The Gold Card Office will be closed on 9/29 due to the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Here is a summary of frequently asked questions regarding the Taiwan Employment Gold Card program, the application process, and other general questions regarding life in Taiwan and more.
The National Immigration Agency.
Please refer to the National Immigration Agency’s guide to the Application for Permanent Residency.
Yes, you must apply for an APRC in Taiwan. During the application process, please note that once the APRC is issued, your current ARC/Gold Card will be automatically canceled. Therefore, it is recommended to stay in Taiwan while applying for the APRC, or ask a family member or friend to assist in collecting the card and then send it to you overseas.
Please see page 6 of the following document: Instructions on Document Submission by Foreigners Applying for Permanent Residency
To apply for an APRC, the applicant must prove that they, in the most recent year (either the past 12 months before application, or the calendar year before application) had an average monthly income more than twice the minimum monthly wage set by the Ministry of Labor. Please refer to the MOL’s website
The NIA requires one of the following documents:
OR
For more detailed information on APRC financial asset issues with regards to your APRC application, please contact your local NIA Service Center
Please see page 8-10 of the following document According to the NIA’s Instructions on Document Submission by Foreigners Applying for Permanent Residency, a foreigner who has legally and continuously resided in the ROC (Taiwan) for five years, and who has not left the country for more than three months at a time, may be exempted from submitting a satisfactory health examination certificate and a police criminal record certificate issued by their country of origin. However, you will still need to provide the original ROC (Taiwan) police criminal record certificate for the most recent five years (valid within three months of issue). Note: If your situation requires a foreign criminal record certificate, the original certificate for the most recent five years issued by the applicant’s country of origin (valid within one year of the date of issue, including the Chinese translation) must be provided. Also, foreign criminal record certificate shall be the national record of the applicant’s country of residence. For example, the police record of a U.S. citizen must be issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Should you have concerns or questions regarding your police criminal record certificate, please contact your local National Immigration Agency Service Center .
A perfect application takes at least 14 working days if your supporting documents are accepted the first time. If you are asked to provide additional supporting documents, expect 30 days.
In order to apply, you must meet ALL of the following requirements:
Please refer to the National Immigration Agency’s guide to the Application for Permanent Residency.
The spouse and children of Gold Card holders may apply for permanent residency as long as they meet ONE of the following requirements (choose the requirement that is most beneficial to you):
NOTE:
Application for Permanent Residence Information:
No, you must submit an application.
For the 3-year calculation period of permanent residency, you must reside in Taiwan as a Gold Card holder. If your original ARC has met the requirements of Article 25 of the Immigration Act, it can be combined with your Gold Card status, but the total number of years required to apply for permanent residency is 5 (e.g., 3 years with a foreign professional ARC plus 2 years as a Gold Card holder).
The amendment regarding permanent residency is for foreign employment gold cardholders, not including Hong Kong or Macau residents.
The application of Hong Kong and Macau residents (Hong Kong & Macau gold cardholders included) for residence and settlement in Taiwan is handled in accordance with Articles 16 and 29 of the “Regulations Governing Permits for Hong Kong and Macao Residents Entering the Taiwan Area and Setting up Residence or Registered Permanent Residence in R.O.C” issued by the National Immigration Agency of the Ministry of the Interior.
If you have any doubts about the settlement, please contact the Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council for more information.
The start date for calculating permanent residency is the Date of Issue indicated on your original Gold Card. As long as your Gold Card is valid for 3 years, you have resided in Taiwan for an average of more than 183 days per year, and you meet the other application requirements, you can apply for permanent residency.
*Please note that you will receive a new card with a new Date of Issue if you update your information or lose your Gold Card. Should this happen, please refer back to your original Date of Issue, or confirm with the National Immigration Agency.
Yes. Foreign Special Professional status + Gold Card holder status residing in Taiwan for at least 3 years can apply for permanent residency.
For Gold Card holders, a Doctoral Degree Certificate issued by a Taiwanese institution can count towards 1 year of your residency. In other words, a Gold Card holder with a Doctorate Degree (Ph.D.) in Taiwan can apply for permanent residency earliest after residing in Taiwan for 2 years.
These original benefits will not be affected:
New benefits:
According to Article 19 of the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals and Article 33 of the Immigration Act , the National Immigration Agency of the Ministry of the Interior will revoke or repeal your Permanent Resident Permit and cancel your Alien Permanent Resident Certificate in the following cases:
Yes, your parents are eligible for the application.
You can apply for a 6+6 month extension of stay at the National Immigration Agency, which will allow you to remain in Taiwan for a maximum of 12 months, but you cannot work. If you want to work in Taiwan, you will need to apply for a work permit.
It is recommended that you submit the application for extension at least 4 months prior to your Gold Card’s expiration date.
If you do not apply for an extension within the validity period of your Gold Card, you will not be able to apply for an extension and will have to re-apply for a Gold Card. This means that the Date of Issue for your reapplied Gold Card will not be able to continue from the expiration date of your previous card. This means that your stay in Taiwan as a Gold Card holder will be interrupted, which may affect your eligibility to apply for permanent residency after 3 years of residing in Taiwan. Instead, you need to stay in Taiwan for 5 consecutive years before you can apply for permanent residency.
If you have submitted an application for the extension of your Gold Card, while you are waiting for approval, you can apply for an Employment Seeking Resident Certificate (maximum 6+6 months) at the National Immigration Agency. When the extension application is approved, the validity period of your Gold Card will continue from the expiry date of your original Gold Card, meaning the validity period of your Gold Card will not be interrupted.
The new laws were officially implemented on October 25, 2021.
For a Visitor Visa for visiting relatives application, please visit the official website of the Bureau of Consular Affairs, R.O.C. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for more details . Applicants must fill in the visa application form online, print it out, and sent it with the following documents to our overseas missions: a properly completed and signed visa application form, a passport valid for more than 6 months, two passport-size photos in color within 6 months, a resident certificate for a specific foreign professional and a family relationship certificate.
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