TAIWAN: ARC applicants travel restricted

December 6, 2013


The Taiwanese Ministry of Interior”s National Immigration Agency (NIA) is purporting to change its policy regarding Re-entry Permits for Alien Resident Certificate (外僑居留證) (ARC) applicants. It has been reported that local NIA service centres will no longer issue Re-entry permits in conjunction with applications for ARCs.

Consequently, resident visa holders applying for an ARC will be rendered unable to depart and re-enter Taiwan while their ARC application is still pending. As such, it has been suggested that resident visa holders should avoid travelling outside Taiwan until their ARC has been issued. The standard processing time for an ARC to be issued is normally within 2 weeks of submitting an application.

The ARC is a mandatory form of identification for foreign resident visa holders in Taiwan and should be applied for within 15 days of having their resident visa issued.

Should you have any queries concerning Alien Resident Certificates or Taiwanese immigration, please feel free to contact us on 0207 0012121.