Requirements For The Spouse Of The Permanent Residency Holder:

The requirements for the spouse of an APRC holder to attain permanent residency are required below:

  • Legal Maritage Certificate: There must be proof, or a legal marriage certificate has to be presented to showcase that the applicant is married to a holder with valid APRC.
  • Duration Of Residency: The spouse and the permanent permit holder should have lived in Taiwan for a minimum of 3 years.
  • Household Registration: The spouse and the ARPC holder need to have a household registration certificate.
  • Clear Of Criminal Charges: Both the spouse and the permanent resident of Taiwan must be upstanding citizens with clean criminal records.

Requirements For Minor Children Of APRC Holder:

In the case of residency of minor children of the APRC holder, the following verifications are required:

  • Legal Relationship With Parents: It has to be legally registered that the child is either related by blood or adopted legally by the APRC holder.
  • Age Of Minor: The child’s age should be below 20 years.
  • Residence: The child’s residence should be registered the same as the parent with a permanent permit.
  • Consent Of Guardian: The APRC holding parent must also show written consent for the minor to be eligible to apply for permanent residency.

What Are The Charges For Applying For Permanent Residency In Taiwan?

The total cost of applying for an APRC (Alien Permanent Resident Certificate) in Taiwan is about NT$10,000. The charges can be divided into fees for various services garnered by the official authority of Taiwan.

A few of these services are given below:

  1. Fee for Application.
  2. Notarization and Translation of Foreign Documents
  3. Fee for Health Exam
  4. Fee for verification of the Background
  5. Fee for hiring a Lawyer if needed.
  6. Fee for acquiring Household Registration Certificate.
  7. Other Regulatory Costs

How To Maintain Permanent Residency In Taiwan?

Acquiring a Permanent Residency is a long process in itself. However, there are specific rules and guidelines that should be followed for maintaining permanent residency in Taiwan as well.

For example, the following guidelines should be followed for retaining the APRC in Taiwan:

  1. Residency should be continued: After acquiring the certification for permanent residency in Taiwan, one should avoid spending long periods outside the country.

This might be interpreted as the desertion of one’s permanent residency.

  • No illegal or criminal activities: Certain crimes, if committed in Taiwan, can lead to the revocation of one’s permanent residency. So, one should be the most upright citizen while residing in Taiwan.
  • Updating authorities about changes in documents: Relevant authorities of Taiwan should be updated about any personal changes like marriage, divorce, birth or death of a child, or death of a spouse.

Professional changes or changes in one’s address should also be reported to the relevant authorities under the adhered time, per the laws of residence in Taiwan.

  • Don’t abandon APRC: One’s permanent residency, or citizenship will be canceled unless one renounces one’s residency or takes the citizenship of another state or country.
  • Keep a check on regulations: Laws and regulations change and can be modified with time. So, one should especially keep a close eye on any changes in regard to the laws of permanent residency.

Conclusion

You’ve now got the inside scoop on permanent residence in Taiwan. Who knew bureaucracy could be this exciting? So, go ahead, take the leap and make Taiwan your forever home. Stay chill!

Happy Availing Permanent Residency!

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