Is it possible to change the nationality of Employment Gold Card holders? What are the processes, restrictions, and regulations?

  1. The Employment Gold Card is a 4-in-1 certificate that includes a work permit, residence visa, Alien Resident Certificate, and re-entry permit; any change in the card holder’s nationality will invalidate the Employment Gold Card. In the event of the card holder’s change in nationality, they must reapply with their new nationality while their current Gold Card is still valid. Once the application has been approved, the existing Employment Gold Card must be cancelled. An Employment Gold Card with the new nationality and existing ID number will be issued. However the applicant’s rights for permanent residency will remain unaffected, as the period of stay for both cards will be taken into consideration.
  2. The Employment Gold Card holder’s dependents are not required to reapply for residence permits.
  3. When entering Taiwan, the Employment Gold Card holder must provide a passport with the corresponding nationality for inspection; residence entry will be prohibited if the nationality of the original Employment Gold Card has been lost.
  4. For the renewal process, the Employment Gold Cardholder must depart Taiwan before applying. After departing Taiwan, head to the Foreign Professionals Online Application Platform ) and select “No” in the “Do you hold, or have you ever held, an Employment Gold Card?” field and choose “Apply overseas”. After payment of the application fee, contact the service center of the National Immigration Agency and provide both the old and new Gold Card application numbers. If re-entry into Taiwan is necessary, the original Gold Card can be used; however, the passport must undergo overseas inspection, and the new passport should be used for entry into Taiwan.