Application-Qualification

It depends on the specific circumstances. If any of the below are true, your application will not be accepted:

1. An R.O.C. National who has a Taiwanese household registration and is currently residing in Taiwan.
2. Entered Taiwan with an R.O.C passport. (See Note)
3. The application of males who have not completed compulsory military service and are of conscription age or near conscription age if they fall into one of the following situations: o Having neither an Overseas Compatriot Identity Certificate for the purpose of military service nor an Overseas Compatriot Identity Endorsement on his R.O.C. passport. o Being an overseas draftee who has resided in Taiwan Area for one year or more. o Having been subjected to conscription in accordance with the law and is being restricted from leaving the country.

Note: For those who have a Taiwanese household registration and entered Taiwan with a foreign passport, they must first register their moving-out registration with the Household Registration Office before applying for the Gold Card.

1. Mainland Chinese citizens
2. Individuals with Hong Kong/Macau and Taiwan Dual Citizenship
3. Individuals who entered Taiwan with an R.O.C. passport
4. R.O.C. Nationals living in Taiwan with a household registration
5. R.O.C. Nationals who entered Taiwan with a foreign passport and have not yet applied for Household De-Registration
6. Men who have not fulfilled their military service obligations or are close to service age who fall under any of the following categories: o Does not hold an Overseas Compatriot Identity Certificate for Military Service Purpose o Does not hold an R.O.C. passport with the endorsement of the Overseas Chinese residence status o Has Overseas Compatriot with Military Service Identity and has lived in Taiwan for one year o Is subject to conscription and restrictions to exit according to the Act of Military Service System

Please refer to the “Professional Fields” page , select the field you wish to apply under, and check if you meet the eligibility criteria. Required application documents vary based on the specific “Professional Fields” page and “Regulation.”

Feel free to use our Gold Card Qualification Check to check your qualification.

Please note: Foreign professionals must still meet specific conditions after obtaining their Gold Card to enjoy tax benefits. Please refer to the relevant regulations for qualification details: Articles 3 of the Regulations Governing Reduction and Exemption of Income Tax of Foreign Specialist Professionals and Article 20 of the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professional Talent .

Application is done online only via: Foreign Professionals Online Application Platform . Once you have determined how you are qualified, gather the required documents:

1. Digital copy of your passport (with at least six months of remaining validity)
2. Digital copy of a color headshot (hatless, taken within the last six months)
3. Digital copies of all documents needed to support your application
4. Your previous Taiwanese visa and residence permit (optional)

For more information, see Application Process

It depends on the specific circumstances. In certain fields, a monthly salary of NTD 160,000 can be an application route, but this is limited to specific fields and subfields. You can visit the Qualifications page to view more detailed eligibility criteria, or use the Qulification Check to see which fields you may qualify for.

The timeline for issuing the Employment Gold Card is as follows:

1. Information Check: The National Immigration Agency confirms your basic details (1-2 weeks).
2. Qualification Check: Various relevant ministries review your application (1-2 months). If you are asked to provide Supplementary Documents, it will take longer.
3. Passport Inspection: For overseas applicants, your local Taiwan embassy will inspect your passport (1 week). For domestic applicants, this step shall be skipped.
4. Secondary Review: The National Immigration Agency (NIA) performs a final review of your application and prints your Gold Card (1-2 weeks). However, if you have worked for any Mainland Chinese companies or the government, please expect at least 1-2 months for the National Immigration Agency’s final review.

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Only income indicated as “salary” on the tax statement will be accepted. For freelance work, the income on the tax statement must clearly be shown as salary. Income from sole proprietorships or any dividend income cannot be counted toward the salary requirement.

Most recent monthly salary of at least NT$160,000 means a monthly salary or average monthly salary of NT$160,000 or above from any year within the three years preceding the month of the application; documentary proof of salary or tax payment means one of the following:

1. Salary withholding certification or tax certification (i.e. Australia PAYG payment summary, Canada T4, Israel 106 form, Russia 2-NDFL, Poland PIT-11, UK P60, US W-2). But if such certification cannot be presented owing to provisions of tax law, it may, after explanation of the tax law provisions preventing its presentation, be replaced by employer’s certification.
2. The employment contract of intended future employment in the ROC.

If you want to find out if you are eligible for the Taiwan Employment Gold Card, please refer to the Foreign Talent Act website’s information page. If you have related questions, please send us an e-mail at help@taiwangoldcard.tw

Please check the Financial Examination Bureau’s List of Foreign Financial Supervisory Agencies.

If your company is registered with any of the agencies listed above, then it would likely be recognized by the Financial Supervisory Commission.

Please review the attached “List of Industries” to check whether your industry is considered as under the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ jurisdiction.

Please review the “Authority-In-Charge for Various Industries” to check whether your industry is considered as under the Ministry of Culture’s jurisdiction.

Applicants under the Field of Law are required to provide the license of a ROC attorney or the permit of a ROC foreign legal affairs attorney. The application for the Foreign Legal Affairs Attorney’s Practice Permit can be found HERE

Please note that this application requires the applicant to provide the name and address of a local law firm, so you must find a firm who is willing to sponsor your application for this permit.

If you are planning on applying under this regulation, you should provide:

o Your certificates of employment o Award records o Press releases (such as news or in other media) o Articles you have published related to Taiwan o Recommendation letter, including the reference’s position and contact information o Proof of significant contributions to Taiwan

To qualify, you must hold a PhD graduation certificate issued by one of the top 500 universities listed in the most recent QS World University Rankings, Times Higher Education World University Rankings, or U.S. News & World Report Rankings. Please note that rankings based on specific subjects do not qualify for this regulation. Check the top 500 World University Rankings provided by the Ministry of Education.

Moreover, the degrees of Doctor of Medicine (MD), Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS), Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD), and Juris Doctor (J.D.) are not accepted by the Ministry of Education for this regulation.

The documents you provide regarding your expertise or experience must demonstrate your potential contribution to Taiwan’s technology industry.

Such documents include, but are not limited to, academic diplomas from domestic or foreign institutions, proof of employment, academic research, technical certifications, technology transfer records, and awards.

Your proof of expertise documents should include a well-organized portfolio of information showcasing your personal achievements and contributions of your service, emphasizing your individual accomplishments rather than focusing on the company for which you have worked. Competition awards, notable achievements, renowned systems, significant projects, publications, or patents are all encouraged as demonstration of an applicant’s potential to contribute to Taiwan’s technology industry.

Please refrain from submitting certificates of completed hours of courses, as they are insufficient to prove one’s potential contributions to Taiwan’s science and technology industry.

Please confirm whether you currently hold or have previously held a position as a chair professor, professor, or associate professor in a university, or as a researcher or associate researcher in a research institution, and within the last three years have important academic contributions or important specialist works or have published internationally recognized research. Please note that experience as an assistant professor or assistant researcher does not meet the eligibility criteria specified for Regulation 6; only associate professors, associate researchers, and above qualify.

In accordance with Article 24 of the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals , the provisions apply mutatis mutandis to residents of Hong Kong and Macau areas. In other words, Hong Kong or Macau residents are also eligible to apply for the tax incentives for foreign specialist professionals as regulated by Article 20 of the Act.

Please note: Foreign professionals must still meet specific conditions after obtaining their Gold Card to enjoy tax benefits. Please refer to the relevant regulations for qualification details: Articles 3 of the Regulations Governing Reduction and Exemption of Income Tax of Foreign Specialist Professionals and Article 20 of the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals .

You must have a recent monthly salary of at least NT$160,000 and have previously held or currently hold a position in a technology industry or field, either in a company, research and development institute, or academic institution. However, it is advised to consider applying under a different field in the following situations:

1. If your expertise is in software application and software technology (e.g. Software engineer for various companies). This follows the Ministry of Digital Affairs’ announcement in May 2023 of additional provisions for the eligibility of “Foreign Special Professionals with Specialized Knowledge/Skills in the Digital Field”, and the passage of the Organization Act of the Administration for Digital Industries, which established the administration as the competent authority for the development of the digital economy and placed it in charge of the following matters: planning and drafting policies, laws, and regulations for digital economy related industries; providing guidance and incentives for interdisciplinary digital innovation of artificial intelligence, big data, platform economy, or other digital economy related industries; providing guidance and incentives for system integration and vertical application; providing guidance and incentives for software products and digital services; providing guidance and incentives for digital content and data economy; promoting and implementing international exchanges and cooperation of digital economy related industries; cultivating talents for digital economy related industries; and other matters pertaining to the development of digital economy related industries. Therefore, if your work experience aligns with the above-mentioned digital economy related matters, it is recommended to apply under Regulation 2 within the digital field, for review by the Ministry of Digital Affairs.
2. If you have held the position of operations, technical or marketing executive in a high-tech R&D hub, operations headquarters or transnational corporation established in Taiwan, please apply under Regulation 1 or Regulation 2 within the Field of Economy, for review by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA).

1. You must prove that you have unique skills, outstanding R&D design performance, or substantial innovative achievement in a cutting-edge or forward-looking area of technology.
2. Your proof of expertise documents should include a well-organized portfolio of information showcasing your personal achievements and contributions of your service, emphasizing your individual accomplishments rather than focusing on the company in which you have worked for. Demonstration of any competition awards, notable achievements, renowned systems, significant projects, publications, or patents are all be encouraged.

Regulation 4 requires a review of the applicant’s work experience and achievement awarded in sports industry, such as having been a sports coach, the performance of students who have participated in competitions, or having been an athlete who has participated in various international competitions.

Additionally, the reference letter(s) issued by a university or tertiary college in the ROC may be written by the head of the department.