I. Authorized Authority: National Immigration Agency
II. Basis of Laws/Regulations: The Immigration Act and the Enforcement Rules thereof, and the Regulations Governing Visiting, Residency, and Permanent Residency of Aliens.
III. Application Procedures: Application should be made to the local service center of the National Immigration Agency.
IV. Required Documents:
1. A foreign national who enters Taiwan with a residency visa, and modifies the reasons of residency to be joining family.
(1) An application form.
(2) One 2” x 2” colored no hat photo, front head and shoulder (the same specifications as required for an ROC(Taiwan) ID card).
(3) Original passport and residency visa (returned upon verification).
(4) Original spouse’s ROC Identity Card or original Household Registration Book (returned upon verification).
(5) Proof of current residence.
(6) A foreign spouse who is applying for an ARC the first time or applying to modify the residency reason to joining family because of marriage shall be accompanied by his/her Taiwanese spouse, and issued a valid ARC for one year. (One-year term: NT$1,000.)
2. Any foreign national having made entry into Taiwan with a visitor visa valid for over 60 days and has not been restricted from an extension or imposed with other restrictions, may apply for residency and be granted an Alien Resident Certificate (hereinafter referred to as " the ARC") under one of the following conditions:
(1) An application form.
(2) One 2” x 2” colored no hat photo, front head and shoulder (the same specifications as required for an ROC(Taiwan) ID card).
(3) The original passport and visitor visa (returned upon verification).
(4) A Health Certificate of examinations taken within the past 3 months indicating good health.
(5) The police records.
●The Records shall contain the criminal history of the past 5 years.
●An applicant has to submit the Records issued by his/her state of origin within one year starting from the issuing date and not exceeding the validity stated on the document. (The Records should be issued by the nationwide competent authority of the applicant's state of origin, i.e., the Records of a U.S. citizen should be issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (abbreviation as FBI) of the United States of America.)
●An applicant who has had residency in Taiwan previously, and is applying for residency after re-entry with a visitor visa, if his/her time outside the border of Taiwan is under 3 months, the applicant does not need to submit the Records of his/her state of origin.
(6) Original spouse’s ROC Identity Card or original Household Registration Book(returned upon verification).
(7) Proof of current residence.
(8) Application fee: NT$1,000 for one year ARC; plus NT$2,200 for Visitor’s Visa changing to residency status.
V. Notes:
1. Foreigners entering Taiwan with residence visa should apply for Alien Resident Certificate within 15 days after the day following entry.
2. Those foreigners who need continuous residence should go to the local service center of the National Immigration Agency to apply for extension within 30 days before expiration of their Alien Resident Certificate.
3. For those foreigners who apply for an ARC for the first time must be accompanied by their spouses.
VI. Time needed to review the application: 10 working days. (The receipt must be presented when picking up the ARC).