Live in Taiwan: 2022 Guide for Alien Permanent Resident Certificate 2022 APRC Guide for Those Who Want to Live in Taiwan

If there’s any country in Asia that’s worth considering moving to, it’s Taiwan. Known as one of the safest countries in the world, Taiwan is a great choice for expats. Not to mention, its capital city Taipei is one of the best cities chosen by expats too. They have friendly locals, beautiful tourist destinations, good food and weather, and better healthcare and transportation system. With all that, who wouldn’t want to visit and live in Taiwan someday?

If you’ve been planning to migrate to Taiwan, here’s a quick guide of all the things you need to do before the great big move. Read this updated guide for getting a permanent residency in Taiwan, this 2022!

First things first. Do you know what APRC is?

APRC stands for Alien Permanent Resident Certificate. It’s an immigration status that lets you have permanent residency and an open work permit in Taiwan. You can apply for this if you’ve satisfied all the requirements below.

Can I apply for APRC? Who’s eligible?

Foreigners who want to permanently live in Taiwan must satisfy the following requirements. The applicant shall/may be:

• Legally residing in Taiwan for five consecutive years and more than 183 days each year
• A foreign national who is a spouse of a child of a Taiwanese national with registered permanent residence in Taiwan (legally residing for 10 years or more)
• 20 years old and above
• Good character
• Self-supporting; with sufficient assets or skills
• Keeping with the national interests of the state
• A foreigner legally residing in Taiwan for 20 years or over before May 31, 2002, for over 183 days each year for 10 years who meet the requirements of items 1-4 above
• Spouse or minor children of a foreigner with an approved investment immigrant 
• Foreign senior professional with spouse minor children or 20 years old and above with physical or mental disability
• Foreign professional hired to conduct professional work with approved permanent residency 

Take note. Periods of residence for the following reasons are not counted:

• Attending school and extending the stay
• Approved by central competent authority for work and extending stay
• A dependent relative of a person referred to in the above two

What are the requirements in applying for an APRC?

If you think you’re eligible to apply for a permanent residency in Taiwan, take note of the following requirements that you need to prepare.

• An accomplished APRC application form
• One-color photograph (same specifications required for an ROC ID card)
• Original and photocopy of new and old passports (original will be returned)
• Original and photocopy of Alien Resident Certificate 
• Satisfactory health examination certificate
• Proof of financial assets, special skills, and talents
• Criminal record certificates in the last 5 years issued by the police of the applicant’s home country and Taiwan
• Other relevant evidential documents. View specific requirements in this link.

How long and how much will the application be processed? 

Processing time takes 14 days but if you’re asked to provide additional documents, it may take up to 1 month. The application fee is NT $10,000.

Can OFWs apply for permanent residency in Taiwan?

Good news for all our kababayans in Taiwan! Migrant Filipino workers can now apply for permanent residency status in Taiwan. The Ministry of Labor recently passed a measure that allows migrant workers to apply for permanent residency in the country. 

This is applicable for those who have worked in Taiwan for six years, who will then be allowed to apply to be reclassified as “intermediate skilled worker.”

After being reclassified, another 5 years shall be served to be able to apply for permanent residency. So the total number of years of processing will be 11 years. Employers must be the ones to apply for reclassification of workers. 

Eligibility for permanent residency is as seen below:

• For manufacturing workers: the salary should not be less than 33,000 NT
• For domestic/caregivers in long-term care homes, salary should not be less than 29,000 NT
• Caretakers/domestic worker caregivers, salary should not be less than 24,000 NT
• Must be proficient in Chinese
• Have professional skills training certificates from government-approved training courses

However, this program is limited to the following industries at present:

• Manufacturing
• Fishing
• Agriculture
• Construction
• Nursing
• Social welfare i.e. caregivers
• Overseas Chinese and international students

It is expected that the law will be passed by April 2022. 

Does living in Taiwan someday excite you? Make sure to prepare for all the qualifications and requirements in order to get a permanent residency. Take note of the basic requirements above and check their website regularly for updated guides. For a more comprehensive guide to getting an APRC, visit the website below. 

Source: Ministry of the Interior National Immigration Agency – Taiwan, Focus Taiwan

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