Hong Kong & Macau Residents

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:

• Does not hold an Overseas Compatriot Identity Certificate for Military Service Purpose
• Does not hold an R.O.C. passport with the endorsement of the Overseas Chinese residence status
• Has Overseas Compatriot with Military Service Identity and has lived in Taiwan for one year
• Is subject to conscription and restrictions to exit according to the Act of Military Service System

Hong Kong and Macau applicants must download the “Hong Kong or Macau Resident Confirmation Document” and the “Residence Declaration Form for Hong Kong and Macau Residents”. Signatures must be in Chinese. Please refer to the links to download the necessary documents: 香港或澳門居民身分確認書 、 香港澳門居民申請居留定居申報書

Unfortunately, it is not possible to expedite application reviews. Also, if you have worked for any Mainland Chinese companies or the government, we suggest that you provide a statement about your previous work and your future plans in Taiwan. After passing the Workforce Development Agency’s qualification check, please expect at least 1-2 months for the National Immigration Agency’s final review.

The National Immigration Agency’s “ Notice for Delivery of Employment Gold Cards for Special Professionals from Foreign Countries or Hong Kong and Macau ” does not require Hong Kong and Macau applicants to provide a Good Citizen Certificate (Police Record), Letter of Guarantee, or Health Check Certificate.

If your Hong Kong or Macao spouse loses his/her ARC overseas, you need to report the loss overseas and ask a travel agent or a friend/relative in Taiwan (the authorized person must hold an ARC or ID card) visit a National Immigration Agency service center to apply for a replacement. The review process takes five working days. Afterward, the travel agency or friend/relative can send the new ARC overseas to your spouse.

The following documents are required for the reissuance of a lost ARC (Chinese version only):

1. Application Form for Residence or Registered Permanent Residence for Hong Kong and Macau Residents (香港澳門居民申請居留定居申報書)
2. Identity Verification Form for Hong Kong or Macau Residents (香港或澳門居民身分確認書)
3. Application Form for Entry, Residence, and Registered Permanent Residence in the Taiwan Area of the R.O.C. (中華民國臺灣地區入境居留定居申請書)
4. Letter or Power of Attorney (委託書)
5. Proof of Loss Report (報案證明)
6. Passport or original identification document (may be substituted with identification documents verified by an ROC overseas mission)

Documents 1-4 can be downloaded here

1. Holders of a British National Overseas (BNO) passport, please apply for the Gold Card with your Hong Kong or Macao status * and fill in the Identity Confirmation Letter.
2. Holders of both Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) passports and other foreign passports (excluding the BNO passport), if you choose to apply as a Hong Kong or Macau citizen, you must give up your other (foreign) citizenship. The certificate of renunciation of foreign nationality verified by foreign embassies shall be attached, and the Chinese translation certified by foreign embassies or domestic notaries shall be attached. Should you choose to apply with your other (foreign) citizenship, you must provide a signed affidavit with your name and date stating that you will only use your foreign passport (not Hong Kong or Macau passport) to enter Taiwan.

* Article 4, Item 1 and Item 2 of the Laws and Regulations Regarding Hong Kong & Macao Affairs states that the term “Hong Kong Residents” refers to persons who qualify for permanent residency in Hong Kong and who do not hold a travel document other than a BNO passport or a Hong Kong passport.

Hong Kong and Macau applicants who were born in Mainland China must upload one of the following documents:

1. A certificate of non-household registration in Mainland China verified by the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF).
2. Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macau Residents (Home Return Permit)
3. The notarized certificate of cancellation of Mainland China household registration verified by the SEF.

Dependents (including spouse, underage children, and adult children with physical and mental disabilities) of the Employment Gold Card holder (of foreign nationality or a resident of Hong Kong or Macau) may apply for an entry/exit permit on the National Immigration Agency’s Foreigner’s Online Application System , and then apply for residency at any National Immigration Agency service station after entering the country.

As another way to apply, after entering the country and receiving your Employment Gold Card, your dependents in Hong Kong and Macau can apply to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office for residency (the Gold Card holder does not need to return to Hong Kong and Macau).

For more information on the required document submissions for residence, please visit HERE .

Applicants can apply for an extension of residency before the expiration of their current residency if the original reason for residence continues to exist. The required documents for TARC extension for Hong Kong and Macau residents are:

• Residency extension application

• Original Taiwan Area Resident Certificate (TARC)

• Letter of attorney should be attached if applicant is unable to attend in-person

• For applications approved after August 19, 2020, with the applicant born in mainland China, one of the following proof documents must be submitted:

  1. Original certification of non-establishment of Mainland household registration verified by the Straits Exchange Foundation.
  2. Original notarial certification of cancellation of Mainland household registration verified by the Straits Exchange Foundation.
  3. Original or copy of a valid Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macau Residents (Home Return Permit)

• Other relevant proof documents (such as Declaration Form for Hong Kong and Macau Residents Applying for Residence and Settlement 【香港澳門居民申請居留定居申報書】

For instructions on applying for an extension of an TARC for Hong Kong and Macau spouse and children, please check this link

For related regulations, please see Article 24 of the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals

• Required Documents:

  1. An application form, with a white-background 2’’ photo taken within the last 2 years (Same specification as ROC national ID photo).
  2. Original and copy of Hong Kong/Macau permanent residence ID card and Hong Kong/Macau passport (the original will be returned after verification).
  3. Application Fee: NT$600 for a single entry permit; NT$1,000 for a 1-year multiple entry permit; NT$2,000 for a 3-year multiple entry permit.
  4. A registered self-addressed stamped envelope with the recipient’s name and phone number.
  5. Power of Attorney (Not required if Hong Kong/Macau residents apply in person).
  6. Certificate of family relations.
  7. A copy of valid ARC or ROC Employment Gold Card overseas application approval notice issued to the Hong Kong/Macau special professional.

• How to apply:

  1. In Hong Kong or Macau: Apply to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices in Hong Kong or Macau. Second application and beyond may be filed directly to the NIA.
  2. In foreign countries: Apply to ROC (Taiwan) embassies, representative offices, or other agencies authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Residents of Hong Kong and Macao are permitted to enter Taiwan for a period not exceeding three months. Those who would like to extend their stay should apply through the National Immigration Agency. Required documents:

1. Application form for single entry/exit permit
2. Entry/exit documents: single entry/exit permit, renewable entry/exit permit or multiple entry/exit permit
3. NT$300 application fee
4. Relevant documents: Proof documents for applying for further extension of stay
5. Letter of Attorney (not required for personal applicants)
6. Relative relationship certificate and copy of effective residence certificate for foreign special professional

For relevant instructions, please refer to: Notices for the document submission of Hong Kong and Macau citizens for entry/exit – visa extension For regulations related to lineal ascendant visit and stay, please refer to: Article 18 of the Law on the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals

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.

• Phone Number：(02)2700-3199
• Fax：(02)2700-3200
• E-mail：careyou@thec.org.tw
• Address：3F, No.2, Alley 17, Lane 147, Section 3, Xinyi Road, Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
• Website

According to current regulations, Gold Card holders from Hong Kong and Macau may not apply for Registered Permanent Residence. Additionally, Article 24 of the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals stipulates that all matters related to entry, stay, and residence for permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macau engaging in professional work or job-seeking in Taiwan shall be handled in accordance with the Laws and Regulations Regarding Hong Kong & Macao Affairs by the Ministry of the Interior.

The Act for the Entry and Permanent Residence of Permanent Residents of Hong Kong and Macau (“Act for Hong Kong & Macau”) states that permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macau permitted for residence in Taiwan may apply for Registered Permanent Residence if they still qualify under the original conditions that resulted in their residence approval and have stayed in Taiwan for a specific period of time (kinship as a result of marriage or adoption must be maintained for more than 3 years but children born during marriage are excluded from these restrictions); the “specific period” above refers to a continuous residence of 1 year, allowing an unrestricted number of exits for a total period of 30 days within the year, prior to application; or a continuous residence of more than 270 days per year in Taiwan for a period of 2 years.

Currently, permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macau with the following identity codes may apply for Registered Permanent Residence after staying in Taiwan for a specific period of time: HF151, HF152, HF155, HF189, HF156, HF157, HF158, HF159, HF160, HF161, HF162, HF163, HF166, HF167, HF169, HF170, HF173, HF174, HF175, HF176, HF179, HF180, HF196, HF197, HF177, HF178, and HF168 (upon conversion to HF171)

For details regarding Registered Permanent Residence, please refer to the Identity Code Chart for Permanent Residents of Hong Kong and Macau below.

Hong Kong and Macau residents can only choose one reason to change their residence status in Taiwan. For relevant regulations and explanations, please refer to the submission instructions for changing the reason for residence on the National Immigration Agency website . Please note that when applying for a change of residence status, the National Immigration Agency will take back the original Resident Certificate but will not invalidate it; the applicant can fill in an explanation to borrow the certificate when needed. If applying from abroad, a copy of the residence certificate must be applied for in order to change the residence.

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 special professionals as regulated by Article 20 of the Act.