Taiwan Immigration

Citizenship of Taiwan

Migrants who have reached the age of 20 and have lived in Taiwan for more than 5 years (even with interruptions) can apply for citizenship. 

In addition, you must

• have housing (at least rented);
• be officially employed;
• have an impeccable reputation (no offenses);
• renounce their original citizenship.

Important! The last point does not apply to highly qualified foreigners. Migrants who are professionals in various fields of activity may not renounce their original citizenship. Such a decision demonstrates the policy of local authorities aimed at creating conditions that are as attractive as possible for highly qualified specialists from abroad to enter the country.

Grounds for obtaining citizenship

1. By right of birth or descent

This right can be exercised by:

• Children under the age of 18 who were born in Taiwan to a full-fledged citizen (it is sufficient that at least one parent has a Taiwanese passport);
• Children who were born outside the country and at least one of the parents is a full citizen of Taiwan. Moreover, the child has not acquired the citizenship of another state.
• Minor children of an immigrant who has permanent residence in Taiwan and does not have citizenship in another country;
• Orphans found near the country.

That is, if a child is born in another country and acquires its citizenship, he or she is automatically deprived of the right to obtain a Taiwanese passport. If a child is born in Taiwan, and his or her parents are currently stateless but have been residing in the country for a long time, the child becomes eligible for citizenship.

A child may apply for citizenship upon reaching the age of 16; before that age, only his or her legal representatives (both at the same time) have the right to apply. The absent parent is eligible only for an objective reason (deprivation of parental rights, death, etc.), confirmed by documents.

If the parents are divorced, a divorce certificate and a notarized power of attorney for the right to obtain citizenship for the minor must be provided.

2. As a result of marriage

But there is an important point to consider - the marriage must be recognized as real and legal. Local authorities will carefully monitor the fulfillment of all the necessary conditions: joint management and budget, ownership of joint property, etc. If the couple has children, the control by the migration services ceases.

If fraud is detected (creation of a fictitious marriage), the spouses will face criminal liability.

3. Family reunification

Family reunification is one of the most important reasons for obtaining Taiwanese citizenship. In this case, we are talking only about close relatives who have the status of a citizen. These can be parents, children, brothers, sisters, grandparents, parents, or legal spouse.

To immigrate and obtain citizenship, you need to obtain an invitation from a relative, which indicates the degree of kinship and the period of his or her residence in Taiwan (if he or she is not a citizen). In addition, you will need proof of financial security and availability of living space, which should be enough to help with relocation and support the newcomer.

4. Investments and business

Financially secure and independent people are primarily considered by the Taiwanese authorities as applicants for citizenship. However, in the case of investment, the amount required is quite large - from USD 2,000,000.

If you want to start your own business or buy a ready-made one, you first need to interest Taiwanese entrepreneurs who will provide an opportunity to get closer to the chance of obtaining citizenship. Otherwise, a businessman will only be able to participate in negotiations or show his achievements at exhibitions.

5. Obtaining refugee status

It is quite difficult to obtain refugee status in China. The government is skeptical of such applications, but still some manage to obtain a residence permit and then permanent residence with citizenship on this basis.

The "refugee" must not only prove that he or she is being persecuted in his or her homeland because of his or her religious beliefs or because of his or her race, but also undergo many more interviews, after which the final verdict is only made. If the status is denied, the immigrant is given time to leave the country, otherwise he or she is granted a residence permit and financial assistance for several years.

6. On naturalization

Naturalization is the most difficult, time-consuming and lengthy process of acquiring citizenship.

To use this method, a person must have lived in the country for at least 5 years, be over 20 years old and be able to provide for themselves. However, fulfilling all the conditions does not guarantee approval of the passport request. The authorities are very scrupulous about all applicants, and reject them whenever possible.

7. Purchase of real estate

Although this method is affordable, it is not entirely profitable, as real estate prices have been rising at an irresistible rate since 2008. Therefore, all newcomers do not buy housing for permanent residence, but rent it, as a small but good apartment can be rented for only 200 USD per month.

The procedure of registration

Before starting the process of obtaining citizenship, you need to live in Taiwan on a permanent basis for 5 to 10 years, with special attention paid to the characteristics of the place of work and how the candidate was able to join the workforce.

Knowledge of the local language is one of the main conditions for obtaining a Taiwanese passport. It can be learned while staying at home or at free courses upon arrival in the country.

Also, first of all, before applying to specialized services, an immigrant needs to determine the clause of the Citizenship Law that allows him or her to apply for citizenship. Then you can contact the embassy and security bureau to receive an application that will need to be filled out

After that, the newcomer needs to collect a package of required documents and submit them together with the application to the authorized organizations that deal with passport issuance.

Required documents:

• An application personally drawn up by the applicant and signed by him/her (if the applicant is under the age of 18, the application must be filled in by his/her legal representatives);
• A valid foreign passport;
• All expired passports (if any);
• Document on the basis of which the person resides in the country (permanent residence permit);
• Certificate of marriage or divorce;
• Certificate from a local clinic confirming that the person does not have any dangerous diseases (HIV, AIDS, tuberculosis, drug addiction, etc.);
• Biometric data (fingerprints);
• Photographs (6 color photos 3.3×4.8 cm in size);
• Certificate of intention to renounce previous citizenship or confirmation of such actions;
• A written commitment that the immigrant is not going to engage in criminal or terrorist activities (in case a local resident is required to be a guarantor);
• A document confirming the existence of family ties (in case of family reunification).

Who can be refused?

You may be denied in the following cases:

• Incorrectly submitted package of documents;
• An error was found in the submitted documentation;
• False information was provided when filling out the documents;
• The immigrant has a criminal record in his/her home country;
• The immigrant has a certificate of a dangerous disease.