The Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) serves as an ID card which proves legal resident status in Taiwan. International students should take good care of it and pay attention to its expiration date as it is a very important document.
International students who have entered Taiwan with a Resident Visa, or obtained Resident Visa through visa change in Taiwan, are required to apply for Alien Resident Certificate through the online application system within 30 days after arrival or issue date of Resident Visa within Taiwan respectively.
Online Application System
According to The National Immigration Agency, international students must apply through the Online Application System (Starting from August 1, 2021).
If students have any questions regarding the Online Application System, please contact NIA customer service center: 02-2796-7162.
Detailed contact information of National Immigration Agency service centers can be found on the NIA website.
1. Introduction
ARC is an identity document issued by the National Immigration Agency which proves legal residence for foreign nationals (non-ROC nationals) in Taiwan. Foreign and overseas Chinese students who pursue undergraduate or graduate studies in Taiwan are required to apply for an ARC through the online application system within 30 days after they enter Taiwan with a Resident Visa or obtain a Resident Visa through visa change in Taiwan.
2. Qualification
Foreign nationals who have never been approved for naturalization in Taiwan, and have a valid reason to reside in Taiwan (e.g. studying at NTU).
3. Application Process
- International and overseas Chinese students who pursue undergraduate or graduate studies in Taiwan can apply for the ARC through the online application system with a certificate of enrollment provided by the university/insitution.
- The application must be done within 30 days of arrival in Taiwan, or issue date of Resident Visa within Taiwan.
- International and overseas Chinese students who need to extend their stay in Taiwan due to academic requirements should apply for an ARC extension online within 30 days before the ARC expires.
4. Check Your Progress
- Check Your Application Progress
After filling out and submitting an online application form, students will receive a 12-digit confirmation number. Students may use the confirmation number to track their progress via the online system through "progress inquiry" --> "application progress inquiry." - Check for Priority Application
After filling out and submitting an online application form, students will receive a 12-digit confirmation number. Students may use the confirmation number to track their progress via the “priority” section.
5. Online Payment
After the online application is reviewed and approved by the National Immigration Agency, please complete your ARC payment fee within 5 working days.
- One-year residence permit for foreign students: NT$1,000.
- Two-year residence permit for foreign students: NT$2,000.
- Three-year residence permit for foreign students: NT$3,000.
- ARC alteration or re-issuance: NT$500.
The online system provides multiple payment options, including international credit card, online ATM, virtual account payment, e-government payment platform, and payment at the convenience store (including 7-eleven and Family Mart). The payment option of "international credit card" does not support China UnionPay and American Express. Only JCB, VISA, and MasterCard credit cards can be used for online payment.
6. E-residence Permit and Receipt Download
After the application is approved by National Immigration Agency and the ARC payment fee is completed, you will receive an e-mail from the system informing you that the e-residence permit and receipt are ready for download. Students can sign in to the system and download their e-residence permit and receipt from "download section" --> "e-residence permit download and "receipt download." Please bring the e-receipt to service center in order to pick up your ARC card.
7. Important Notice for ARC
- Foreigners' residency will be ceased by the authorized agency and they may be expelled from Taiwan if they overstay in Taiwan without applying for ARC extension.
- Foreigners who need to change information on their ARC (e.g. change of address) should apply to update their ARC online within 30 days of the change.
- Please apply for ARC extension within 30 days before your ARC expires if you will continue your study at NTU.
- If you plan to leave Taiwan during your studies, please make sure your ARC will still be valid at the time you return to Taiwan before your departure. Please apply for ARC extension online if necessary.
- If you apply for leave of absence or withdrawal from school, your ARC (purpose of residence is Study at NTU) will be cancelled after you complete the NTU leaving procedures. If you would like to enroll in NTU again after your leave of absence period is over, you need to apply for a new visa to enter Taiwan and obtain a new ARC. For more information, please see Leave of Absence, Reenollment, Withdrawal.
- Graduates seeking employment in Taiwan are required to provide a graduation certificate to extend their period of stay. The maximum extension is one year (issued six months at a time), starting from the month of graduation. If students have postponed their graduation, they are required to provide supportive documents to keep or extend their ARC. For more information. please see Graduation.
Overstay Information:
- Overstay within 30 days (the 30th day excluded) but still enrolled at NTU: pay the fine and the application fee for the ARC extension.
- Overstay more than 30 days (the 30th day included) but still enrolled at NTU: pay the fine and leave the country in 7 days to apply for a new visa and re-enter Taiwan.
- Overstay fine:
- 1-10 days: NTD$2,000
- 11-30 days: NTD$4,000
- 31-60 days: NTD$6,000
- 61-90 days: NTD$8,000
- over 91 days: NTD$10,000
For more details, please contact the National Immigration Agency
Website: http://www.immigration.gov.tw/mp.asp?mp=2
Address: No.15, Guangzhou St., Zhongzheng District, Taipei City
Business Hours: Taipei Office: Monday to Friday 8:00 – 17:00
Other Branch Office: Monday to Friday 8:00 – 17:00
Tel:
Main Line: (02)2388-9393
Automatic Answering Line: (02)2370-2797
Manual Answering Line: (02)2389-9983
Foreigners In Taiwan Hotline: 1990 (English, Japanese, and Mandarin services available)
E-mail: boi@immigration.gov.tw