Is it difficult to obtain a Alien Resident Certificate?
As Taiwan is a country of natural and cultural diversity, many people decide to stay here longer than the 90 days visa-exempt entry and start living here on the Ilha Formosa.
But as you’ve probably already expected, to apply and receive an Alien Resident Certificate is not as easy as spreading butter on bread. So what are the requirements and what do you have to be aware of? In this article we’ll answer everything you need to know t before applying for an ARC’s!
- What is the ARC and what is the difference between ARC and APRC?
- What different kind of resident visas are existing?
- The What-to-do-Checklist
- What do I need as an exchange student?
- What do I need if I have already found work?
- What if I haven’t found work yet?
- What if I want to study Chinese in Taiwan ?
- Conclusion
- Sources
What’s the ARC and what’s the difference between ARC and APRC?
The Alien Resident Certificate or short ARC allows foreign nationals to work or study in Taiwan for up to three years without re-application. Multiple entries/re-entries are permitted, but it does not include the same working rights and other benefits that a permanent alien residency or a resident does.
On the other hand we have the APRC is for people, who have already been in Taiwan for at least 5 years and want to stay here indefinitely. You will have the same working rights as a normal Taiwanese resident. That means as a new alien resident you don’t have to even think about which residence visa to choose.
Important to note is, that the Alien Resident Certificate is not a visa, it is proof of a visa to be used in your daily life so you don’t have to carry around your passport. That means at first you have to get the resident visa status before you can apply for the ARC. You have to apply for the ARC within 15 days from the day of arrival or from the Resident Visa issuance date. Also, a ARC and APRC allows you to live/stay in Taiwan, but if you also want to work, you need an extra working permit.
What different kind of resident visas are existing?
According to the Bureau of Consular Affairs there are 13 different types of resident permits:
- for Entrepreneurs
- for Investment
- for Overseas Chinese Students
- for Studying Religious Doctrine
- for Religious Work
- for Studying Mandarin Chinese
- for Foreign Students (Exchange Students)
- for Foreign Students(Full-time PhD, Master’s, Bachelor’s program, or senior high school Students and below)
- for Minors Under Age 20 Joining Parents or Grand Parents
- for Foreign Spouses of R.O.C.(Taiwan) Citizens Having Household Registration
- for Foreign Spouses of R.O.C.(Taiwan) Citizens Without Household Registration
- for Internship Purpose
- for White Collar Workers
In this article I will focus on visas for foreign students and workers, I will work through all the underlined visas above. On this website you can also find out the requirements of the other types of resident visas, you only have to select the Nationality, Duration and Purpose and a window pops up, telling you what documents you need.
The What-To-Do-Checklist
Before I work through all the different requirements for all different kind of visa types, I’ll list all the necessary things you have to think about while planning your residency in Taiwan.
- Get a reason for staying long term in Taiwan
- check, if your passport is valid for at least 6 more months
- Find employment or an overseas university to study
- Inform yourself about what kind of visa is the right one for you
- Get a work permit or a record of enrollment of university/school
- Get all the necessary documents
- Get in contact with the Taiwan Representative’s Office or apply for a Resident Visa online
- Get all the other supporting document you need for the visa and go back
- Book a flight
- Look for accommodation
- Arrive safely
- Apply for an ARC within the first 15 days
- Go to Service Station of Residence and bring all necessary documents
- Wait approximately 2 weeks for the certificate
What do I need as an exchange student?
Lots of universities offer consultation or will even take care of most of the things to do. Like, get in contact with the partner university overseas, make clear what can be accredited to your current study program, get student on-campus housing, get you all the necessary documents and sometimes they even arrange your visa completely. If you have to apply for a resident or visitor visa yourself, here are the necessary documents you need to apply at the Taiwanese Representative’s office or online:
- Letter of approval issued by university/college or competent authorities of education.
- Admission permit or record of enrollment and registration
- The overseas school’s record of enrollment
- A health certificate has to be issued by your local hospital before your journey and must be authenticated by an R.O.C. (Taiwan) overseas mission. It can also be issued within 3 months after arrival by a local hospital designated by the Centers for Disease Control of Ministry of Health and Welfare of Taiwan. (So it is possible to do this even after receiving the ARC)
- Other supporting documents (if requested)
As a student you can apply for a visitor or a resident visa before entering Taiwan, but if you want to stay longer and leave and come back, it’s advisable to get an resident visa and then an ARC. Also, they don’t always ask for other supporting documents, but sometimes they still do. After your resident or visitor status has gotten approved you can make yourself ready for living in Taiwan for however long your studies will take. After you arrive in Taiwan and you’ve already got the resident visa, you have to go to the Service Station of Residence , which is the one nearest to the place you’re living, within the first 15 days of arrival. The necessary documents you will have to bring, are:
- the Application form (get online or at local station)
- Passport and resident visa + one copy of each
- Original and one copy of: student enrollment verification, or student ID
- Two passport sized photos (2”x 2” and must have been taken in the last six months)
- Residence Certificate in Taiwan (Housing contract in Taiwan)
- Application fee of NT$1,000 for one year’s validity (NT$2,000 for two, NT$3,000 for three)
Nowadays it is also possible to do the ARC application for students online and you only have to pick up the AR Certificate after three working days at the service station.
What do I need, if I have already found work?
If you have already found work in Taiwan, you just need the work permit, issued by the company employing you and apply for the resident visa. After your resident visa got approved, you just have to get ready relocating to Taiwan and you’re all good. Again, many companies do everything for you, but here just in case you have to do it yourself. Within the first 15 days of arrival in Taiwan go to the Service Station near your Residence and ring the following documents:
- Application form (get online or at local station)
- Passport and resident visa + one copy of each
- Work permit issued by the Council of Labour Affairs; original plus copy
- Two passport sized photos (2”x2” and must have been taken in the last six months)
- Residence Certificate in Taiwan (Housing contract in Taiwan)
- Application fee of NT$1,000 for one year’s validity (NT$2,000 for two, NT$3,000 for three)
For internships everything is the same, except that you will need an approval letter issued by a government agency (e.g. Permit issued by Ministry of the Interior; Ministry of Economic Affairs; Ministry of Health and Welfare) instead of a work permit.
What if I haven’t found work yet?
If you think about working here, but haven’t found anything fitting yet, then go to Taiwan with a Visitor Visa or Visa-exempt and look for something there. As soon as you’ve found something, get the resident visa and apply for an ARC in the country. Don’t apply for a resident visa in your home country without having a job or proof of reason to go first, otherwise you will certainly get declined. Normally in theory it shouldn’t be possible to change a Visa-exempt to a Visa without leaving the country for a short time, but in reality in most cases they let you change to a Visitor or Resident Visa.
What if I want to study Chinese in Taiwan ?
If you only come to study Chinese to Taiwan, you need the same documents as for an internship or work, except you will need a certificate of admission issued by the Chinese language center affiliated to one of the universities or institutions accredited by the Ministry of Education. (original and photocopy) and no work permit or approval letter.
Conclusion
To keep it short and simple, it may seem complicated, in reality it’s just a lot of paperwork. In general you just need to decide for one of the 13 reasons to come here, find an institution/a job, getting the necessary permit or prove that you’ll do something here, get the permission to be in Taiwan and apply for and pick up your ARC. If you need additional information, the following sources contain all websites you could ever need to find out the rest. Enjoy Taiwan!
Sources
- Picture 1: https://www.internationalnotarization.com/x/cdn/?https://storage.googleapis.com/wzukusers/user-23403255/images/5ae0048de94a6U6xqSWh/image_d600.jpeg
- https://www.immigration.gov.tw/5475/5478/141465/141808/
- https://coa.immigration.gov.tw/coa-frontend/manual/ForeignStudentApplicationInstructions.pdf
- https://www.foreignersintaiwan.com/blog-370963385326684/taiwan-immigration-faq
- https://www.justlanded.com/english/Taiwan/Taiwan-Guide/Visas-Permits/Temporary-permanent-residency-permits
- https://visawebapp.boca.gov.tw/BOCA_EVISA/MRV01FORM.do
- https://tw.forumosa.com/t/arcs-work-permits-and-visas-what-do-you-need-to-know/67674
- http://oiss.mcu.edu.tw/en/content/arc-information
- picture 2: https://w0.pngwave.com/png/142/545/incandescent-light-bulb-animated-film-cartoon-lamp-lamp-png-clip-art.png
